Shelly frowns at me, shakes her head, and starts driving her snowmobile through the heavy powder. I turn back to Mia and she nods at me. I look all the way back at Jones, lying down low on the sled I hooked up, looking happier than he’s ever been.

“Let’s go,” I say softly, and I move forward.

There’s a split second where I think Jones might fall off. He teeters a little bit, surprised by the sudden motion, but he catches himself and goes back down low. We speed up, not going quite as fast as Shelly, but keeping steady.

We plow through the snow and Jones stays on the sled. I knew he would, or at least I thought he would. He’s not the smartest dog in the world, but at least he’s smart enough not to jump off a speeding snowmobile.

Shelly’s house is normally an hour away, but it’s slow going. Shelly wants to push faster, I can tell, but I can’t go too fast or else we’ll lose Jones. At this point, I can’t cut him loose and send him back home, so we’re stuck with him no matter what.

Mia grabs my waist and holds on tight as we maneuver through the mountain forest. There aren’t any other tracks in the snow, except for animal tracks, and that’s a good thing. I keep half expecting to hear the crack of a gunshot, or the shout of an attacking man, but there’s nothing, just the frozen mountain forest.

I want to stop and take breaks, but Shelly refuses. I can tell Jones is uncomfortable, and Mia would prefer to take a rest, but we keep pushing forward. Shelly seems on edge, even more so than I am. She has my rifle across her lap the whole drive, loaded and ready to go, except we see and hear nothing.

The day slowly slides past. One hour turns into two, and the sun’s starting to dip, along with the temperature. It’s cold as hell riding on a snowmobile, but it’s getting colder by the minute. I can feel Mia huddling closer, and poor Jones is totally exposed back there on the sled. Fortunately, we’re not far from Shelly’s cabin by the time the sun fully sets and we’re driving in the dark.

Up ahead, Shelly pulls over, waving me up beside her. As soon as I stop, Jones hops off the sled and runs in circles, probably grateful to be off that thing.

“What’s up?” I ask her.

“We go on foot from here.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. If he’s here, we have to be ready for him.”

“There’s no way he’s here,” I say. “If I did shoot him, he wouldn’t make it.”

“You don’t know him,” Shelly says, and that ends the discussion.

We get our gear and Mia shoots me a look. I sigh and frown, but we’re doing as Shelly says, and besides, it’s only a ten-minute walk at most. We move through the trees, Jones keeping nearby, peeing on the trees as we go.

Shelly’s face is tight and drawn as we approach her cabin. The place looks dead, everything shut tight and turned off. She leans up against a tree and watches for a little bit, not saying a word.

“It looks empty to me,” Mia whispers.

“Shh,” Shelly hisses.

I grin at Mia and she rolls her eyes at me. I pull Mia close against me, hugging her tight, trying to make sure nerves don’t get the best of her.

Truth is, though, I can feel my own nerves starting to bug me. Shelly’s right, this cabin is the obvious place to sit and wait for us. We need the fuel if we’re going to make it to town, not to mention warmer clothing and something to wrap around Jones to keep him from freezing. We need to get inside that cabin, one way or another. We have no choice anymore, not with the temperature rapidly falling.

Finally, Shelly sighs and looks at us. “Come on,” she says softly. “Stay close to me. No use in standing here. We have no other choice.”

I nod at her and we head out, moving fast toward the house. Nothing happens as we reach the side of the cabin. She has the gun up and ready as we creep around the side, toward the back door. Jones prances around nearby, and Shelly shoots me a glare, but there’s nothing I can do.

We reach the back door and Shelly hesitates. I can tell she’s debating what to do, but finally she decides to go inside. She turns the knob and flings the door open, gun up and ready, and I’m so tense I swear I might pull a muscle.

Nothing happens. Shelly exhales slightly and we step into the kitchen. The place is dark, almost too dark. Shelly goes to flick on a light switch nearby, but nothing happens.

“Shit,” she says softly. “Generator’s out.”

I glance at Mia. “That’s his move,” I say softly.

“Yeah,” she says. “It is.”

Mia’s eyes go wide. She shuts the door behind her and leans up against it. “Stay here,” I whisper to her. I head into the kitchen and open the knife drawer. I grab a knife, which probably won’t do me much good if I have to use it, but I feel better with it in my hand. Shelly doesn’t say anything as we move into the house.

Shelly’s place is simple and rustic. There are pictures of her with her fake late husband, which is actually creepier now that I know he doesn’t really exist. The place really does feel like she’s lived here for years, and I’ve totally believed it. I’ve been here a few times, and every time I just trusted that all of this was the truth.

Now that I’m looking, I can see little odd things. Old books that look like they were never opened. A tag still on a blanket that’s tucked away on a shelf. Things like that, little indicators that all isn’t as it seems.

We step into the living room, moving softly. We need to cross through here to get to the garage, which is where she stores her fuel. Clothes are upstairs in the bedrooms.

As we cross the living room, I suddenly stumble against something. I frown and look down, and spot a string down across the floor. Shelly must have just stepped over it without thinking, but I don’t remember this being here before.

“Shelly,” I say, and she turns back to me. She looks at the floor and curses.

Suddenly she’s throwing herself at me. A sound goes off, like a small explosion, just as Shelly throws herself against my chest, tackling me backwards.

Shrapnel comes flying across the room. Forks and knives and bent spoons, normally just regular silverware, but turned into deadly missiles as they explode outward into the room. I hear Shelly grunt as we both hit the ground. There are forks and knives in the wall on the other side of the living room and I realize that she just saved my life, but just barely.

“Are you okay?” I ask her, rolling her over.

“Fuck,” she grunts, and it takes me a second to realize that she has forks and knives stuck in her body. “Shit,” she groans.

“Fuck,” I say. “Mia!”

Mia starts toward us, but then some other shadow looms into view at the other end of the room.

“Hello, Mr. Ethan,” the man says.

He’s huge, easily six foot eight. He’s thick with arms like pillars and a huge, bushy beard. He has a scar on one eye and there’s a bandage around one leg, still slightly red with his blood. He’s grinning and I swear his teeth are filed into gleaming points.

“Run,” Shelly croaks. “Get the fuck out.”

“I’m not leaving you,” I say.

“Very noble,” the Bear says as he lumbers toward me casually. He’s wearing a dark jacket and dark pants, and he’s not carrying any weapons.

A guy that size probably doesn’t need any.

I roll Shelly off me and scramble to my feet.

“Fucking run,” Shelly says again.

I hold the chef’s knife up in my hand, six inches of cheap steel between me and a monster that wants to tear me to pieces, along with my unborn baby and the woman I love.

“That won’t stop me,” he says, coming closer. I back into the kitchen.

“God damn it, run!” Shelly screams.

As the Bear walks past her, he casually kicks her in the face. She groans and rolls over onto her side. He kicks her again, this time in the wounded leg, shoving the forks in deeper. She screams in pain, and I take my chance.

As I lunge at him, knife gleaming to stab his huge chest, I realize a fraction too late that he was trying to goad me into attacking. He grins and slaps my wrist with a huge forearm, knocking the knife aside. He lashes out with his other fist, slamming it into the side of my face, stunning me and knocking me back.

“Fuck,” I groan as Mia screams. I stay on my feet, though barely. I’m a big man, strong and in good shape, but this Bear is a fucking animal. I’ve never seen someone so big move so fast before. He was expecting my attack and knew just what to do to stop me, and I know without a doubt that I’m totally outmatched.

He chuckles, grinning huge, his eyes practically glowing. He’s toying with me, I realize.

“Stupid man,” he says. “Stupid fucking bitch.” He kicks at Shelly again, not as hard this time, more of an afterthought. “This could have been easy, yes? Quick and painless, in the night, in your sleep. Instead, you shoot me, and now I make it hard.”

“Fuck you,” I say, gathering my strength.

His eyes roll toward Mia. She’s behind me, and I’m standing between him and her.

“This one, this is the reason we come. Yes? The little journalist? If you hadn’t brought the writer girl, my employers would never have sent me, but oh well.” He shrugs his massive shoulders. “Now I have to kill you all. I don’t relish it, little girl, but I do as I am told.”

With that, he advances on me again. This time, I grab another knife from the counter and I throw it at him with my left hand, a little awkward, but still hard. It sails at him and bounces off his shoulder, hitting handle-first, making him laugh.

“Stupid man,” he starts, but I wasn’t trying to hurt him with the throw.

I grab another knife and dive at him, slashing wildly. He dances back, surprised as I attack him hard. I’m slashing and stabbing to kill, but he’s keeping me at bay, a huge grin on his massive, misshapen face.

I manage to score a cut on his arm as he blocks my knife. But as the knife slides past, he grabs my wrist, and I realize my mistake. His other massive hand comes down on my arm, smashing it, and numbness spreads up to my shoulder as I groan. The knife clatters to the floor.

The Bear laughs and attacks. He pummels me, fists to my face and chest and stomach before throwing me against the counter. Mia screams as I fight back, punching through blind pain, rage flowing through me.

I can’t let this bastard win. I can’t let him kill Mia and my baby. I won’t let these people take from me again.

I come at the Bear, punching hard and fast. He steps back, surprised at my fury. I score some blows, but he catches my fist suddenly and pulls me up against him, turning me around, his massive arms wrapping around my throat.

“Stupid fucking man,” he rumbles, and I can feel him choking the life from me.

“Ethan!” Mia screams, and the Bear laughs.

I’m gagging, choking, my whole body fighting for air. I try hitting him, stomping on him, but I can’t stop him. I reach back and claw at his eyes, but that only makes him tense harder.

“Fuck!” Mia screams again, and throws open the back door.

Jones comes bounding in, teeth bared, a savage growl coming from his chest. I’ve never seen him like this before in my life as he dives at the Bear, teeth sinking into the Bear’s leg right where I shot him.

The Bear screams in pain. He releases me and I stumble away, gasping for breath. The Bear goes to slam his fists down on Jones but I jump at him, elbow driving into his throat, making him choke and gag. Jones clamps down tighter, thrashing his body, tearing at the big man’s limb.

He screams and smacks Jones away finally as I drive my fists into his face again. He turns to me, blood flowing from his nose, blood flowing from his leg, a grin his face. Mia runs to Jones to make sure that he’s okay, and the Bear just laughs, a mad and horrifying sound.

“You die slower now,” he says, and steps toward me.

A deafening crack breaks the room apart. I stumble away from the Bear as his eyes go wide. Red blooms across his chest.

“The fuck?” he asks, clearly shocked.

Another crack explodes the room and the Bear’s head breaks into bloody pieces. I’m splattered in his blood as the big man crumbles to the ground, clearly dead.

Shelly groans, the rifle in her arms. She spits blood and throws the gun onto the floor.

Mia’s tending to Jones. He seems alive, mainly just stunned. I run over to Shelly. “Fuck,” I say. “We have to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she says through gritted teeth. “You see that, right?”

I look at her mangled leg. She’s right, there’s no way we’re moving her tonight.

“Fuck,” I say. “What do we do?”

She takes a breath through her teeth. “Bathroom. Get me in the tub. And get these fucking pants off me.”

“Mia,” I say, and Mia comes to help.

We drag Shelly into the bathroom, ignoring her groans of pain. Mia cuts her pants off with a pair of scissors from the kitchen, and I find a first aid kit under the sink.

“Get them out of me,” she says.

I exchange looks with Mia before looking at Shelly. “Are you sure?”

“Do it.” She clenches her jaw, and I get to work.

I pull seven forks from her leg and two knives. The knife wounds are the worst, and they’re going to need stitches to close fully. I use the first aid kit to wash the wounds and dress them tight.

Shelly groans the whole time, but slowly she calms down once the utensils are all out. She looks at me as I finish.

“You have to go,” she says softly.

“What?”

“You have to go,” she says again. “Leave me here. That fucking scumbag’s dead, but they’ll send someone else sooner or later. You need all the head start you can get.”

“Shelly,” I say softly. “You saved my life.”

“A few fucking times.” She sighs and winces. “I’ll survive this. Go into town tonight, tell someone they need to come get me, it’s an emergency, I don’t know, make some shit up. They’ll come and I’ll deal with all this.” She gestures toward the kitchen where the Bear’s body is lying.

“Are you sure?” I ask her.

“I’m sure. Send someone right away, though.”

I take a breath and let it out. “I’ll leave Jones.”

“The dog?” She laughs. “What the fuck do I need with a dog?”

“Do you want to be alone?” I ask her.

She hesitates and then doesn’t argue.

I get up and leave the bathroom. Mia’s standing in the living room with Jones at her feet. Her arms are wrapped around her body, hugging herself tight. I pull her away from the gruesome scene in the kitchen and pull her against my chest.

“It’s okay,” I say softly. “We’re leaving.”

“Leaving?” she asks.

I nod a little. “Going back into town.”

“Now?”

I nod again. “We’ll send someone for Shelly and Jones.”

She bites her lip but she doesn’t argue. I hold her tight like that, and I suddenly realize that I’m not relieved to have survived. I’m relieved that Mia and my baby survived.

I was going to die for them. I would have thrown myself at that fucking bastard a thousand times if I had to. I was lucky Jones and Shelly helped, but I wasn’t going to stop, all for Mia.

I don’t know where I found the strength, but maybe it was there inside of me the whole time, just waiting for someone like Mia to bring it all out.

We break off the hug. I kiss her softly. “I love you,” I say.

She smiles. “I love you too.”

I kiss her again. She heads off toward the bathroom and I feel something growing inside of me. It’s strength, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and dedication. I’m dedicated to Mia and my baby now, and I’ll never let them go.

I kneel down and Jones comes up to me. I press my forehead against his and he licks me once. “You’re a good boy,” I say softly. “The best boy in the world.” I kiss him and he licks me again. “I love you, too.”

His tail wags and I stand up. He follows me as I gather what we need, warmer clothes, blankets, and fuel. I get it all stacked out back, plus something quick to eat, just crackers from the cupboard. I try not to look at the Bear’s body, but it’s hard to ignore.

I find Shelly and Mia still in the bathroom. They look up at me as I come in like they were just talking about me.

“Ready?” I ask.

Mia nods. “Ready.”

“Remember what I said,” Shelly calls out as we go to leave. “Got it, Mia?”

“I got it.”

I linger in the doorway. “Thanks,” I say to her. “I don’t know how I’ll make it up to you, but if you ever find me… well, I’ll try.”

She grins. “I’ll hold you to that, rich boy. Now go take care of that girl.”

I nod once and turn away.

Jones wants to follow us, but I get him to stay. It hurts like hell, leaving him behind, but I know he’ll be fine. I have a sneaking suspicion that Shelly’s going to take good care of him, and hell, I think she probably needs him more than I need him now.

We trudge back to the snowmobiles in silence together, keeping close. We refuel only one, deciding that she’ll ride with me still. We get on and I look back at her.

“You ready?” I ask. “There’s no turning around now.”

“Let’s go,” she says softly, nuzzling up against my neck, her arms wrapping tight around my waist.

I smile, start the engine, and start driving back into town, back toward my life, the uncertainty of the future, with the only person in the world that matters to me. Despite the fucked-up shit that just happened, I’m so oddly happy that I don’t know how I’ll ever live up to this moment, but I’ll try.

I’m dedicated to Mia and my baby. I love her more than I can say, and I’m already starting to love my unborn baby. This is what I needed, maybe not the violence, but a reason to bring me back into the world.

I’ll do whatever I can to stay here, right here with Mia, in the happiest place I can imagine.