Cam needed a light.

Dear God, she needed a light.

She inched her way toward what she thought was the wall of blacked-out windows. The voices grew closer, but she knew one misstep could be her undoing. She didn’t know if there was anything on the floor in front of her, any obstacles in her path as she headed toward freedom.

She couldn’t screw this up.

Not with Necco’s life hanging in the balance.

She knew she needed to find an exit. Another door, maybe a window—anything to get her out of that room.

She just didn’t know where she was going to find one.

The voices sounded louder now. Two men, who she assumed were the cop who had pulled her over and the sergeant. Their voices were slightly elevated, and it sounded as though they were arguing.

Good.

Maybe that would be a distraction, provide her with a little extra time.

In the darkness, she could just make out the bank of windows. At least she thought they were windows. She picked up her pace.

Big mistake.

Her foot dipped into a hole in the concrete floor. It was just deep enough that she rolled her ankle as she attempted to recover her balance.

She bit her lip to prevent from crying out. Dammit, that hurt. Gingerly, she put weight down on the injured foot, wincing as sharp pain radiated from her ankle.

She couldn’t be sure, but she thought it was sprained.

She kept walking. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth, no doubt a result of her teeth clamped down on her lower lip. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except getting out.

The windows were within arm’s reach. She shot a hand out and her fingers connected with dried-out paper that lined the windowpanes. Her fingers searched the length of the glass, finally finding a lever that, if not locked, would push the windows out.

She gave it a push. To her surprise, the window opened. A fresh breeze rippled through, rustling the paper hanging loosely from the panes. She breathed it in, the sweet taste of freedom.

One more push and the window was fully open. Cam knew all she needed to do was shimmy out the window. One foot, then the other. Twist to the side, pull herself the rest of the way through, and she’d be free.

She lifted her injured foot and swung her leg to the window ledge. She didn’t look back at Necco, but she offered a silent promise in her head.

I’ll be back for you.

She winced as her sore ankle scraped against the sash. Just a few more seconds. She just needed to get through the pain and she’d be good.

A vise encircled her arm, yanking her away from the window.

“Just where do you think you’re going, sweetheart?”

The vise tossed her to the floor. Her head and back hit full force, and stars exploded behind her eyes.

A boot pressed into her stomach, pinning her underneath it.

Sarge smiled down at her. “Nice try.”

Cam writhed under his foot, but he shifted his boot so it was on her ribs and pressed down harder, crushing her lungs, choking off her air supply.

She gasped for breath, clawing at his leg with her arms. But she was no match for his strength. They both knew it.

Suddenly, the pressure eased up. “This isn’t how you go,” he said. He cleared his throat. “We’ve actually got it all worked out, don’t we, Rudolph?”

The cop who had pulled her over stepped into view. “Uh, yeah.” He sounded nervous.

“Get the kid,” Sarge ordered.

Cam panicked. “No. Leave him alone. He’s not involved in this. He didn’t do anything.”

“Very true,” Sarge agreed. “He’s really just a victim of circumstance, isn’t he?” He chuckled. “Well, at least right now. But in a few minutes, he’s going to be enemy number one, sweetheart.”

Cam stared at him blankly.

“Because he’s going to be the one who kills you.”

Shock must have registered on her face because Sarge chuckled again. “Here, let me explain it to you. You’re a cop…you’ll see where this goes.”

She didn’t want to hear it.

Rudolph flicked on the flashlight on his phone, and Cam saw Necco standing next to him, his eyes wide with fear, his arms bound behind his back. His whole body was trembling.

“You saw him in Aspen Falls. Dealing.” Sarge clucked his tongue. “You followed him up here but sadly didn’t follow protocol. If you’d just alerted our department, none of this would have happened.”

Necco’s eyes filled with tears.

“You pulled over to take a phone call, and Necco here ambushed you. Brought you inside this abandoned building and executed you right here.” Sarge smiled sadly. “Such a shame. A tragedy, really. Such a bright future in law enforcement, gone.”

Cam’s throat was thick with tears. She was on the verge of panic, but she knew she needed to stay calm. If they wanted a fighting chance, she needed to stay in control for as long as she could.

More importantly, she needed to keep him talking. Because talking bought time.

“What happens to Necco?” she managed to ask.

Sarge shrugged. “He’s found shot to death outside.”

Necco flinched at the harsh words.

“No one will care.” Sarge smiled thinly. “Just another dead hoodlum. Bentley will be better for it, trust me.”

Necco breathed in sharply.

Cam bristled. “I care.” And Alex cares, too.

“You’ll be dead.”

“You won’t get away with it,” Cam said. “You’ll miss something, just like you did the night of the shooting.”

Sarge fixed her with a glare. “I didn’t forget shit. Alex was the one who fucked that up, who refused to fall in line. Those guys were just like him.” He pointed to Necco. “Scum of the Earth. No one misses them, but Alex was willing to call me out on it, to say I didn’t follow procedure.” His eyes shot fire. “Bullshit. I’m not going down because of some fucking hoodlums and a cop who thinks honesty is more important than loyalty.”

He reached for Necco. The boy was equal in height to the sergeant, but standing there now, he looked every bit his age.

And he looked terrified.

“Untie him.”

Rudolph did as he was told.

“Give him the gun,” Sarge ordered.

Rudolph produced a sleek black handgun.

“Untraceable, right?” Sarge asked.

Rudolph nodded.

“Take it,” Sarge told Necco.

“Take what?”

“The gun.”

Necco looked at the revolver in Rudolph’s hands.

“Take the fucking gun,” Sarge growled. He produced a piece of his own and handed it to Rudolph. The man jammed the second gun against Necco’s side.

“I…I don’t know how to shoot.”

“You aim and pull the trigger.” Sarge looked at Rudolph, and the man pressed the gun into Necco’s hands.

“Don’t do anything funny or he’ll blow your brains out right here,” Sarge warned. “Now aim the gun. Right at her chest.”

“No.” Necco’s voice wobbled.

“Do it,” Sarge said. “Do it and we can work out a deal. You live, she dies. It can be as easy as that.”

Necco licked his lips nervously.

“You’re just a kid, aren’t you?” Sarge said. He’d softened his tone. “A kid who got caught up in a world of shit. Maybe you deserve a second chance, huh? Do this and I’ll give you one.”

He was lying. Cam knew it, and she was pretty sure Necco knew it, too.

But he was thirteen. Scared out of his mind…and willing to believe anything.

He would end up doing it. Pulling the trigger.

It was about self-preservation.

And this kid had lived his entire life on defense.

Cam watched, an odd sense of calm washing over her.

This was it.

The end.

She felt as though she were in a movie, watching things happen in slow motion. Necco struggling to hold the gun, to bring it up to the level where it needed to be.

Sarge’s mouth, moving with exaggerated yawns and stretches, yelling words that were indistinguishable to her.

Rudolph reaching out, closing his hand over Necco’s and bringing the gun into position.

And her own body, her eyes locked on the open end of the barrel. Staring, waiting for the bullet to release, to bury itself in her chest, her heart, and bring an eternal darkness.

Something clicked and she was back, all of her senses suddenly alive. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact she knew was mere seconds away.

But then she forced her eyes open. She was going to watch, face her death head on. She wasn’t going to give Sarge the satisfaction of seeing her cower. Not ever.

“Adios, sweetheart,” Sarge said with a smile.

She didn’t look at him, didn’t break eye contact with the barrel of the gun.

She waited, and it felt like her heart had already stopped beating in anticipation of the gunshot.

But it didn’t come.

Instead, the door burst open and all hell broke loose.