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Chapter Eleven

Garrett groaned and rolled his neck. His entire body ached. Opening his eyes, he squinted against the sunlight filtering through the tiny bathroom window. His heart picked up speed as the day before came rushing back.

He dropped his eyes to Kate, who lay curled against his side, his shirt clutched in her fist. A lump formed in his throat when he shifted his gaze to Bella. She was tucked under his other arm, her position much like Kate's. But Bella wasn't clutching his shirt, nor was she asleep. Her eyes were fixed on the wall in front of her, staring blankly at nothing. Blood still covered her face and clothes, and were it not for her slow rhythmic breathing, he would have assumed she was dead.

He pulled in a deep breath, shaking his head as images of Ben, Angela, and E assaulted his mind. No, he knew what death looked like first hand now, and Bella was a long way from that. But she did need help. She needed a doctor.

"Bella?" He nudged her with his shoulder when she didn't respond and called her name again.

Kate stirred, her movement distracting Garrett from Bella's unresponsive form. "What is she doing?"

"I don't know," Garrett sighed. "She was like this when I woke up a few minutes ago." He looked at the window once more. "It's morning. I have to try to find help. There has to be a Ranger's station somewhere."

Kate stiffened and the familiar feeling of panic welled inside her once more. "But what if he's still out there?"

"Bella's in no shape to walk. We can't leave her here alone."

"I know. I'm just scared."

Garrett kissed the top of Kate's head and squeezed her. "I know. I'll make sure all of the windows and doors are secure and see if I can find anything you can use for a weapon. Just in case," he added when she opened her mouth to protest.

Pressing her lips together in a firm line, she gave a sharp nod and pushed to her feet. Garrett followed suit, pulling Bella with him. He didn't attempt to speak to her again. He knew it was pointless. Where ever she was―whatever corner of her mind she'd retreated to―he couldn't reach her.

After checking the windows and pulling on his shoes, Garrett pressed a large kitchen knife into Kate's shaking hands and hugged her close. "Don't open this door for anyone. Do you hear me?"

Kate nodded and inhaled a stuttering breath. "I'm going to get Bella cleaned up. Then see if I can get her to rest."

"That's a good idea. I promise to come back as fast as I can. Turn the lights off and stay away from the windows. Keep as quiet as possible, okay?"

Dread sank like a rock to the pit of Kate's stomach. "Okay. Be careful."

Gripping the handle of a knife similar to the one Kate held, he nodded and slipped out the cabin into the frigid morning air. His eyes lingered on the door for several moments. He wanted to go back inside and be with them, but he had to find help. He had to protect them both.

He started down the road they'd taken to get there. The gravel crunched under his boots as his eyes scanned the tree line. He hoped he could find someone. A trucker. A ranger. Someone lost on the road. Garrett's thoughts veered toward the girls as he walked further and further away from the cabin. He thought about the man, about seeing E die and finding Ben and Angela.

His stomach churned as his mind played tricks on him. A picture of Bella and Kate huddled together on the floor of the cabin. Their bodies mutilated and chopped to pieces. He couldn't hold back the vomit burning his throat as he fell to his knees and heaved on the side of the road.

When he heard a noise just ahead, he was certain it was just an animal. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he looked up, and jumped back. Deep into the woods, lit by the rays of the sun, stood the man he'd hit with a rock. His mask was stained with blood and his clothes were covered in mud. The machete at his side swung in slow purposeful motions as he looked back at Garrett.

If he hadn't just emptied his stomach, he would have done it then.

"Son of bitch!" Garrett jumped to his feet, his heart pounded against his chest. "Shit."

Garrett took off in the opposite direction, his fists clenched and his mind scrambling to figure out what to do. When he looked around, he wasn't sure if he was running toward the cabins or away from them. He wanted to lure the man away from the girls, but thoughts of his own self-preservation clouded his judgement.

The man behind him didn't mind the chase. It was the thrill of the hunt that kept him going.

Garrett tightened his grip around the wooden handle of his knife, his eyes searching the trees for some place to hide. He needed the element of surprise against the masked man. If he could catch him off guard, cut him just right, there was a chance he'd survive.

He took one look behind him―the man no where in sight―and took a sharp left into a thick cut of trees. He ducked under branches and jumped over logs until he had to stop to catch his breath.

The man didn't need the break. His eyes had followed Garrett and his feet beat into the same trail Garrett left in his wake.

Hugging the knife to his chest, Garrett looked around. He could barely see beyond the tangled branches that hung low around him. He listened for the sounds of nature, but heard nothing. Not a chirp from a bird, or the feet of a deer as it pranced through the woods.

He felt safe in that moment and his eyes closed in relief. He didn't realize that all the animals had scattered because of the man standing only a few feet from him. He hadn't seen the fear in their eyes as they saw the mask, or heard the blade of the machete dragging the ground.

Garrett heard the echo of a leaf breaking behind him, his head banging into the bark of the tree as he jerked in surprise. He'd stayed there too long, let the man catch up, all because he needed a minute.

He bit the inside of cheek, prepared to run, but when he peeked around the edge of the tree his entire body froze with fear. He could smell the man's breath, feel its heat on his skin as he stared into cold calculating eyes. The dark bloodstains on his mask made Garrett want to cry. To beg for mercy. For Kate and Bella.

With the knife gripped tightly in his hand, Garrett prepared to swing. His blade glided through the air with ease, but his swing was sloppy. The edge of his knife only caught the man's shirt, tearing a small hole in the fabric.

The man didn't even flinch. With his feet planted firmly in the dirt, the killer retaliated. The blade of his machete sliced into Garrett's arm as he tried to block the attack, blood immediately pouring from the wound and dripping to the ground.

Garrett howled in pain, but kept his grip firm on his knife as the man pulled the machete from Garrett's arm. Blood soaked his shirt as he took another swing, this time even weaker, missing the man completely.

The quiet that followed the next blow was deafening.

Lips met the sharp end of the man's machete, splitting them. It sliced into Garrett's cheeks, piercing his jaw as his mouth kissed the blade. The steel blade cracked into Garrett's teeth as the man added pressure. His arm flexed and his fingers tightened around the handle as he carved into the back of Garrett's throat. Blood poured down Garrett's neck, his tongue falling to the ground as the killer twisted the blade inside of Garrett's mouth.

The man pushed harder until his blade hit Garrett's spine. It's sharpened edge sliced until it dug into the bark of the tree. Garrett's body slumped to the ground below. The white of his spine gleaming where his head had been cut in two.

Above the blade jammed into the tree, sat the top half of Garrett's face. The blood vessel's in his eyes had burst and blood dripped from his nose. His top lip was pressed firmly against the blade and stained in red. He looked terrified.

The killer tore his blade from the tree and watched as Garrett's head joined the rest of his body. He didn't bother setting Garrett any certain way. By the end of the day, there wouldn't be anyone left to stumble upon him.

Kate paced the living room, her heart sinking right along with the setting sun. "He's been gone too long, Bella. We have to go look for him."

Bella lifted her gaze to Kate, her eyes flat, lifeless. "I wonder if he's cold," she mumbled.

"Of course he's cold! It's going to be dark in a couple of hours. He's been gone all day. I never should have let him leave. He shouldn't have gone alone."

"Alone. He's alone."

Kate turned to Bella, her eyes narrowing with anger. "Do you even know what you're saying? Get your shit together, Bella. We have to find Garrett! We have to go!"

Bella blinked, her brows pulling together. "Garrett?"

"Yes, Garrett. Fuck, Bella. He's not back, we have to look for him." Kate's agitation grew as Bella continued to stare over her shoulder at nothing. "I'm going. You can stay here in your fucking waking coma or whatever the hell you're doing. But I'm not going to stay here like a sitting duck. Not when that monster could still be out there!"

Bella pulled her knees into her chest and nodded. "Go. Find Garrett. I'll stay. If the killer is still out there, he can have me."

Tears welled in Kate's eyes. "Bella. No."

"Go," Bella whispered, turning her head away. "Leave me."

Indecision gripped Kate as she looked from Bella to the door. But the fading light was all she needed to push her forward. She had to find Garrett, and she didn't have much time. Grabbing the knife he'd given her, she spared a final glance at Bella before flying out the door, not bothering to even pull it shut. Bella wasn't her problem. Not any more.