Page 117 of Trapper Road

And when she failed in that loyalty… when she confessed what she’d done, Mandy no longer had use for her.

Trevor, Willa, and Mandy — one of them is lying. I plan to find out who.

39

CONNOR

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. The bottom drops out. “You’re lying,” I whisper. I turn to Vee, shaking my head. “She’s lying,” I say again.

I don’t understand any of what’s going on. Just that I’ve been set up somehow, but I don’t know why. I feel absolutely helpless against her accusation. I can only repeat the truth: that this wasn’t me. It couldn’t be me.

This isn’t who I am.

I’m not like my father.

I’m not a monster.

Vee shifts her attention to me. I’m hyper aware of the gun in her hands, the circle of black at the end of the barrel pointed directly at me. I’ve been to the range enough with her to know she’s a decent shot. At this distance, she wouldn’t miss if she pulled the trigger.

“Did you do this?” she finally asks. Her voice is calm, even, despite the chaos surrounding her.

I can’t believe she even feels the need to ask. It means she thinks it’s a possibility. She thinks I have it in me to do this sort of thing, tie a woman up. Hurt her. Just like my father.

“No.” My voice breaks as I say it and I clear my voice, repeating myself even louder. “No!”

She regards me for a long moment. Her expression is impossible to read. Then she nods. “Okay.” She lowers the gun.

Just like that. She believes me. Vee, who has no reason to trust anyone. Who has seen the worst of the world, who has met her share of monsters — Vee who has no reason to show me loyalty or give me the benefit of the doubt. She trusts me.

I almost collapse with relief. I stumble toward the wall, pressing a hand against it to steady myself. A sob wells up inside me. I close my eyes, chin dropping to my chest.

So I don’t realize until too late how close Mandy has edged toward Vee. I don’t even look up until I hear the screech of rage as Mandy launches herself at the other girl. Vee’s caught off balance, stumbling under the onslaught.

All I know is that suddenly the gun’s in Mandy’s hand, and she’s pointing it toward me. I hear the sharp crack of the firing pin striking the primer, igniting the gunpowder.

I’m already falling before the pain hits. Before I understand what’s happening. I hit the ground hard, no time to brace myself. My head explodes in pain, my vision blurring around the edges, making it difficult to focus.

I’ve been shot, I realize belatedly. My mind refuses to accept this, but the pain roaring through me is impossible to deny. Holy shit, I’ve been shot.

I try to move, try to lift my head or say something, but I can’t. Something’s wrong. I can’t move. This makes the panic even worse. My heart roars, my ears ringing, and I fight to keep my eyes open even as they begin to feel heavier and heavier.

The way I’ve fallen I can still see Vee across the room. She’s just made it to her feet when Mandy turns on her. Fires again. I can’t see where the bullet strikes, but I can hear when she falls. Her head strikes a pile of broken bricks in the corner. There’s an awful crack, the kind that sounds like a melon landing on the concrete after being thrown from the roof. Then she’s still. I can’t see her face, but I can see the awkward angle of her neck. I can see the blood beginning to pool under her head.

She’s dead. She has to be.

My breathing goes tight. I close my eyes, trying to hold back a scream, even though I’m pretty sure I couldn’t scream if I wanted to. Maybe that’s a good thing. The last thing I need to do is draw attention to myself.

I saw Mandy’s eyes when she pulled the trigger. There was nothing in them. No regret. No fear. No emotion whatsoever.

I wonder if that’s how my father looked as he carved his knives along his victim’s flesh. Did they see the same blankness and know they would face no mercy? Did they know in that moment that this would be the end of them?

Did Kevin look at our friends that same way before he pulled the trigger?

Because I know for sure that if Mandy has her way, this will be the end of me.

My best chance of surviving is pretending I’m dead. It’s not that difficult given I can’t move anyway. I keep one eye closed, allowing the other to flutter open just enough that I can at least know what’s coming if Mandy turns on me.

In her chair, Willa struggles against the ropes. There’s fire in her eyes, color in her cheeks. Gone is the feeble, wrecked girl from moments before. In her place is a ball of rage. “What the fuck, Mandy!” she yells.