caught.’ But Rachel seemed to be in shock; she stared at Allie blankly.
‘Rachel, do you understand?’ Fear burned Allie’s stomach like acid. If Rachel couldn’t get out on her own, the whole plan failed. ‘Can you do it?’
‘I won’t… leave you with them.’ Rachel’s voice was weak.
‘I’ll be fine,’ she said, loud enough for Nathaniel to hear.
‘This is so touching.’ Nathaniel sounded bored. ‘But I really don’t have time.’
‘Please, Rach,’ Allie whispered, squeezing her shoulder. ‘Trust me. There’s a plan.’
She held her breath as Rachel studied her for a long moment. Then she nodded and let go of Allie reluctantly. ‘I’ll go.’
With a sigh of relief, Allie released her, watching with worried eyes as she began to walk away – she was unsteady but upright. She’d make it.
Turning, she walked back to where Nathaniel watched her with clinical interest, as if she were an experiment in a lab that had done something unexpected.
Stopping just out of reach, she stood with her hands on her hips. ‘What now, Nathaniel? Does Gabe stick a knife to
Above the sound of rainfall, a deep rumble caught Allie’s attention and she frowned, looking up at the turbulent sky. Was that thunder?
‘No.’ Nathaniel gave a delighted grin. ‘That is not my plan at all.’
The noise, which, now that Allie thought about it, had been there for some time, grew louder.
The wind picked up, whipping her wet hair into her face so hard it stung.
A bright light appeared above them, illuminating the castle ruins and highlighting the rain so it looked like tiny diamonds falling around them.
Blinded, Allie shielded her eyes as she looked up for the source.
The noise had changed into a repetitive thudding. It was louder now, and familiar. The air whipped around her like a mini-tornado. She knew what it was before she could see it.
A helicopter.
‘No knife,’ Nathaniel shouted at her above the steady
Raj was shouting something through Allie’s earpiece but the noise of the helicopter was deafening. She cupped her hand over her ear, trying to make out what he was saying as the helicopter began to lower itself on to the castle grounds.
At that moment, a hand grabbed her arm roughly, twisting it behind her back sending a stabbing pain through her. She looked up to see Gabe’s scarred face. He was smiling at her.
She screamed.
Holding her in a bruising grip, Gabe dragged her roughly towards the helicopter, which now hovered ten feet above them. Struggling with all her might, Allie tried to swing at him with the torch but she couldn’t hold on to it, and it flew from her hand.
Then, through the wind and the rain, and the thudding of the rotors, Allie heard Nathaniel shout, ‘What the hell…?’
Twisting in Gabe’s grip, she saw the others hurtling across the stones, Zoe in the lead – always the fastest. The others were right behind her. Sylvain and Carter divided. Sylvain headed for Nathaniel.
Without breaking his stride, Sylvain drew back his fist and punched him in the face. The force of his forward motion added power to his the blow. Nathaniel dropped instantly.
Allie’s heart leaped with excitement, but Gabe’s grip tightened around her throat and he dragged her more quickly towards the helicopter.
Suddenly, though, Carter stood in front of them, blocking their path.
‘Let her go, Gabe.’ His voice was steely, his gaze didn’t waver from Gabe’s.
They’d been friends once, before Gabe had betrayed them all. And Allie could see the loathing in Carter’s eyes.
‘Oh, Carter,’ Gabe sighed pityingly. ‘Still in love with the girl who doesn’t love you back? How pathetic. Wasn’t Jules —’
At that moment, something hit him on the back of his neck and his grip loosened enough for Allie to squirm free.
Whirling, she saw Nicole standing behind him with the same board she’d used earlier in the cellar. The French girl’s eyes met Allie’s.
‘I’m starting to like this thing,’ she said of the weapon.
Then, just as suddenly, she fell with a scream of pain.
Stunned, Allie looked down to see Gabe holding a heavy stone he’d used to hit Nicole in the knee. As she writhed in pain, he knelt above her and lifted the rock over her head.
Carter shot past Allie, throwing himself at Gabe, knocking him off balance. The rock fell to one side and Gabe and Carter rolled into the mud. Allie was scrambling for the stone when she heard a cry from behind her. Turning, she saw Nathaniel pick Zoe up off the ground. Sylvain crouched in front of him looking for any opportunity to pounce.
‘Is this what you want, Allie?’ Nathaniel cried, tightening his grip on Zoe’s slim throat. Her face had begun to turn purple. ‘Do you want her to die so you can live?’
The corners of Allie’s vision darkened.
Propelling herself at him with all her might she screamed, ‘You let her go.’
Before she could reach him, though, Nathaniel hurled Zoe at Sylvain, knocking them both down. By then, though, Allie was moving too quickly to stop. She ran directly into his arms.
Nathaniel wasn’t as strong as Gabe, but he was skilled. He had Allie by the throat in seconds. A knife appeared from nowhere and pressed against her cheek, she could feel the sharpness of the blade.
‘It’s you,’ he said into her ear. ‘Or them. Choose.’
The helicopter was now just a few feet above the ground. The wind from its spinning blades hit them with the force of a hundred fists.
Allie’s gaze skittered around the castle yard. She saw Carter and Gabe still fighting. Nicole lay on the ground clutching her leg. Sylvain and Zoe were on their feet, circling Nathaniel, looking for an opening – a chance.
They could all live if she just went with him. There wasn’t really a choice.
‘Take me.’ She let her body go limp – she stopped fighting him. She pressed her face into the knife, hoping for the bite of the blade. Hoping for all of this to be over. ‘Let them go. Just take me.’
When Nathaniel smiled she saw his teeth were covered in blood. Sylvain’s punch had been accurate.
‘Good girl.’ Still holding her, he stepped towards the helicopter. Numbly, she stumbled with him.
Her heart seemed frozen in her chest. Everything felt unreal. Was she really going to go with the man who killed Jo? Really going to give in? Was there no other way?
In the distance, Gabe hit Carter with a sickening crunch. Allie watched in horror as Carter toppled like a felled tree. For a moment, Gabe stood over him, looking down at him, and she stiffened, fearing he’d try to finish him off. But then Gabe turned and limped towards the helicopter. Behind him, Carter lay still in the mud.
The thump of the rotors seemed to come from a hundred miles away as she stared at Carter’s body.
She had to know Carter was alive. Suddenly, she lifted her feet, letting her body weight drop like a stone. Caught off guard in mid-stride Nathaniel grunted in surprise. The rain made her skin slippery and he lost his grip. As he fought to hold her the knife sliced through the flesh of her shoulder.
She hit the ground and rolled. Gasping, she rose on to her knees, clutching her bleeding arm. It felt as if someone had set her arm on fire. Hot blood poured over her fingers and she stared down in puzzled dismay, too stunned to flee.
But Sylvain and Zoe were between her and Nathaniel now. Zoe held a heavy stone in one hand. Sylvain didn’t need one.
The wind from the helicopter rotors buffeted them – she saw Zoe’s jacket inflate around her like a balloon, and felt herself being thrown around by the deadly, spinning blades. Fighting the force of it, she threw up a hand
