Isabella ran until her lungs burned like they were on fire. The branches of the trees scratched her arms, and the cold mud squished between her toes. She felt like a hunted animal. Every time a twig snapped, she jumped.
She reached a paved road. It was empty and dark. She stood in the middle of it, shivering. Suddenly, she saw headlights in the distance. Was it Vanessa? Or was it a stranger?
She didn't have a choice. She stood in the road and waved her arms. The car slowed down. It was an old, beat-up pickup truck. An old man with a grey beard looked out the window.
"Gosh almighty, girl! What happened to you? You look like you fell out of a blender!"
"Please," Isabella sobbed, leaning against the truck door. "You have to call the police. My boyfriend... he's in trouble. There are men with guns at the cabin up the hill."
The old man looked worried. "The police don't come up here much, honey. But I got a CB radio. Hop in. Let's get you to the sheriff's station in town."
Isabella climbed into the truck. It smelled like wet dog and tobacco, but to her, it was the best smell in the world. As they drove away, she looked back at the mountain. She could see a faint orange glow.
The cabin was on fire.
"Jaxson," she whispered, her heart breaking. "Please be okay."
Isabella sat in the passenger seat of the old truck, her teeth chattering so hard they made a clicking sound. The heater was blasting, but it smelled like old dust. She looked at the old man. He was driving slowly, looking at the road through thick glasses.
"Don't you worry, little lady," the old man said. "We'll be at the station in ten minutes. The law will handle those city boys."
Isabella looked back at the mountain. The orange glow of the fire was getting smaller. Tears tracked through the mud on her face. "He's gone," she whispered. "Jaxson didn't get out. I heard the shots. I saw the flames."