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No!

A teenage girl darted from the tree line first, her long hair flowing in waves under the moonlight. Lean, pale limbs pumped hard in panic.

Liz. She worked at the camp and was on his little hit list. Why wasn’t she locked in the girls’ cabin with the others?

The answer burst from the woods, not far behind her. Sawyer Powell. Her stinking boyfriend. He wasn’t a camper or a worker and had no business being there.

Sawyer was like his self-righteous brother, Holden. The former was the star of the basketball team, the latter was the quarterback. Golden boys who thought they walked on water at high school. Did whatever they wanted. Of course, he’d break the rules by being here.

“I’m calling 911.” Liz was dialing as she ran.

No, no. Liz and Sawyer, a pair of meddlers, getting in the way. The dude ranch was smack-dab between both towns. One of the fire departments might get there in time.

Liz bolted to the double doors at the front of the girls’ cabin and yanked on them. “I can’t get it open! They’ve been tied shut!”

Although he’d made knots that would be hard to undo, in hindsight, chains and padlocks would’ve been smarter than using ropes.

“Break a window!” Sawyer grabbed a rock and shattered a windowpane, smashing around the frame. The lanky guy hopped up, disappearing inside the boys’ cabin.

Liz did the same, scrambling into the other cabin. Those two were ruining everything.

Fists clenched, every sense alive, he gritted his teeth. This was not how it was supposed to end, with Liz Kelley and Sawyer Powell being heroes.

Teens dressed in pajamas funneled out through the broken windows, jumping onto the grass. Coughing and gagging, they backed away from the cabins. Some of them hurried up the hill toward the main house, shouting for the Durbins and yelling for help.

Liz and Sawyer might have stopped his plan, but they wouldn’t stop him.

Everyone involved with what happened to Timothy would either burn or wished they had after he was finished with them. All the people who’d remained silent. Those who had looked the other way. Those dirty souls who benefited.

He saw their faces. Knew their names. Not only the ones on the ranch tonight. There were others and there would be justice. He would light their world on fire and burn it to the ground. One day. No matter how long he had to wait.

Liz emerged from the fiery cabin with the last girl. They backed away from the flames as Sawyer climbed out the boys’ cabin window. Dropping to the ground, he gulped in air. Liz turned away from the cabins. Her jaw dropped and she took off.

He pivoted to see where she was going. The horse stable was burning, too! The wind was spreading the fire with blistering speed, feeding it fast, making the thinner structure of the barn go up like tinder. Horror whooshed through him. Helpless animals weren’t supposed to get hurt.

Liz threw open the doors and rushed into the stable. A moment later, horses darted from the barn, one at a time. Could she get the stalls open and save them all in time?

For a painful second, his heart squeezing in his chest, he contemplated helping the horses. But he’d be seen for certain. He would be caught.

Hacking on the ground, Sawyer glanced around. He stumbled to his feet. “Liz!”

“She’s inside the stable!” a girl screamed, pointing at the building engulfed in flames, and Sawyer made a beeline for it.

Men busted through the door of the bunkhouse, storming outside and sprinting into action. Some ran toward the main house while the rest headed for the stable.

Horses were still being set free. Sawyer was almost there. Another horse charged out of the burning barn, but no sign of Liz. Fire shot out through the roof. Sawyer hesitated. Afraid.

With a thunderous crunch, the roof of the stable collapsed, sending sparks shooting into the air like a million mini flares.

Two men wrapped themselves in blankets. Others threw buckets of water on them. Then the men rushed into the stable.

Why bother? Could she have survived?

Doubtful. Even if she had, the chances were slim they’d get her out alive. The only thing that could save Liz now was luck.