22. Lexi
Chapter twenty-two
We run deeper and deeper into the woods until our lungs give out. Well, until their lungs give out. I’ve been running three miles a day since I was a freshman in college to stave off that dreaded freshman fifteen. I can run laps around this lot without breaking a sweat.
I do wish I wasn’t trying to run in heels—even if I look great while doing it.
“Do we think we’ve lost him?” Lee pants, his hands clutching his side as he leans against the trunk of a large tree, gasping for breath. “Lochy, do you know a place we can hide?”
“Lochy? When did you have a chance to come up with this riveting nickname?” I cross my arms and glare at the two of them.
Lee shrugs. “We got to know each other a bit while you girls were trapped in that room. Did you know Lochy-boy grew up here in Scotland? Isn’t that right?” He gestures to Lochlan.
Lochan holds up a hand in answer just before puking his guts up onto the forest floor.
I take a few steps away from him to dodge the mess and can’t help the sneer that paints my lips as I watch the two of them fall apart before me. Freaking men.
Why couldn’t I have been left with another woman?
Teagan may hate me right now, but I know she’d be a killer partner in a situation like this.
That girl is the definition of tenacity and quick thinking.
I’d even take Capri and her dramatics because while she’s quick to fall apart, she’s even quicker at figuring out a plan and seeing it through to the end.
Our friendship trio may be on the rocks right now, but if push comes to shove, we will go down swinging for each other. I trust that fact with my entire soul, even if I’m probably last on their list to save.
But instead of my final girl friends, I’ll have to babysit these idiots while trying to figure out how to get us out of this mess.
I have one guy who would rather drink himself to death and has a horrible sense of footwear, and another who was about to willingly sacrifice himself instead of trying to find another way to escape.
This is a disaster.
“I don’t even know where we are, mate,” Lochlan groans out before dry-heaving again.
Again, useless freaking men.
What we need is a plan.
“First off, we need to figure out where we are so that we can get back to Windermere, where our friends should be,” I tell them, looking around the forest for anything of use.
It’s almost a full moon, so we have a decent amount of light illuminating our surroundings.
I still wish I had thought to grab some supplies and flashlights before leaving the cabin, but I wasn’t in the best state of mind while being chased by a literal axe-swinging maniac.
“Can either of you climb one of these trees?” I gesture to the sky.
They both look at me like I’m insane. “Look,” I say, placing my hand on my hip and giving them my ‘take no shit’ voice.
“Someone needs to climb up and search for the castle. I’m sure Mr. Douchebag Author will have the whole thing lit up like a torch, making it visible from higher ground.
So one of you needs to get your climbing shoes on before that psychotic Axeman finds us.
Wait, scratch that,” I say, rolling my eyes hard enough that I’m surprised they don’t get stuck.
“I’ll be out of here before either of you idiots knows what hit you.
And by ‘hit you’, I mean axe you in the face. ”
The guys look from me to each other, having some silent bromance fight for a solid minute before Lee pushes off the tree and reluctantly volunteers.
“You guys keep watch while I do this,” Lee orders while he rolls his sleeves up. “I swear I’ll howl at the moon loud enough for the Axeman to find us all if you ditch me.”
Lochlan lets out a loud belch before sliding to the ground. “You got it, mate. I’ll just be here, resting my eyes next to this nice-looking tree. I don’t want to see the family jewels.”
“Dude, how are you still drunk?” I ask, kicking his leg out of my way as I watch Lee scale the tree. Oh. That’s what Lochlan meant about the family jewels. I quickly avert my eyes.
Good for you, Capri.
Lochlan hiccups. “I found a bottle of whiskey when I woke up. I only got about a fourth of it down before ‘ol Johnny boy came at me with that axe. I broke the rest of me bottle over his head,” he mumbles. “And that’s how I got away.”
A Shining reference, huh. I may have slightly misjudged this guy. I gaze down at his feet and cringe at those hideous shoes. Nope. Definitely did not misjudge him. He’s an idiot through and through.
“Okay, I think I’m high enough!” Lee loudly whispers down at us. Well, me. Lochy-boy is fast asleep and drooling slightly against the tree.
“What do you see?” I ask Lee. “Any lights?”
I hear the crunch of breaking twigs and leaves on the forest floor nearby. I freeze in place. It almost sounds like someone, or something, is running toward us.
“Lochlan! Lochlan, wake up!” I plead, searching the ground around me for something to defend myself with. I can’t imagine a giant fallen tree branch will do much against an axe, but it’s all I’ve got right now.
Hoisting the branch over my head, I prepare to swing it at whatever is running through the woods at us when Lee jumps out of the tree from above and scares the soul right out of my body.
“Lee! What the hell! I could have killed you!” I stare at him indignantly before remembering why I have this tree branch gripped so tightly in my hands.
“Wait!” I throw my hand over his mouth before he has a chance to respond.
“Someone was running this way! I swear I heard footsteps over there.” I point toward the dark forest.
Lee’s eyes widen, and he nods before motioning me to stay silent.
He takes the branch from me, pushing me behind him to help guard the still totally clueless Lochan.
“Wave your hands when you see them get close,” he whispers, then hides behind a tree just a few feet from where I’m crouched next to Lochlan.
The sounds of the forest seem even louder as we wait for whatever horror this place has in store for us.
The hoots of the owls turn sinister with each passing minute.
The frogs’ croaks grow ominous as the seconds slowly tick by.
Even the rustling breeze feels like phantom fingers caressing down my nerves, leaving trails of unease to fester under my skin.
I see a flash of white in the trees and wave my hands frantically at Lee.
He gives me another nod, and I watch the muscles in his forearms flex as he grips the branch harder.
Lee gears up to swing the makeshift weapon when I see a startled, but familiar face staring back at me.
Kristi! I remember her from dinner; she’s a journalist or something, and she had a guy with her.
“Stop!” I shout, jumping up from my position and throwing myself at Lee before he’s able to finish his swing, so he doesn’t accidentally murder another one of Pierce’s guests in this unwilling game of his. “It’s Kristi! Lee! It’s Kristi!”
Lee drops the branch just before Kristi collapses into our arms. “He’s coming. He’s coming!” she howls.
“Who’s coming?” Lee and I both ask at the same time. She faints before she has a chance to answer.
Looking at her up close, it seems like the Axeman may have gotten hold of her.
Her once-white dress is torn and filthy, and I can see that she has a massive gash on her upper thigh.
She also has a bleeding cut on her cheek, which is dripping onto her bleached blonde hair, turning it a startling shade of pink.
I try to wipe away as much blood as I can while trying to coax her awake.
“Kristi, hunny,” I say calmly, even though my pulse is racing. “Who’s coming?” Her hazel eyes flutter open, then fall shut again as she goes limp against Lee and me.
“Who the hell is Kristi?” Lochlan’s body towers over us as he rubs his temples. “Oh, she’s a mess, isn’t she? Well, Kristi, meet the L-Team. Lochy here, Lee, and this sassy lassie is my girl Lexi.”
I roll my eyes and start to snap something rude at him when my gaze snags on something in the trees.
My heart stops beating when I realize what it is.
The Axeman stares as he slowly raises his axe and saunters toward us.
It’s like a taunt.
No matter what we do or how fast we run, he’ll always find us.
“L-Team,” Lochlan says, his voice wobbling like he’s about to throw up again. “We need to run. NOW!” he shouts, grabbing and pulling me up as Lee carries Kristi’s limp body.
“YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE!”
We all take off in the opposite direction of the Axeman, running as fast as we can, which right now isn’t fast enough.
We’re running for what feels like hours, exhaustion slowly eating away at us as we’re forced to run uphill.
We’re never going to outrun this psychopath at the pace we’re moving. Lee is staggering behind Lochlan and me under Kristi’s dead weight.
The Axeman is teasing us with his screams. Far enough away to fool us into thinking we are almost to safety, but close enough to remind us that we aren’t.
“YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE!”
None of us is stupid enough to risk looking backward. That’s literally how you die in a horror movie. But we can’t keep this up. We need a place to hide. To rest. To figure out how to fight back.
“YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE!”
Maybe this is the task Pierce mentioned during dinner. Running for our lives until our bodies give out, until we die the way this crazed author wants us to under his terms.
“YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE!”
My legs keep pumping, my lungs struggling to expand. One foot in front of the other. Just keep going.
It feels like I’ve been running for hours.
The sun is starting to rise, turning the sky shades of lavender and peach.
Maybe I can take my heel off and stab the Axeman in the face for making me run in this condition. Why didn’t I take them off once we regrouped before this crazy person found us again? Because I’m an idiot, that’s why.
At least we are finally going downhill now.
“YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE!”
The shouts never stop. Never let up. Minutes trickle by, feeling like days.
The earth comes to a startling end, and I realize we’ve run out of time. We can’t keep running.
Lochlan goes down first. His body flails like a fish out of water as he missteps and rolls over the steep incline of the hillside, tumbling to what’s sure to be his death. The white envelope that’s meant for me falls out of his pocket as he spins.
“YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE!”
Lee is next. He collapses with a pained groan from behind me. He and Kristi slide down together, like ragdolls stuck in a mudslide. Limbs sprawled in every direction as they tumble down.
I bring myself to a halt and watch my friends land at the bottom of the hillside. I hope they’re alive. I hope they can get away before the Axeman is through with me.
Who would have thought I’d think of these people I got stuck with as friends? Possibly real friends. Friends, I might just sacrifice myself to save.
Taking a shuddering breath, I let the tears flow freely down my face. I’m not going to run. If the Axeman takes me, maybe he’ll leave the rest of them alive.
The sunrise over the Scottish Highlands is one of the most beautiful and enchanting sights I’ve ever seen. I’m glad it’ll be my last.
I hear footsteps. The Axeman stops right behind me.
I feel his presence gloss over me like a second skin.
The blade of the axe grazes my body like a seductive caress.
“You can run, but you can’t hide.”
It’s a promise given to me on a whisper of a breath.
I close my eyes, waiting for it to be over.
I hear the axe fall to the ground with a thud just before two firm hands grab me and spin me around.
“But I’m not done playing with you yet.”
Hard, frantic lips meet mine. I gasp in surprise, my eyes flying open as I push away from him.
The Axeman holds me firmly in place. He’s wearing a black mask that hugs his face, like a ski mask made of the tightest material. The only things visible are his swollen lips, which are parted and panting like my own.
And those impossibly bright blue eyes. No, it can’t be, can it?
“I sure do hope you’re the one to survive, Lexi.”
It’s the last thing I hear before he shoves me off the hillside.