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South Fork, Colorado

Evan missed Havenwood. It had been a long four weeks.

But they were almost done with their mission. Anton and Ginger had taken care of one of the traitors up north just this morning and were waiting for the second to come home. Marcus and Karin had returned to Havenwood straight from New Mexico ten days ago in order to brief Calliope and work to locate the others.

Jesse Morrison hadn’t been as forthcoming as they had hoped.

Evan didn’t like being alone. He needed his family. Especially now, after being on the Outside for four weeks.

Four very, very long weeks.

But Calliope needed him in South Fork, watching Jesse Morrison’s house. So he was here.

He would do anything for his family.

He drank coffee and situated himself in the drafty one-room cabin at the end of the road. It was the perfect perch to watch anyone who approached Morrison’s place through his binoculars. The cabin was on Morrison’s property, but it was bare-bones. One room, no electricity, but it had a stove and the fire he stoked kept the room toasty.

He’d only left once in the last four weeks, and that was to drive to Ashland.

It had been a nearly impossible job, but it had to be done. So he did it.

He closed his eyes, but then he pictured Jane and her big blue eyes full of surprise when she realized she was about to die.

Evan rose, shook his head to clear it. He had barely slept in the last ten days since he slit Jane’s throat. When he slept, he dreamt of her. Of watching her play with the other kids, her long blond hair braided down her back, bouncing as she ran. Of her singing while picking vegetables in the greenhouse. Of how she and his nephew, Timmy, had fallen in love and were planning to have their own house at Havenwood.

Then Timmy died and Riley died and Jane ran away.

A cry escaped Evan’s throat. How could Jane have abandoned the family? How could she have abandoned him ? He was grieving for Timmy, too. He’d loved Riley like a daughter. Jane was all he had left, and she walked away. For the longest time, he believed she had wandered into the woods on purpose and died. He envisioned all the ways it could have happened. Fallen off a cliff. Starved to death. Froze to death. Been mauled by a mountain lion like Timmy.

But she died none of those ways. When Evan learned Jane had betrayed Havenwood by leaving with Thalia—the woman who had stolen from them—he was enraged. He wanted to bring her home.

He was sent to kill her, but he would have brought her back to Havenwood. Calliope would accept her back, Evan was certain. So he gave her the option.

“Come back, Jane. Come back and all is forgiven.”

Tears fell down her cheeks. “No.”

He slit her throat.

He’d killed a girl he loved.

It had to be done. As Calliope said, those who leave will bring pain back with them. Never forget that Todd and Sheila killed Glen, Annie, and Calliope’s unborn child.

Robert deserved to die after stealing from Havenwood. Chris deserved to die for helping Thalia kidnap people from Havenwood. But Jane? Sweet Jane...

Stop thinking about her.

Once they’d learned Thalia was kidnapping Havenwood residents, Calliope sent five people she trusted the most to Jesse Morrison’s remote home in South Fork. They met here, did what needed to be done, and Evan was told to stay because Thalia would be coming.

It didn’t take long.

After, Anton and Ginger were sent to Virginia, and Marcus and Karin were sent to New Mexico.

And Evan was sent, alone, to Ashland.

You’ll be able to go home soon , he told himself.

They were almost done. Evan had only to wait here until Anton and Ginger were done in Fort Collins. Then they would all go home. They hadn’t found the others, but they had more information to work from. By the end of the summer, every traitor would be punished.

He heard a truck turn from the highway below and start up the snow-covered gravel driveway. It was probably the old woman at the bottom of the hill, but Evan did what he always did; he stepped outside on the narrow deck, picked up his binoculars, and watched.

He couldn’t be seen through the trees, and he dressed to blend in with the surroundings.

It was a new white truck and it passed the old woman’s house and headed straight up the road to Jesse Morrison’s.

Evan was surprised when he saw Andrew get out of the driver’s side. He pulled out his phone to call Anton, his heart thudding in his chest. He might have to kill Andrew by himself.

What was Andrew doing here? Did he see Anton and Ginger this morning and run away?

Evan didn’t think he could have gotten here so fast. Something didn’t feel right.

Then the passenger door opened and Evan almost dropped the binoculars and his phone.

Riley.

It couldn’t be Riley. Riley was dead. She had drowned in the lake. Anton and Garrett had seen her go under. She never re-surfaced.

They had a memorial service for her. They buried an empty casket with her favorite things. The carving of a horse that Timmy gave her. Her favorite sweater that Athena had knitted for her the winter before she died. And her artist supplies—the pencils and charcoal and paper Garrett brought in every year.

Evan had cried with Calliope. All of Havenwood wept when Calliope’s daughter died.

Evan had loved Riley like a daughter. Riley and Jane, Timmy and Cal, the four musketeers had been inseparable. And they all left, one way or the other. Dead...or running.

He stared through the glass, zoomed in on her face.

It was Riley.

She was alive. She was here with Andrew .

When Evan could act, when he could finally get his head together and do something, he called Anton. At first, his friend didn’t believe him.

“I swear to you, it’s Riley. It’s her, Anton. She’s alive and she’s with Andrew.”

“Follow her,” Anton said. “We’re leaving now. I’ll let you know when we’re in South Fork. Don’t go back to the house. If you get a chance, kill the traitor and grab Riley.”

“We need to tell Calliope.”

“I watched her drown, Evan. I need to see her with my own two eyes. Then I’ll call Calliope.”