Page 52 of Valley

The bullet buried deep within him didn’t seem to stop him from fighting; shifting back against him, I pushed my weight down hard—trapping his writhing body beneath me against the unforgiving earth. The cold ground offered no mercy; neither did I. Adam coughed and squirmed beneath me as life slipped away with each labored breath he took.

“You shouldn’t have touched Madeline,” I spat through gritted teeth, pressing down on him. He let out a guttural roar that quickly faded into a whimper.

His eyes were wide now; they flickered between shock and defiance while rage simmered beneath the surface as he glared at me—acceptance swirling within their depths. “You... still didn’t... win,” he gasped out between ragged breaths.

“Oh, I think we have different definitions of winning,” I replied coolly, letting a cold smirk curl my lips.

Suddenly, he laughed—a gurgled sound filled with blood and desperation that sent chills down my spine. “You’ll... you’ll never save the others...” Each word seemed like poison drippingfrom his tongue as he coughed violently again, blood splattering across his chin and mine. “It’s... all... in motion.”

My heart thudded painfully in my chest—shit, the women!

Adam’s eyes widened in satisfaction for a fleeting moment before they glazed over—his expression unraveling like a thread pulled too taut. His body convulsed one last time as life fled him entirely; then everything fell silent—his grip on my wrist loosened and finally fell away like fall leaves dying at winter’s arrival. His gaze remained fixed on the moon above us.

I jumped up and sprinted in the direction Madeline had run. Each pounding step mimicking my racing heartbeat. Fear for the women’s safety gnawed at my gut like a rabid animal. The forest was a dark labyrinth of towering trees, and I pushed forward. There wasn’t a second to waste.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Chapter Thirty

I HAD NEVERknown fear like this, the kind that clawsat your throat, leaving you breathless, trembling in the suffocating darkness.

Every word Adam spat out about burying me alive played over and over in my mind, twisting my thoughts into a dizzying whirl of terror. My life was unraveling before me in a series of desperate flashes—Ellie’s innocent smile, Dad’s proud, loving gaze. How would they cope if I never returned? The thought of their grief was unbearable.

How could Adam do this?

Jarrod would be here, forced to witness this nightmare unfold, powerless to stop it. The emotion I saw in his eyes told me that would kill him.

Then, in a flash of movement, Jarrod surged to his feet, his voice slicing through the heavy air like a knife. “Run!” he bellowed. For a moment, I was paralyzed, my mind struggling to catch up, but instinct kicked in, propelling me into action.

I ran, legs pounding against the uneven ground, every breath a ragged gasp as I sprinted into the dark night. Panic gripped me—I had no idea where I was or which direction to go. The trees loomed like dark monsters, their branches clawing at my skin as I pushed forward, desperate for escape. My ears strained for any sound, any indication of pursuit, when suddenly, a sharp crack echoed through the woods.

A gunshot.

My heart stopped. Jarrod.

Oh God, was he hurt? The terror that had fueled my flight turned to ice, freezing my blood. Without hesitation, I pivoted, my feet skidding on the damp leaves, desperate to get back to him. I couldn’t leave him behind, not like this. Not when I—

The sound of footsteps crashing through the underbrush jolted me, and I darted behind a tree, my pulse thundering in my ears. The world was reduced to the deafening drum of my heartbeat, each beat a countdown to the inevitable. Then, a voice, familiar and blessedly alive, broke through the fear.

“Madeline!”

Relief slammed into me, leaving me breathless as I stumbled out from behind the tree. “Over here!” I called, running toward the voice, my body shaking with a mixture of fear and relief. When I saw Jarrod, standing there, alive and unhurt, I couldn’t stop myself from collapsing into his arms. “Are you okay?” I choked out, tears stinging my eyes. “I heard a gunshot.”

He held me tight, his breath hot against my ear as he murmured, “Adam’s dead. But we need to get out of here now, and fast. We’ve still got to save the others.”

I pulled back, scanning the shadowy forest around us, frustration bubbling up in my voice. “But how? We’re lost out here!”

He didn’t hesitate, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward with a determination that left no room for doubt. “We can’t be far from the road. Adam wouldn’t have been able to carry us too deep into the woods.”

We stumbled down a steep slope, our pace frantic, hearts pounding with the urgency of our escape. Ahead, the trees began to thin, a sliver of hope piercing the darkness. “There!” I gasped, pointing toward the break in the trees. We pushed ourselves harder, breaking into a small clearing where a black van sat silent by the dirt road.

I sagged against the vehicle, every muscle in my body screaming in exhaustion, as Jarrod yanked open the driver’s side door. “Dammit, he took the keys!” he growled, frustration clear in his voice.

My stomach twisted with dread as I leaned heavily against the van. “What do we do now?” The weight of what we were up against—the danger, the stakes—pressed down on me. Adam was dead, but he wasn’t done, not by a long shot.

Jarrod didn’t miss a beat, diving under the steering wheel, his fingers working furiously to hotwire the van. “I’ll get it started,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. The seconds dragged on, each one feeling like an eternity, until finally, the engine roared to life. He looked up, eyes fierce with resolve. “Get in. We need to push the pedal hard.”

Without another word, I jumped into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut as Jarrod floored the gas pedal. The tires spun, kicking up dirt, propelling us forward down theisolated dirt road as I silently prayed that we wouldn’t be too late.

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