Page 53 of Just Right

Even with the route in her head, Cami kept glancing around her, fearing to see a dark figure emerge from the shadows. The trees seemed to huddle around her, and she felt that sharp, prickling sensation of being watched.

Every step was taking her farther away from the safety of the police car. And farther away from the safety of Connor.

With every step she took, Becker seemed to be growing in her mind, from a cold-blooded killer to a monster.

A monster who could see her. A monster who could sense her. And he might be looking out for her, she realized. If he was in the woods, he could be waiting and watching, alert for any threat. Her heart thudded hard. This was a level of exposure she was very uncomfortable with.

Cami gritted her teeth and kept walking. If she wanted to save Jayne, she had no choice.

Suddenly, she froze. There was movement in the woods. Straight ahead. Cami's heart thudded hard.

Was that Jayne? Or the killer?

Her head was turning over, her eyes trying to make out what was there, as she kept moving forward, keeping her eyes trained on the spot of motion.

And then, as she watched, a deer emerged from the undergrowth, his head turning around to glance at her as he bounded up the hill, leaves and twigs crackling underfoot.

Cami exhaled and put her head in her hands.

"You idiot," she murmured. She turned back to her route, intending to keep walking, when she heard a sound so soft that, at first, she thought that she was imagining it.

It was the faint sound of a scream.

Cami froze, her eyes widening. She'd heard that sound. Had she imagined it? Was it something else? The cry of a bird, or maybe a big cat had made the sound?

It had come from ahead and sharply to the right. Which, as she remembered, was the way Jayne's route went.

As she listened, there was another loud, terrified scream. Cami's heart was pounding with fear, her body frozen to the spot. The scream had been from Jayne. It was real. No question about it. It had happened.

It hadn't been her imagination. That was her scared self-talking, trying to persuade her not to rush into danger. It had been a scream, and there was only one reason for it—the killer had caught up with Jayne.

And now, Cami had to catch up too. No other choice. And no time left, either.

Cami broke into a run, sprinting along the steep uphill track. She felt like she was choking on the lack of oxygen as she pushed herself to run faster, even though she feared it was already too late.

She dreaded being unable to get there in time to stop the killer. She had to move and move fast. Thinking fast, she also realized that she couldn't risk making any more noise. She needed to get closer without alerting him.

With that in mind, Cami stopped, quickly turning her phone to silent. That would mean she couldn’t hear Connor’s call. Thinking it might help, she messaged him her location. And then, she ran on again.

She reached the bend in the track, feeling breathless, cold with fear. There was nobody in sight. Nobody. Gasping, Cami looked around. He'd gone! Had he already killed her? Where was Jayne now?

Then, she remembered his modus operandi. Through the dense leaves, she could see the glimmer of the lake down a sharply sloping track.

Water.

Of course. He must be carrying her there to complete the drowning. And now, Cami had to get there, alone, to try to stop him.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Cami felt a sense of unreality as she powered down the steep hill, trying to move as silently as she could, slipping and sliding over the mud and leaves. She knew that she was on the right track. There, ahead, she could see that there was a dent in the mud, made by something heavy.

The boot of a killer carrying an unconscious victim, perhaps? That was the image she had in her mind. Was this Becker? Was she on his trail?

She had to be.

Cami powered on, launching herself downward, letting gravity do the work where her own strength was running short.

The mud was thick, wet, and heavy, pulling at her feet and slowing her down. She was making too much noise, she thought, and she worried that she was giving herself away. She forced herself to move more quietly while trying not to sacrifice speed.

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