Page 51 of We’re All Going to Die Tonight!

“Because you were going to stab me,” Javi says. “You’re such a goddamn liar, Emerson. You always have been. Time to confess.”

“It wasn’t me, okay?” Emerson says. “And if we don’t move immediately, he’s going to get all of you—”

“Don’t try to bullshit us,” I say just as Javi shouts, “Liar!” again at Emerson.

“What are you talking about?” I ask. “Who is he, Emerson?”

“It’s the same guy as before,” he says. “The same guy who killed Jay!”

“I thought Avery killed Jay,” Javi says. “Or are you walking that back now?”

“I was wrong, okay?” he says. “Clearly, it’s the same guy trying to kill us all.”

“How do you know?” Marlene asks Emerson, still keeping her distance.

I glance at Javi, whose hard gaze doesn’t shift, but he does step to the side before crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his chin. A clear message that Emerson better not fucking try him, better tell him the entire truth right now.

“You need to be very careful about what you say next,” Javi says, a rumble in every syllable. “I want you to remember that I know you, Emerson. I know exactly who you are.”

Emerson regards Javi, and I wait for the rage to appear in his eyes, but the fear remains constant.

“I saw his face,” Emerson says. “When he came after me. I can describe him to you. But we need to…We need to get out of here. He’s coming back.”

Marlene lets out a squeak, and I glance behind me to see that she’s shivering in the rain.

“We need to get away from here,” Emerson says again, tilting his chin up so he’s staring right at me. “Head back to the road, away from the house—”

Realization hits me. “Did he get back into the house? What happened to Avery and Caulder? Lucas?”

Emerson shakes his head again. “Nothing, nothing, they’re fine.”

“What happened to them?” Javi demands, stepping closer. “Is that their blood?”

“No!” Emerson practically screams. “It’s not, of course it’s not.”

“Then why did you leave them?” Javi says, practically shouting now. “What the fuck’s going on, Emerson? Whose blood is that?”

Emerson’s coughing and clutching his chest, and whether it’s from his injuries or Javi staring him down, I don’t know.

“I’ll explain everything,” he says, wincing. “Just get me back to the road so we can call for help. Please. I need—”

But then we all hear it.

A rustle behind us, getting louder. Like a person moving through branches.

We turn slowly, each of us looking over our shoulder at the trees that are shifting in the dark.

“Kaitlyn?” Marlene whispers, her voice practically a rattle in the wind. “Who is that?”

If Emerson’s right, we’re giving the killer a buffet right now. An easy location to get us all at once. But we can also be a team. And I know how to lead a team.

“Okay,” I say. “Here’s the plan—”

“Scatter!” Emerson shouts, cutting me off.

And immediately, all hell breaks loose.

Chapter 27