Cisco began edging his way across the mouse-turd-covered-floor, trying not to think about the nasty shit grinding into his clothes and skin, when all of a sudden, he heard an exchange.

A welcome of sorts was raised outside.

“Hey, Carter. I got your call. You bagged yourself another one?” a familiar voice asked jovially. “I hope this kid works out better than the last. That bullying bitch you tried to kill before was a tough one and pulled through.”

“The new guy’s inside,” Carter rebutted, angrily. “And I didn’t try to kill Bailey. That wasn’t the plan. You told me the oil would only make her sick.”

The sulky response to the astounding statement set every nerve in Cisco’s body on alert. The second person out there, whoever it was, had wanted Bailey dead? What did that say for Cisco’s own well-being? That his time was limited. He needed to move, fast, to get himself out of this, but if Carter and/or his friend came inside to check on him, Cisco needed to make it look like he was still unconscious.

He inched his body back into the corner, and positioned himself in the same attitude as when he’d first awakened. Then he continued listening.

“Yeah, well, what now genius? It’s all well and fine because the girl doesn’t know who poisoned her, but what about your new friend? I’m assuming he knows who brought him here and tied him up.”

“Umm, yeah. He does.” The kid sounded much more unsure of himself now.

“And you think he’s just going to let that go? Let you walk away scot-free?”

“I…don’t know.”

“Well, I do. He’s going to shout your guilt to the rafters and make sure you go to jail. Which means…I’ll have to take care of him. To protect you.”

There was a brief silence, where Cisco figured Carter was battling with himself.

“He’s inside,” Carter’s sullen voice finally responded.

Wrong choice, you stupid prick.

Cisco readied for company, maintaining his limpness as footsteps came up onto the porch and⁠—

“What the fuck?”

The voice which sounded more and more like one Cisco had heard before, erupted in anger. “You imbecile. That’s a cop! What were you thinking? Do you want the whole goddamned police department coming down on us?”

Cisco heard a sharp slap.

Carter yelped.

The rant continued. “And you left his phone on the floor for anyone to track?”

Cisco heard a crunch, and knew the person had just ground his phone to pieces under his heel.

Fuckwad.

Carter whined. “All you said was that you’d help me get back at the people who were bullies. Bailey was one, and Cisco… I overheard him and Miss Adeline talking. He bullied Miss Hilly in middle school, and she never got over it.”

Cisco almost stopped breathing. That’s what Carter’s motive was? To hurt those he perceived as bullies? That was fucked up. Not to mention that he’d totally misinterpreted Cisco’s conversation with Adeline. The kid needed some serious mental health intervention. Cisco amended his plans for Carter to include a psych-ward instead of a prison cell. The other guy, however…

Cisco focused on that second person as someone kicked the bottom of his foot.

He managed not to twitch.

“You need to disappear, Carter,” the man ordered. “Go back to camp and forget about me and everything else you’ve seen. I’ll take care of this cop for you.”

Well shit.

Cisco finally recognized the voice.

Langford Cottins, the bastard.

He’d clearly enlisted Carter’s help—somehow finding out about the kid’s deep-seated grudges—and had promised he’d help work revenge on Carter’s enemies. All to foment his own plans to make Hilly’s camp a nightmare, and get it shut down so he could purchase it for a song. If only Carter had been in possession of that intel, he’d know who the real bully was.

It didn’t matter. Cottins’ plan was not going to work.

“What are you going to do with him?” Carter hiccupped a sob, perhaps just figuring out that his agenda and Cottins’ were not the same.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Cottins growled. “I have everything I need to take care of this situation back in my truck in the woods. Now disappear, kid.”

It seemed like Carter took Cottins’ advice; not waiting around to see what the man’s plans would be, because Cisco heard footsteps running away.

“And you,” Cottins growled at Cisco before kicking him hard in the ribs. “With what I have planned, there’ll be nothing left of you for any forensic geniuses to pin your murder on me. And once you’re out of the way, that Carter bastard is next. I don’t trust him not to get the jitters and open his fucking mouth. After that, the cunt will get closed down, and this whole place will be mine.”

Cisco lay still, having managed to absorb the blow without flinching. But his mind raced with what Cottins had just threatened. No forensic evidence… Reading between the lines, Cisco grew grim. Fire was going to be involved in his orchestrated death, he just knew it.

The good news? Cottins had also mentioned having to go back to his truck to get whatever he needed for his diabolical plan. That would give Cisco time to get free and find help. It’s too bad his phone had been destroyed.

Hilly was having a hard time sitting still.

It would easily be ten more minutes before SWAT arrived. Ten more minutes where Cisco could be in serious trouble. Had he fallen down into one of the few ravines north of here? Had he been attacked by a bear?

She needed to find out, and fast. But that meant getting rid of Crash and Adeline. She thought fast. She hated to break a semi-promise to Mason, but…

“I, uh, don’t suppose you two could head to the parking lot to meet Mason?” she asked them. “I need to use the restroom. This whole thing has put my guts in a turmoil.” She placed a hand on her lower intestines, hopefully fooling the pair into thinking she had an emergency.

“Go,” Crash said, getting to his feet and pulling Adeline up beside him. “We’ll wait for the team to arrive.”

“Thanks,” Hilly responded, also gaining an upright position. “I’ll join you as soon as I feel better.”

She didn’t relish lying to them, but as she walked away, she knew it was for the best. She could feel in her actually roiling gut that Cisco needed her.

She’d stop by her cabin, grab her bear-spray and a flashlight, then go cover the acreage to the north that she knew like the back of her hand.

It took less than two minutes before she had what she needed. She also threw a first-aid kit into her bag as well. Just in case. She hoped she wouldn’t need it. But what she really hoped was that Cisco wouldn’t need more than what she could provide.

Hilly made sure to slip out quietly, skirt her cabin, then stuck to the shadows where no one would see her as she took off.

When Nel unexpectedly came dashing out of the woods toward her, she quickly shushed her pup, scooping her up to carry her into the nearest cover of trees.