Page 106 of Hide And Seek

That last thought made something cold cut straight through me, sharp enough to break the moment from the inside out.

Then the toilet flushed, and water rushed through the pipes a second later.

Rhys pulled back calmly, the faint curve of his mouth still there as he stepped away, giving me room to breathe. “It’s a shame we keep getting interrupted,” he said, lifting a brow.

“Yeah,” I murmured. “It is.”

The bathroom door swung open, and Jasmine reappeared, glancing between us. “Ready to go?”

“Yup,” I said. “Let’s go finish this raft.”

“Good luck with it,” Rhys said, lips still curved in a faint smile.

By six-thirty, the raft was finally finished.

It wasn’t pretty. A rough lash-up of planks, plastic drums, stripped doors from the storage sheds, all bound together with rope and whatever else we could salvage. But it floated when we tested it in the lake, and that was all that mattered.

Once we were sure it was ready, a few of the guys carried it across the grounds in a slow, uneven procession, boots crunching over gravel and dirt. The rest of us trailed behind as we made our way up to the river that carved through the northwestern side of the camp.

No one spoke much when we finally reached the riverbank, but the excitement and anticipation was palpable. This wasit. Our first real shot at getting someone out without any possible interference from the killer.

Logan stepped forward as we eased the raft into the water, testing its balance with one foot before climbing on properly. It dipped under his weight, then steadied.

“You good?” Garrett called out.

“Yeah, I’ve got it.” Logan adjusted his stance slightly, gripping the oar. Then he glanced back at us, expression tight but determined. “I’ll follow the river down. Should hit the next town in a few hours if the current holds. Then I’ll go straight to the police.”

A ripple moved through the group. Nods. Murmured agreement. Only Noura seemed uncertain.

“Are you guys sure this is a good idea?” she asked, looking around the group. “Shouldn’t we wait until morning?”

Logan shook his head. “I just want to get this done now. The sooner we get someone out of this place, the better.”

“But it’ll be dark in a couple of hours. You could totally miss the town.”

He waved a hand. “It’s fine. I’ll be able to see lights once I get close. I won’t miss it.”

“Don’t fall off before you get there,” Jesse said, attempting a grin.

“Not planning to,” Logan shot back.

“Just… be careful,” Tamsin said.

Logan gave her a short nod. Then he pushed off from the bank, and the raft drifted out, caught quickly by the current. For a second, it wobbled, turning slightly sideways, but Logan quickly corrected it with the oar.

A few people started clapping. Someone let out a shaky cheer.

“Go, Logan!” Jasmine called out.

He lifted one hand briefly in acknowledgment, already focusing ahead as the river began to carry him further out.

Five seconds.

Ten.

Twenty.

He was maybe fifteen yards away from us when the raft jerked. He adjusted his footing as the front edge snagged slightly, the whole thing tilting at an odd angle.