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She stayed silent, pretending she couldn't answer the question.
"Don't you know?" she whispered. "Can't you tell?"
"You're sorry for what?" he said, louder. But his grip on her throat had relaxed. She'd led his mind away from the focus of killing and bought herself the precious time she needed.
She opened her mouth to speak and then, as she did, she used every ounce of strength she had and head butted him.
Her forehead slammed into his nose and he cried out in pain.
In the same moment, she kicked out, trying to get distance between them. She was rewarded with his grip slipping and a moment of freedom. May gave a yell and kicked out with all her might, connecting with his ribs.
The blow was enough to make him stagger back.
May scrambled to her feet and kicked him again, aiming for the solar plexus, and she got lucky.
The breath choked out of him, and he doubled over, coughing.
This was it. Her only chance to make sure he stayed down. May didn't hesitate.
She kicked out at his head, her boot slamming into his skull.
He cried out and his body went limp. She thought the fight was ebbing from him. She leaped forward, only to find that his grabbing hand was ready to trap her again.
His fingers clawed at her wrist. He was still fighting. Still conscious, and she felt a sense of doom.
She bashed her fist into his neck, and then did it again, needing to choke him, giving it all the power that she had, doing it for Lauren. Fighting in a way she wished her sister had done. Battling for her life. She had him! Now she was grasping his wrist and he was the one coughing for breath.
And then, footsteps crashed into the clearing. May spun around as Owen burst through the trees, holding his gun.
"May! Are you alright?"
Panting, holding York down with all her strength, May nodded.
"I think I've gotten the better of him. But I could - I could use some help handcuffing him!" she gasped.
As Owen rushed forward to help, May felt dizzy and weak with utter relief.
This had been the closest margin of survival. She couldn't believe that, against all odds, she'd managed to capture the right criminal, and also save his final victim.
It had been touch and go. It could so easily have ended differently. She'd had to put herself at serious risk against a very skilled and extremely dangerous adversary.
But he would not terrorize the community any longer. Wiping mud from her hands, May scrambled up.
She had saved a life, and even though she was exhausted to the bone, that knowledge warmed her as she helped Berenice to her feet and began struggling with her ropes.
EPILOGUE
It was eight p.m. before May had finished all the paperwork that needed to be done, and the final interviews on the case were concluded. The evidence against York was overwhelming and May was satisfied that the case was iron hard. He would be in prison for life, a flawed yet highly intelligent psychopath who had chosen his move to the new school as the time to begin planning his murderous urges.
She put down her pen after signing the final document, feeling bone weary.
"Congratulations, May." Sheriff Jack hurried through from the lobby. "I've already had a number of the teachers coming back again here to say thanks, as well as the school principal. They all say that putting two and two together, the troubles at the school started when York arrived at the start of this year."
"I guess that's the kind of person he was. Manipulative and evil."
"Thankfully, now behind bars. As Coach Adamson will remain too, with lesser charges. For sure, our town's a safer place tonight. Well done to the both of you," he praised her. "You'd better knock off now. This has been a brutal case. You deserve some rest. If you're done here, go."
He turned to walk out and then turned back. "There are flowers for you in the lobby. Berenice's parents brought them. It's a lovely arrangement. Don't forget to take them with you when you leave."
