Page 123 of See How They Hide

“I miss Havenwood,” Riley said.

“I knew you would. You’ll be back home soon.”

“I don’t miss you.”

“You have been tainted by the Outside. Once you return, you’ll never want to leave again.”

“You’re twisted, pretending you’re a kind benefactor,” Riley snapped, her voice stronger than before. “You are a killer. You manipulate and brainwash people to do things they would never do if they just thought about it!”

Catherine motioned for her to stop. This wasn’t going to help Matt.

“I hate you,” Riley said to her mother.

“I love you,” Calliope said. “I’ve always loved you.”

“You only love yourself.”

“Catherine,” Calliope said, her voice sharp. “Can you assure me that you will deliver my daughter to the destination of my choosing?”

“If Matt is there.”

“No. I don’t trust you, and I clearly shouldn’t trust my daughter either. In fact, Riley, if you fight me on this, you know what will happen. One. By. One.”

“I hate you,” Riley repeated, but her voice cracked.

As if Riley hadn’t spoken, Calliope said, “Catherine, you and you alone will fly with Riley to the Telluride Regional Airport. When you arrive, my people will bring Riley home and give you the location of your colleague once they have determined it’s not a trap. It’s as simple as that. You have three hours from now.”

“I need proof of life—” Catherine began, but Calliope had already cut off the call.

Catherine set her watch to countdown.

“I’m sorry. I just—I heard her voice and everything came flooding back.”

“It’s my fault for letting you talk to her before I had proof of life.” Catherine had made a mistake. She rarely made mistakes. But this one might cost Matt his life.

Or he was already dead. Her stomach twisted in pain.

“What will happen?” Catherine asked. “She said if you fight her, you know what will happen.”

“One by one,” Riley whispered.

“What does that mean?”

“She’ll start cutting off people’s fingers. She did it once before. Seven people lost one of their fingers before I gave in.”

“Gave in to what? What did she want you to do that necessitated torturing others?”

Riley’s eyes teared.

“You can tell me, Riley. I’m not going to think badly about you because of anything that happened in your childhood.”

“I...I had to kill...my favorite horse.”

“Was it injured?”

Riley shook her head. “I was riding in the field and went to the creek, which is our western boundary—I don’t know what the property line is, just that we were not allowed to cross the creek. Biscuit was grazing while I drew and he got spooked—I think a snake, though I didn’t see it. He ran across the creek and I went after him. He stopped at some boulders. I soothed him, but he was agitated and we got back late.”

She paused, looked at her hands. “The next day, my mother told me to put him down because I was irresponsible. I refused. She then lined up twenty people in the barn and had them put their hands on the rail. I didn’t know what she was going to do. She told me if I didn’t put my horse down, they would lose a finger. I didn’t believe her until the first finger fell. But I thought someone would stop her. Even after they saw what she was doing, they kept their hands there, on the railing, waiting. As if they accepted the punishment and blamed me. They stared at me. Accused me. And after the seventh finger fell I screamed I would do it.

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