“Maybe they’re devil worshippers,” Johona says.

The bikers reappear behind the cabin and pass a bottle. Jesse hears a rustle and turns to find Edgar on his feet again. “Those sonsofbitches are gonna do us in,” he says and sets off for the car at a run. Jesse throws an arm around his neck and drags him to his knees. Edgar twists and turns, trying to free himself, extra strong because he’s scared.

“Easy,” Jesse croons. “Easy.”

His brother bucks a few more times, then collapses, breathing hard. Jesse strokes him like he would a spooked horse.

“We’re safe up here,” he says. “All you have to do is keep quiet.”

“Give them the girl,” Edgar says.

“We’re not giving them the girl,” Jesse says. He spies a small cave at the base of the boulder, a niche barely visible behind a creosote bush.

“Look,” he says. “An Indian hideout.”

Edgar lifts his head, intrigued.

“They’ll never find you in there.”

Edgar crawls to the cave and backs into it.

“Can you see me?” he says.

“Not a hair,” Jesse says.

“There’s room for you.”

“I’ll keep watch. Soon as it’s clear, I’ll come for you.”

When Jesse gets back to where he left Johona, she’s gone. He spots movement below, on the overlook. The girl is sneaking toward the trail that leads to the cabin. The Fiends are still on the ledge behind the ruin. One of them has a gun.

The baby starts crying again as Jesse races down to retrieve Johona. She’s crouched at the edge of the overlook, straining to make out what’s happening below, but the cabin blocks the Fiends from view. She flinches, startled, when Jesse appears out of the darkness and kneels beside her. “Come with me,” he whispers, but then the click of a revolver’s hammer on an empty chamber rings out. He and Johona watch the cabin, holding their breaths. One of the Fiends yells “Goddammit,” and another click rebounds off the surrounding hills.

Jesse’s worried. He and Johona are on the path the Fiends will use to return to their Harleys, and they’ll see them as soon as they leave the cabin. He needs to move the girl now, while the bikers are occupied. He tugs her arm, but she frowns and pulls away.

“The baby,” she says.

A gun goes off, making them both jump. The child stops bawling mid-wail.

“Oh, my God,” Johona says.

What Jesse sees is Claudine. Claudine confused, Claudine terrified. He flashes back to her final moments, and when Johona jumps up and starts down the trail to the cabin, he follows without hesitation, thinking only that she’ll not die in front of him like Claudine did.