She sucks in a noisy breath. “A room.” She points a shaky finger down the corridor.

“What kind of room?”

She’s crying too much to speak. I look helplessly at Brent.

“Can you show us?” Brent says.

She chokes back a sob and nods. Brent picks up the axe and hands Heather his screwdriver. Curtis stiffens but says nothing. Heather leads us down the corridor. Curtis follows, lighting up the way. I limp along behind them, gritting my teeth at the pain, with Brent at the rear.

Our shadows bob along the wall. Four figures. One with an axe.

I hope that flashlight has plenty of battery left. Heather takes the left-hand branch, passes the bathroom I found her in earlier, and stops at the next door down.

I could have sworn this one was locked before. And when she pushes the door open and Curtis shines the flashlight in, I know I haven’t seen this room before.

“Shit,” Curtis breathes.

CHAPTER 50

TEN YEARS AGO

A pounding at my apartment door wakes me. Saskia stirs in bed beside me, topless and quite possibly as naked as I am.

“Milla?”

Oh shit. That’s Brent’s voice. I scramble out of bed and search for clothes.

I expect Saskia to be as horrified as I am at being caught like this, but she doesn’t move. I fish my sweater off the floor and pull it over my head. “Put some clothes on.”

Her eyes gleam. “Why?”

“Because I want you to.”

She lies there, smiling the smile I’ve seen so many times this winter.

“Milla!” Brent calls. “Come on! I need a piss.”

Saskia smothers a laugh.

“Just a minute!” I toss Saskia her corset and knickers and step hurriedly into my jeans.

Brent rattles the door. “Hurry up.”

Saskia still hasn’t moved from the bed. Defeated, I open the door. Brent has his snowboard with him and he’s wearing all his gear. He dumps his board and backpack on the carpet, rushes in, and freezes midstride when he sees her.

She’s in the middle of the bed, bare breasts visible above the duvet. She waves a dainty hand. “Hi, Brent.”

Brent turns to me, stunned beyond speech. He takes another look at her and dives into the bathroom.

“Get dressed,” I tell her. “Please.”

She stretches her arms above her head and yawns. “In a minute.”

The toilet flushes and water gushes from the taps. Saskia waits until Brent emerges from the bathroom, then stretches again and climbs out of bed totally naked.