His light fell on the shadowy form of man. A man who stood less than fifteen feet away from him. The man was bundled up, with a thick ski mask covering his face.
He stared at Thomas for an instant, then he spun away.
“Stop!” Thomas snarled.
But the man didn’t stop. He ran into the thick snow, heading for the line of trees.
And Thomas hurried after him as he fought the grasping hold of the snow.
* * *
THE THUNDER OF a gunshot rose over the howling of the wind.
Noelle lunged for the door when she heard that sound. Forget securing the interior of the cabin. Thomas needed her!
She already had on her borrowed coat, and she rushed for the door with her flashlight in one hand and her gun in the other. She didn’t have on gloves, and the wind whipped against her skin.
“Thomas!” The gale seemed to yank the cry away from her.
Another gunshot rang out. It sounded as though it had come from the line of trees near the east. She fought the snow and struggled in that direction.
Her light flew around. She didn’t see Thomas and couldn’t see anything but the line of trees and a haze of white as the snow spun in the air.
Thomas wasn’t answering her call. Had he been the one firing? Or had someone been shooting at him?
She pushed into the shadows of the trees. The cold was already making her body shake. Her fingers had a death grip on the flashlight and the gun.
A shadow rushed to the side, moving in the corner of her light. She spun to the left. “Thomas?”
Then something hit her. No, someone. The tackle sent Noelle flying into the snow. She shoved up with her elbow, ready to break her assailant’s nose.
“It’s me!”
Thomas’s voice.
“He’s got a gun, baby, so be careful.” He rose then. He didn’t have a light, and hers had slipped from her grip. She floundered, trying to find it, but he caught her hand. “The light just makes us a bigger target.”
Noelle thought she heard laughter then, tangled with the howl of the wind.
Thomas pulled away from her. He seemed to be swallowed by the thick snow. She scrambled to her feet. Her eyes were narrowed as she struggled to keep him in her line of sight, but he was moving quickly, even in that thick curtain. Heading deeper into the woods as he followed his prey.
Someone was in the house with us. Someone saw...
“I remember you...”
Did she hear those words? Imagine them? The storm was so loud.
“Noelle...” Something brushed over her arm, and she jumped as she spun around.
But... No one was there.
Her attention jerked back toward Thomas. He’d just rushed into a thick copse of trees. She hurried after him.
And tripped, slamming right into the ground.
Swearing, she fought to rise again, but her fingers caught the—the rope that had been hidden near her feet. Rope that had been used to trip her.
A trap. For prey.
For them.
“Thomas!” Noelle screamed. “Stop! It’s a setup!” The window, the shots... They were designed to lure them out into this wilderness.
She pushed onto her knees, then staggered after Thomas. He hadn’t heard her cry. He hadn’t stopped. She had to get to him.
Noelle shoved through the line of trees, and a hand grabbed her arm. She saw the thick outline of a man before her, a man covered in winter clothing, but—
Not Thomas.
She fired her weapon. The bullet hit him, she knew it did. This close, there was no way she could miss, but he didn’t let her go. He tightened his hold on her and yanked her forward.
And he—he threw her.
Noelle screamed once more, but the wind was wailing around her. She expected to hit the snow when she fell, but she hit something hard instead.
Ice.
And she felt that ice begin to splinter beneath her hand.
The sound of laughter seemed to float on the wind once more.
“Noelle!”
Thomas. That wasn’t laughter; that was his frantic voice.
She looked up. He was fighting to get close to her. “Don’t!” She tried to yell as loudly as she could. She raised her arm toward him.
And felt more of the ice crack beneath her.
“Stay back!” Could he hear her? “It’s giving way! We’ll both—”
The ice broke, and Noelle fell into the frigid water. It was so cold it stole her breath. Her feet and legs seemed to go numb right away. She couldn’t move them, couldn’t kick. Her arms had flown out in front of her when the ice broke, and they were still above the surface. She slapped them down on the frozen plane, hoping to find a way to secure herself because she was going down. Her heart was racing. The water was freezing her.
“I’ve got you!” Fingers wrapped around hers.
Her gaze flew up. She could barely make out Thomas’s form. He was lying on the ice, his body spread out. His fingers were around hers, but she couldn’t feel his touch.
She couldn’t feel anything but that Arctic water, and it was pulling her down.
“I’m getting you out!” He was yelling, but his words sounded like a whisper. “We have to keep our weight distributed. Don’t stand up when you’re clear....”
He was pulling her up. Inch by slow, desperate inch.
He thought she was planning to stand? Her legs weren’t working, her teeth were chattering, and she was afraid she’d pass out at any moment.
But he kept pulling her. Slowly. Carefully. Her h*ps hit something solid. She could feel new splinters in that surface beneath her. “H-hurry...” Noelle managed to rasp because she was terrified more of the ice was about to give way. If she and Thomas both went in, they wouldn’t come out.
He didn’t hurry. He kept up that inching pace. Her whole body shuddered with cold. Her hands were numb in his grasp. Her face was against the ice. The cracks scratched her skin.
“We’re almost there, baby. Hold on for me.”
She wasn’t holding on to him at all. She couldn’t.
“Got you!” Thomas yanked her forward and into his arms. He fiercely held her. She should feel the warmth from his body. She didn’t. Tremors shook her. Her gaze fell on the shadows behind them as Thomas tried to rub her arms and her legs. He was yanking at her wet clothes.
“B-behind...” Speaking was so hard. She tried to push at him. To warn him.
Thomas was too fixated on her.
“G-gun...” Where was his weapon? They needed it.
Thomas’s head flew up.
“B-behind...”
He pushed her down into the snow. His hand hit the ground near her and when it rose again, she saw he had his weapon. He fired. Once. Twice.