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S edgewick pushed Reese over the threshold into the garage.

With no way to catch herself, she fell down the two steps to sprawl on the concrete.

Stunned, she felt herself being pulled up to her knees before the hand on her arm disappeared.

The doctor went to the wall behind them.

One of the garage doors opened, the overhead light illuminating the space before being doused again.

Thorne. Terror streaked through her. How was Sedgewick connected to that monster? Greenley. Chen. Puzzle pieces fell into place far too late. Did the doctor control Rivers, too?

“I can almost hear your mind whirring.” The doctor returned to her side, her voice amused.

“Your brother was boring. Most of my patients are. But psychopaths…now, they’re fascinating.

I just need to breathe on that psychosis.

Fan the embers of violence. And having a hand in molding them—aiming them—that makes me a fucking god. ”

Icebergs bumped in Reese’s veins. None of the patients Sedgewick treated could be sicker than the doctor herself. She manipulated their illnesses and then unleashed them on an unsuspecting public. Like she’d done with Thorne. And she’d just admitted he hadn’t been the only one.

Her thoughts splintered when a voice ordered, “Reese! Get down!”

Her body obeyed before her mind processed the thought. She threw herself away from the doctor. Gunfire echoed in the space. She heard the sound of someone running. But then hands were on her arms, helping her up. Drawing the bloodstained paper towels from her mouth. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Hayes. Her body went weak in relief. She swung her head side to side, incapable of speech for a moment. “Chen,” she finally managed. “He killed Greenley. He’s killing Kervin! Inside.”

“I need to go find something to cut you loose.”

“Box cutter. Right shoe.” He pulled it off with hands that held an unfamiliar shake. “Hayes, are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She heard the snick of the blade before she felt him sawing through the bonds on her ankles, then her hands. “I called 9-1-1. Doctor Feelgood zapped me. Taser. Injected me… GHB, I think.”

Horror took a different form. “We have to get you help. But Kervin…” A dark figure materialized at the mouth of the opening. A shadow that slipped from the outside darkness to duck behind a vehicle. “Hayes!”

He pressed the box cutter into one of her numbed hands and pushed her toward the side door. “Outside. Now! Run!” As she stumbled away, she heard him yell, “Step away from the vehicle!” Hayes’s words were slurred, but the command in them was evident. “Hands in the air!”

Reese fumbled with the doorknob and pulled the door open.

Tossing a look over her shoulder, she saw a familiar hulk open the front passenger door of a hearse.

Dive across the front seat. Fear coursed through her.

She fairly flew across the grass, over the curb, and through the parking lot.

She didn’t know where she was going. A battle waged inside her.

Obey Hayes or go back to help him. Gunshots sounded behind her. She slowed.

Until a hearse sped around the building like a heat-seeking missile, its headlights piercing the darkness. Reese raced the rest of the way across the lot with newfound speed, the box cutter clutched in her hand. Thorne accelerated after her.

Reese veered to the left, where a tree line pierced the umbrous sky. Even if the woods weren’t deep, they’d stop the vehicle. He’d have to follow on foot. The thought traced icy fingers of fear down her spine, giving impetus to her speed.

The sound of the vehicle’s gunning engine followed her.

Its headlights spotlighted Reese’s position.

She heard a loud thud and threw a look behind her to see the hearse jolt over the curb and land heavily on the grass.

When it resumed speed, it weaved as if drunk but still followed.

She fixed her gaze on the nearing copse of ponderosa pine.

Adrenaline fueled her, but her energy was flagging.

Just a little farther. Keep running. Keep…

The engine roared as it bounced over the slight hills in the lawn.

The lights were beside her now. Panic surged as she realized Thorne was trying to cut her off by getting between her and the timber.

He wouldn’t succeed. She came to a sudden stop, letting the vehicle sail beyond her.

Then Reese swerved, running past the rear bumper to take shelter in the trees before Thorne could bring the vehicle to a halt.

A pine branch whipped her face as she ran through the woods, temporarily blinding her. The firs were mingled with oaks and shorter vegetation that wouldn’t provide much shelter.

Reese heard the sound of screeching brakes as she careened deeper into the timber. She couldn’t hope to outpace him. She’d run out of cover first. Best to find a hiding place and wait to launch an attack from there.

She gave a thought to Hayes. Prayed he hadn’t been hurt. Had Sedgewick run when Thorne had appeared? Or stayed to cheer him on? Gone, she figured. Taking the safe way out yet again. Content with secondhand accounts of the destruction she caused.

A frigid blade of fear stabbed through her. Reese could still hear the engine. Caught glimpses of the glow of headlights between the branches as she ran. But the lights weren’t moving forward. Thorne had followed on foot. But where would he enter the woods?

She stopped so suddenly, she nearly tripped. Was he behind her? Or lurking ahead, already concealed and ready to spring out when she went by? In the distance, she heard sirens. If they were headed to the crematorium, they’d be far too late to save her.

A trio of pines to her left speared skyward.

Her eyes straining in the shadows, Reese veered toward them, the box cutter clutched in one sweaty palm.

They’d provide protection, but the woods weren’t thick enough to expect concealment for long.

Thorne would be looking for the areas that offered disguise. He’d find her sooner or later.

When Reese reached the three trees, she dropped to her knees and rolled beneath one, reaching out a hand to still the limbs that quivered in her wake. She got as close to the trunk as possible and drew up her legs.

Then waited.

A long minute stretched. Another. An owl hooted. A far-off coyote howled. It occurred to her that the pine might offer protection, but it also blocked her from seeing her surroundings. She was dependent on sound alone.

A twig snapped. Reese hauled in a breath. Held it. Slight glimmers of light danced through the branches.

One plus two is three. Three minus three is none. Done.

She froze. No. Reese shook her head mutely. She wanted to cover her ears. To dig a hole and dive into it, pulling the dirt in after her. But she couldn’t outrun the sound of his thoughts tumbling around her like stained debris in a dryer drum. Thorne was close.

Here I am, a hollow man …

Pressing her lips together, Reese reached for calm in the spiral of inner horror. But her Tai Chi training was no match against the mental torrent of guilt and glee.

Shouldn’t a done it, Cord. Never shoulda done it. Why’d you make me do it?

She tried to control her shaking, afraid it would disturb the branches and give away her hiding place. The light didn’t slice through them anymore. Maybe Thorne was moving away. Maybe…

A tree limb was yanked into the air, and a flashlight beam caught her full in the face. “Hello, three.”

Swallowing the boulder of fear lodged in her throat, Reese croaked, “Hollow man. You’ll never be filled up. Never ever. Killing won’t wipe out what you did to Severin.”

“You don’t know that!” He made a sweeping grab for her, but was too far away to do more than graze her foot. “You can’t see inside me!”

“I can. I see everything. I know everything.” She got up on her knees and tried to round the trunk to flee, but Thorne was crawling after her, the branches heaving above his hulk, flashlight beam bouncing.

A large hand gripped tightly around her ankle. Reese screamed as he dragged her out from beneath the tree. “I’ve got a spoon. Very sharp edges. I’ll cut your eyes out before I carve the meat from your bones.”

She sliced at his hand with the box cutter. Hit flesh. Was gratified when he yelped.

Whipping the weapon back and forth, she cut him over and over while he screamed in mingled pain and fury.

Stevie, Stevie, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when I come for you?

He released her. Reese scrabbled away from the tree until she could half lurch to her feet and began to run.

She didn’t get more than a few strides before a weight tackled her from behind, taking her to the ground.

She thrashed and fought beneath him. He grabbed the hand that still held the box cutter and slammed it against the ground repeatedly until her fingers loosened.

She felt the weapon drop and shrieked, a long wail of despair.

Thorne flipped her over. Something metal glinted in his fingers. With his free hand, he pried open her right eye.

“Cord Severin says he’ll see you in hell,” she panted. “You’ll never be free of him. His memory is devouring you.”

“Three minus three is none. Done!” He bent over her. She saw the spoon coming toward her face. She turned her head, and the sharpened teeth stabbed her skin.

A shot rang out. Thorne stiffened. Then let out an inhuman scream of agony. Something fell to the ground near the side of her head. “I’ll gouge your eyes out. I’ll…”

Two more shots sounded in quick succession. The man above her half-climbed, half-fell off of her. He attempted to get to his knees. Failing that, he crawled forward, his elbows digging into the ground.

“Stephen Thorne! Stop! Hands…behind your…head.”

Hayes. His voice, slurred but recognizable, weakened something inside her. For a moment, Reese lay there, muscles frozen. Then she stumbled to her feet. Swung around, half afraid she’d imagined him.

“You shot me! I’m bleeding!” Thorne moaned.

Hayes reached her in a few steps. “Reese! Did he hurt you?”

Something trickled slowly down her face. She was uncertain whether it was her blood or Thorne’s. “I’m fine.”

He moved past her to where the killer lay whimpering on the ground. “I need a doctor!”

“Plenty of doctors…where you’re going, asshole.” Hayes put a foot on the man’s back to hold him prone while he shifted his weapon to the other hand to dig in his pocket for something. “Reese. Come help.”

She sprang toward him, worried about the sway in his stance. But he handed her a little key. “Unlock the cuffs on…beltloop.”

She felt around the cuffs until she found the keyhole and attempted to guide the key into it. The sirens were closer now. Maybe at the facility or close to it. Too late. If not for Hayes, she’d already be dead. Finally, she slipped the cuffs free and handed them to him.

“Hold this.” Her fingers wrapped reluctantly around the grip of the gun, its weight unfamiliar in her hand.

Hayes straddled Thorne, who was now shrieking and crying incoherently.

He pulled the man’s arms behind him and, with some difficulty, worked the cuffs on and snapped them in place.

Then rose, stepped aside, and nearly pitched forward.

“Hayes!” Reese hurried to him.

“Give me that.” Gently, he pried her fingers away from the weapon and returned it to his holster. Then, he sank heavily into the grass. “Just need…a minute. Feel…like boxer in…tenth round.”

Reese knelt beside him, concern chasing away her earlier alarm. “You need to go to the hospital.”

His arm came around her. And for the first time since she saw Thorne in that garage, a stream of relief coursed through her.

“Not…without you. Not going…anywhere…without you.”