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Cody and I run breathlessly through the trees, lungs and muscles burning with exertion. I have Ghost in my arms, her hind leg dangling limply. By the time we made it to the dogs, whoever they had found had already escaped. Ghost was laying on the ground, whining. Storm looked like he wanted to keep pursuing whoever it was, but we recalled him to get Ghost home.
It feels like it takes three times as long to get back to the cabin as it did to investigate the car and cameras. We’re round the corner of the cabin when Cody slips in a puddle of blood. I stop to make sure he’s alright when I notice the body a foot from where he fell.
“Holy fuck,” he scrambles backward. “Wait, who is that?”
It’s clearly not Violet or Blake so I nudge the body onto his back and more blood rushes out of a wound in his stomach. An ax lies beneath the corpse and Storm growls as he sniffs the body. It isn’t John, either. So the question is, who is this guy?
“Who did this?” Cody asks.
A groan from the back yard has us both rushing back there and we immediately see Blake sitting on the ground, beaten and bloodied but alive. Cody rushes to his side, grabbing his face with a terrified sob. I lay Ghost down gently, stroking her fur as she whines quietly and call Storm over to sit with her.
“What happened?” I ask, crouching down beside them. “Where’s Violet?”
“I don’t know.” Blake winces and wipes blood from his eye. “We heard something outside and went to investigate it. As we went around the corner, I got knocked out. I came to and tried getting back into the cabin. I could hear someone speaking to Vi. I must have concussion though, because I lost my balance and fell into the bathroom window, shattering the glass.”
I look into the cabin to see if I can spot any movement.
“Some dude came running out of the cabin and we fought. I almost had him knocked out but he clocked me right in the temple and I lost consciousness again.”
“Do you know where Violet is?”
He pauses and then shakes his head with a wince. “I don’t know.”
“Okay.” Cody helps him to his feet. “It’s okay. We’ll find her.”
“I think she’s still in the cabin.” I point to where the door is cracked.
Blue flies out of the door and behind us, knocking into our backs. Clearly a move designed to herd us toward the cabin. I signal the dogs to stay, Storm gives me a low growl but complies.
As we draw closer, we see movement in the form of shadows coming from the office. I look at Cody and signal that I’m going around to the front door. He and Blake slowly walk into the kitchen as I move quickly around the building.
I grab the spare key hidden under the porch and unlock the door. Pushing it open I find Cody with his back to the wall by the office door. He looks at me and mouths that it’s John. I nod and creep along the wall on the other side of the door. Blake is standing beside Cody but looks pale and clammy.
“Hurry up and find the key,” John snarls at Violet. “Useless as always.”
“I don’t have the fucking key, John. I’ve looked everywhere and you clearly ransacked the place already.”
“I wish you would have run away as a kid.” The sound of a palm connecting with flesh followed immediately by Violet crying out fills the cabin.
My vision goes red, and the need to end this piece of shit takes over. I pull my gun and step into the room.
“Get your hands off her.” I aim my gun at him as I enter the office.
“Lower your gun.” He raises his and aims it at Violet.
Cody fires from the office door, hitting John in the chest. He drops to the ground, and I rush for Violet, jumping over the desk to get to her. Cody stands over John, who’s still breathing and fires another shot.
Violet jumps and buries her face in my arms at the sound. I don’t know if she’s trembling or if it’s the adrenaline surging through me. Probably both. I scoop her into my arms and carry her out of the room as she goes catatonic.
Sitting down on the couch with her still cradled in my arms, Blake drops down beside us and grabs her hand. Cody walks out of the office and closes the door behind him, then goes out to get the dogs.
“Talk to me, baby,” I whisper against her temple as she sits, staring blankly at the wall.
There’s no reaction from her. Blake tries and gets the same response. Nothing. But when Cody walks into the room carrying Ghost, she launches herself from my lap.
“What happened?” she cries.
“It might be broken.” Cody lays Ghost down in front of the fire and squeezes up and down her paw. She yelps and whines when he gets halfway up her leg. Storm places himself between Ghost and Cody, giving a low warning growl. Violet corrects him but Cody leans back.
