Page 95 of Hide And Seek

What if the killer—or killers—had figured out that Rhys was actually alive and hiding out in that cabin? What if they’d done something to him? And I’d just… walked away. Not even made an effort to check.

I took a deep breath, trying to push the fears aside. It was probably nothing. Rhys was just showering or sleeping, like Jasmine and I initially suspected. He was fine.

He had to be.

The moodamongst the rest of the group had shifted by the time the food actually hit the tables in the dining hall. The earlier flicker of excitement hadn’t lasted long. Not once it became obvious that not everyone from today’s search team had made it back.

Most of the guys had gone out, splitting into six pairs.

Knox and Chris hadn’t returned.

“They’re probably being extra careful,” Garrett said for the third time, like if he repeated it enough it might turn true.

“Yeah,” Simon added quickly. “Or maybe they actually found something out in the woods, and they’re still picking it up. Or taking photos.”

No one really believed it. There were too many glances toward the door. Too many people checking the time. Too many conversations that kept trailing off.

By the time the clock hit eight, Knox and Chris were still missing.

Jasmine nudged my elbow lightly. “Kitchen,” she murmured under her breath.

I nodded and followed her, grabbing an empty cup as we slipped away from the table. The second we were out of earshot, she turned to me. “We need to talk about this.”

“I know,” I said quietly, leaning against the counter. “If those guys don’t come back soon—”

“They’re both Legacies,” she cut in bluntly. “If Rhys’s theory is accurate, then that could mean Brad and Olivia got to them out in the woods. So… I think it’s time we tell the others.”

I nodded slowly, stomach churning. “Before something else happens.”

“Exactly. The other Legacies need to be warned that they’re probably the main targets here.”

I hesitated. “How are we going to explain how we came up with the theory?”

Jasmine grimaced. “Good point. I guess we can’t exactly say, oh hey, Rhys told us. Surprise, he’s not actually dead!”

“And I can’t claim it either,” I said, shaking my head. “I didn’t even know about the Brad and Olivia Olympics story until today, because… why would I? I’m new here.”

“Yeah, it’d be weird if you tried to claim it,” she muttered, scratching her head. She paused for a moment, then shrugged. “I guess I’ll just have to say it’s my theory. I’ve been here for years, so I know all the backstory stuff. It’ll track.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay. Yeah. That works.”

Jasmine grabbed her drink and straightened. “All right. Let’s ruin everyone’s appetites.”

When we stepped back into the dining hall, Jasmine didn’t ease into it. Didn’t wait for a lull in conversation or try to be subtle. She just clapped her hands once, sharp enough to cut through the room.

“Can I get everyone’s attention for a second?” she said.

Heads turned. Conversations stilled.

“I’ve been thinking about something since last night,” she went on. “About who the killer might be. And before anyone says it, I know we’ve all been throwing around theories, but I think this one actually lines up.”

“Just say it,” Sutton said snidely.

Jasmine took a deep breath. “I think it might be Brad and Olivia.”

For a moment, everyone was silent. Then Sutton spoke again, eyes narrowed. “They’re dead, you fucking idiot.”

“Are they?” Jasmine shot back. “Because no one actually saw them die.”