Page 134 of One Last Chance

“You acted dead?—”

“No, I acteddisappeared. I didn’t want him to find me—and hurt someone I love.” Her eyes glazed. “That’s why I ran away when he showed up with Sully. Do you seriously think I would leave Sully? IlovedSully. But I also saw this man shoot a wolf mother feeding her babies. And he shot at me, and I knew he wasn’t going to stop. Just like all those monsters you hunt.”

She wiped her hand across her cheek. “So yeah, I left, and I hoped to stay gone, and I’m sorry you thought I was dead. I did try to get a message to you. But I’ve been safe for two years. Safe from this monster untilyoushowed up. Why couldn’t you leave well enough alone?”

She let the silence sting. And Axel wanted to move toward Flynn, but honestly, they had no time. “Our five minutes are ticking away. I need you two to put this away so we can stay alive.”

“How?” Kennedy said.

He came over to Flynn. “Kennedy, your sister got hurt looking for you. She has a bad knee. And I need you to come over here and help her.” He turned to Flynn. “I need you to run.”

“No—Axel—” Flynn shook her head, eyes wide.

“Yes.”

“And what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to finish this.”

She stared at him, her breaths thick. “He’ll kill you.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Have you met me? I have nine lives.”

“I think you’re down to, like, two remaining.”

“That’s all I need.” He kissed her, hard, a hand around her neck. Then, “Go.”

“Wow, I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

Her eyes filled. Kennedy had come over, put her arm around her waist.

“Run, ladies.Run.”

Flynn nodded, then took off with her sister at a half run, half limp.

He watched them go.

Think.

But he’d already come up with a plan. Desperate and stupid, but maybe it could work. He threw leaves and moss over the netting, a couple sticks, more leaves, and then covered the open door with loam.

Sheesh, it was a neon welcome sign.Don’t step here. It’s a trap.

Still, he found a spot behind a downed tree and hunkered down. Stopped breathing, only his heartbeat in his ears, swishing.

In the distance, he could hear the women thrashing through the woods, a collective moose, although moose were large,silentanimals.

These two sounded like buffalo.

They didn’t stand a chance.

Probably he didn’t either. He wasn’t ex-military like Moose or Dodge Kingston. He was a swimmer, not a fighter.

And that’s when he got it.

Plan B.

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