Page 70 of If You're Reading This
With trembling hands, he opened it.
Inside was a photo of Morgan.
Her eyes looked different in this one. More defiant and less dazed.
Logan’s phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
Andi is 200 yards northeast of your current position, at the base of the large pine. She’ll wake up with nothing more than a headache. This time.
They needed to move now.
The beam of Logan’s flashlight swept frantically through the trees as they searched for the pine. Duke and Ranger flanked him, their own lights cutting through the darkness.
“There.” Ranger pointed to a massive pine tree about fifty yards ahead.
They ran toward it, Logan’s heart hammering against his ribs.
What if the killer had lied? What if they were too late? What if?—
“I see her!” Duke called out.
Andi lay crumpled at the base of the tree, her body positioned almost gently against the massive trunk. Her blonde hair had come loose from its ponytail and spilled across her face. Even in the harsh LED light, Logan could see she was breathing—her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
Duke dropped to his knees beside her, his hands shaking as he checked for a pulse.
“Her heartbeat is steady!” He gently brushed the hair from her face, looking for any signs of injury.
No blood. But her skin was pale.
“Andi? Can you hear me?” Duke kept his voice low as if he didn’t want to startle her if she was coming around.
Logan’s flashlight revealed a tiny puncture wound on her neck, barely visible beneath her collar.
Logan scanned the surrounding area with his weapon drawn. “How did this guy get this close without any of us seeing him?”
Duke continued to assess Andi.
Logan noticed her pupils were dilated but responsive to light. Her breathing remained steady. Whatever this guy had used, it seemed designed to incapacitate rather than harm.
“Come on, Andi.” Duke gently patted her cheek. “Wake up.”
Her eyelids fluttered.
“That’s it,” Duke murmured.” Come back to us.”
Andi’s eyes opened slowly, unfocused and confused. She blinked several times, trying to orient herself.
“Duke?” Her voice was barely a whisper, thick and slurred. “What . . . where am I?”
Relief flooded through Logan.
“You’re safe.” Duke pulled her toward him and planted a kiss on her forehead. “You’re at Borealis Lake. Do you remember what happened?”
She tried to sit up, but Duke gently nudged her back down.
“Easy,” he told her. “Take your time.”
“My head . . .” Andi raised a trembling hand to her temple. “It feels like someone filled it with cotton.” She blinked again, her eyes gradually focusing on Duke. “I was . . . I was watching the tree line. Making sure our six was clear.”
