“You don’t get it. We let you go, and the government gets you, and you disappear forever—”

The sound of a pistol resounded from outside, followed by another.

“Rudd!” Neve said, peering out the window. “It’s Kevin, he’s running!”

“What’s going on…” Quincy muttered from his bed. Lily too began to stir.

The bald man turned his eyes, streaked with reddening vessels, back to William. “Stay away from the windows. Can you keep the girl calm?”

“I don’t know—”

“I suggest you try,” the man said, running to the door.

William hurried over to the bed while keeping an eye on the man. Those bloodshot eyes were now peering through the peephole, his finger was on the trigger of the gun. Neve, too, had her pistol raised in preparation.

William gently brushed the girl’s forehead and face. “Lily, can you wake up…”

Her eyes popped open in panic, her voice raspy. “There’s a monster in the mountain.”

“It’s OK, Lily—”

“There’s a monster in the mountain,” she frantically repeated. “She’s there. We have to go!”

“It’s OK, it’s OK,” he whispered. “Don’t talk right now, OK?”

Quincy began to groan and tried to sit up. “You’ve got to keep quiet, too. These people are heavily armed. Something’s happened outside—”

Rudd pulled open the door, and William recognized the man who injected Lily. His thick shock of black hair was flattened somewhat by the Nixon mask he’d worn before.

“What happened?” Rudd asked, quickly shutting the door.

“Drone. I had to shoot it down. Hovering over the other end of the parking lot. Couldn’t take a chance on it getting video of us,” the man said, holstering his pistol and picking up one of the semiautomatics.

“Every man in a midlife crisis has one of those,” Quincy said, holding his head. “What the hell is wrong with you people—?”

“Quiet!” Rudd commanded, pointing the rifle at Quincy. “I am not screwing around here!” He then held up his hand at Lily, cautiously. “We’re here to protect you too, honey.”

The girl scooted towards William on the bed.

“It’s just a matter of time now. Neve, how much longer on that SUV?” Rudd asked.

“I only dared to make one call on that landline. I don’t want to call again. They said it could be any moment. Might not be soon enough if the cops respond to a shot-up drone.”

“I’ll keep watch. Turn on CNN. See what they’re reporting. Hopefully they still don’t have a clue where we are. And the Memphis TV stations surely won’t respond to the shooting of a drone.” Rudd peered out again through the peephole.

Memphis, William thought. Halfway home to Nashville. Is that where we’re ultimately headed?