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Friday

Excitement vanished in one ugly second. The stretch limo taking them to the prom swerved suddenly and bumped over the curb.

Horrified, Olivia Cooper gaped at the blood splashing across the divider window and running down the glass in crimson rivulets.

What had happened to the driver? Her friends laughed and chatted as blood seeped through the tiny gap at the top of the window and trickled down inside, dripping onto the pristine white leather seats.

Speechless with terror, she stared, transfixed as the vehicle stopped.

Moments later, a door slammed and the limo took off again as if nothing had happened. She turned to her date. “Evan.”

“I’m talking here.” Evan sipped beer from a bottle.

Everyone laughed, totally oblivious to her gesturing toward the driver.

No one noticed when the limo left the winding roads of Black Rock Falls and veered into the forest. Their minds were set on one thing: Prom night—the anticipated highlight of the year.

Chills ran down Olivia’s spine as branches brushed against the windows.

“Evan.” She grabbed his arm, but Evan was too involved with his friends.

She shook him hard, unable to take her attention from the red drips.

“Evan, something bad is happening.” She pointed a trembling finger toward the blood-spattered window. “Look, that can’t be a prank, can it?”

“Holy cow.” Evan raised his voice as they bumped along a dirt track lined with tall pines. “Shut up, guys! This is bad.”

“It’s a joke.” Graham Whitaker crawled up to the front of the limo and peered through the glass. He jumped back and the color drained from his face as he slid into the seat, staring blankly into space.

“What did you see?” Evan took him by the shoulders and shook him hard.

“Death.” Graham turned to one side and vomited. He wiped his mouth. “The driver is dead. Someone else is out there but I can’t make him out.”

The stink of spew filled the back, and the other girls gagged and covered their mouths. Everyone moved to the rear of the limo. Trembling, Olivia turned to Evan. “Slide open the door. When he slows down, we can jump out and run.”

Two of the boys tried to force open the door. The others tried the windows. “We’re locked in.” Evan slumped back in his seat. “Call 911.”

“There’s no bars.” Liam Hawthorne waved his phone. “Anyone else?”

“Nope, nothing.” Victor Langley pushed his phone back into his pocket. “We must be alongside the mountain.” He shook his head. “What are we doing way up here? We’re miles from town.”

Eyes wide with horror, her best friend Chloe’s face was streaked with tears. Pushing down her fear, Olivia went to comfort her. “It will be okay. It’s probably just a stupid joke.”

“Where is he taking us?” Evan peered out of the window. “Did anyone see where he turned off the highway?”

“No, but we’re heading toward the river.” Samantha Haimes cupped her hands around her eyes and looked out of the window. “I can see the full moon glinting on it. What now?”

“There are ten of us here, and whatever game this guy is playing, we should easily be able to overpower him.” Evan scanned the back of the limo. See if you can find anything to use as a weapon.” He looked around. “All you girls get to the back. He won’t get through us.”

They found nothing but beer bottles and as the limo got closer to the river, a knot formed in Olivia’s stomach.

Something was terribly wrong. She cried out as the limo came to an abrupt halt, tossing them from their seats.

A door opened and then another, and Olivia watched someone moving in the darkness.

The person appeared huge and humped as they disappeared into the trees.

They waited, anticipation growing as the time ticked by.

She looked at Evan. “We’re locked inside with no phones.

Do you figure, he’s left us here to die? ”

“If I discover some of our friends have done this as a prank, there will be hell to pay.” Evan slapped a fist in one palm.

“This isn’t funny.” He peered through the window to the driver’s seat.

“The driver is gone too. Maybe he wasn’t dead after all.

That might have been that blood they use at Halloween just to scare us. ”

Olivia froze and gaped at the huge shadow coming toward them.

The door slid open and a big burly man in a balaclava holding a handgun aimed the weapon at them.

He carried a rifle over one shoulder and a hunting knife in a sheath on his belt.

His menacing dark eyes shone in the moonlight.

He waved the pistol from side to side, taking in all of them. “Do as I say and nobody gets hurt.”

Teeth chattering, Olivia froze. The interior light flooded over him and her attention moved over the blood dripping from his balaclava and covering one side of his coveralls.

He wasn’t the friendly man in a tux who had greeted them and then climbed into the driver’s seat.

Had he killed him? The boys formed a protective line, with Evan out front showing no sign of fear.

“You guys. Get onto the floor. Face down. Hands behind your backs.” The man tossed a bunch of zip ties onto the floor. “Now!” He moved his gun across the line. “Girls, tie their hands and feet, nice and tight now. I’ll be checking.”

“No!” Martin Caldwell raised an empty bottle. “You can’t shoot all of us.”

Bang!

The force of the shot sent Martin flying backward.

He bounced off the seat and slid to the floor.

He clutched his chest, his eyes wide with pain and shock.

Blood bubbled from the corners of his mouth and his eyes fixed in a death stare.

Hysterical screams came from the girls, but Olivia couldn’t move.

Her gaze locked on Martin and then swiveled to the shooter.

The boys fell to the floor their arms behind them.

She held up her hands. “Don’t shoot. We’ll do as you say. ”

“You learn fast.” The man held the pistol steady. “Get on with it.”

With trembling fingers, Olivia tied up the boys one by one. She went to stand with the other girls when finished, but the man waved a gun at her.

“Now the girls. Hands behind their backs.” He waved each one to a seat. “Don’t move. What’s your name?” He glared at Olivia.

Panic had her by the throat and she needed to push out the word. “Olivia.”

“Come here, Olivia.” He beckoned her with his gun. “Kneel down with your back to me, just in the doorway here.”

Too afraid he’d kill her, she complied, and he savagely tied her hands behind her back. He lifted her up and tossed her back with the girls.

“Don’t anyone move. I’ve got a full clip of bullets.” He went to the boys and hogtied them. “Now, ladies, this way.” He waved them outside. “Do anything stupid and I won’t hesitate to put a round in you.”

Fear clawed at Olivia’s throat as the girls staggered from the limo.

Cold mountain air seeped through her thin dress as he marched them along a wide trail through the dense forest. Their high heels made walking difficult and branches reached out to tangle their elegant gowns in the underbrush.

Each step threw another obstacle in their path.

When Madison tripped over a tree root and fell flat on her face, the man pressed the gun to her head and dragged her to her feet.

The terrified sobs of her friends echoed through the forest.

“Shut up.” The man pushed Olivia hard in the back. “One more sound and I’ll dispose of you.”

Smelling the heavy male sweat close behind her, Olivia stumbled forward and followed the trail.

The corsage Evan had given her drooped on her wrist, the crushed petals pressing against her flesh.

Panic had her by the throat as they approached an old dilapidated van parked on the fire road and the man slid open the door and ordered them inside.

The door shut with a sickening thunk. They were trapped.

Shaking with fear, she stared out of the window and watched the man walk back to the limo as if he had all the time in the world.

She could make out the white vehicle clearly in the moonlight, parked on the steep bank of the river.

Their captor leaned inside and then came out and tossed an object into the air.

It reflected the light and resembled a shell casing.

He closed the door and then went to the driver’s door, pulled it open, and slid inside.

The engine roared and the windows of the limo slid down.

The next moment, the long sleek dream machine jerked forward.

The man rolled out of the door and Olivia screamed as the limo and her friends rolled over the edge and plunged into the river.

She banged her head against the dirty window.

Horror twisted her insides. He’d drowned her friends.

The girls screamed in terror as the man slid behind the wheel of the van.

Angry, she stood and walked to the front.

The man turned to look at her, pointed the gun at her face, and laughed.

He stood and tipped his head to one side observing her.

Olivia no longer cared what happened. She glared at him. “What have you done?”

“I killed them all.” The man’s eyes hadn’t left her face. “Do you have a problem with that, sweetheart?”

Horrified, she stood her ground. “You’re a monster.”

“Oh, I haven’t started yet.” He chuckled. “Now go and sit down before I forget my manners.”

Glancing over her shoulder, she shook her head. “Let us go or we’ll scream so loud someone will hear us.”

She didn’t have time to react when his fist moved as fast as a snake and punched her in the stomach. Shocked, she fell to her knees gasping.

“Now, anyone else wanna play?” He pressed the gun into Olivia’s temple and time ticked by as his unwashed scent crawled up her nostrils. “No? Good. Now shut up with the sobbing and wailing. Don’t you know that good girls don’t cry?”