The whispered advice came from behind her. Avery whirled around. "Gwen?"

"The one and only."

Avery searched the interior, eyes not yet accustomed to the darkness. "Where are you?"

"Here."

She saw her then, on the floor, pressed into the far corner. Avery hurried to her side and knelt beside

her. "Thank God, I thought...I thought you-"

"Were dead. I did, too."

Avery saw that she was hurt. The right side of her head was crusted with dried blood, her blond hair

matted with it.

Avery pictured the blood on Gwen's bathroom door. He must have knocked her out. "When did he do it?"

"The storm," Gwen whispered. "I awoke, he was there, in my room. I thought he was going to kill me.

But he brought me here, instead." Gwen bent and rested her forehead against Avery's. "I prayed you'd come. But not this way."

With the police.

But Matt was the police.

"We're going to get out of this." Avery frowned. "He said The Seven would decide my fate. I think they're meeting here tonight."

"He's going to kill us, isn't he?"

He or one of his generals. "Let's not think about that now." Avery moved her gaze over the room's walls.

Judging by its size and the shelving along one wall, the room had been a storage closet. "Have you looked for a way out?"

"There's none."

"You're sure?"

"Yes." Gwen's voice broke. "I don't want to die, Avery. Not now. Not like this."

"We will if we give up, that's for sure. Can you stand?"

She nodded and, using the wall for leverage, inched to her feet.

"Good," Avery murmured. "Our only shot may be trying to over-power him when he comes for us. One

of us can rush him while the other goes for his gun. Or runs."

It sounded lame even to Avery's own ears. Overpower Matt? Her arms were secured behind her back and Gwen was almost too weak to stand. But she refused to give up. Refused to die without a fight. "All right," Gwen said, though her voice quivered. "You tell me what to do and I'll do it."

A rapping sound caught her attention. Avery stilled, listening. It had come from behind the shelves.

The sound came again and Avery realized what it was. Matt, calling The Seven to order.

"Come on, Gwen. Let's see if we can move these shelves."

The shelves were metal and heavy, though not bolted in place. Together they eased one unit away from

the wall, Gwen using her arms, Avery her body as a wedge.

They managed to create a space big enough to slip behind.

Once behind the shelves Avery found herself, absurdly, reassured by the small, tight space. It felt safe.

Like a womb. Like a child's perfect hiding place. The one where nobody could ever find her.

As a kid she'd had several. She'd been good at hide-and-seek, had had the ability to slip into nooks and

crannies and remain still and silent for long periods of time. Sometimes so long, the person who was "It"

gave up.

Even as she wondered if Matt would give up if she was quiet enough, still enough, she acknowledged the

stupidity of the thought.

Gwen followed her in. They both put an ear to the wall.

Matt was talking. He named her and Gwen as defendants, listing their crime as treason. He called for

questions and comments from his generals.

Who were they? Avery wondered, straining to hear. Old friends of hers? Neighbors? Someone she had gone to school with? Would they feel any loyalty to her? Any regret?

Gwen met Avery's eyes and shook her head, indicating she couldn't hear what they were saying.

Avery couldn't either and pressed her ear closer, straining. Matt murmured a reply she couldn't make out,

then paused as if listening to another question. She heard him mention his father, voice breaking.

Buddy had not been a part of this inner circle, that had become clear to her back at the cabin. That he

had not been party to their extremist ideology had also become obvious. But still, she wondered, would they simply sit back and condone his murder?

If their silence was an indication, they accepted their leader's actions without question. Who were they?

she wondered again, disbelieving. Who had he convinced to join his insane cause?

Avery jumped as Matt once again called for order. "A vote, then," he said loudly. "Guilty or not?"

Silence ensued. The seconds ticked past. Avery realized that she was sweating. Holding her breath

though she had no real doubt what the outcome would be.

"It's unanimous then," Matt boomed. "The Seven find Gwen Lancaster and Avery Chauvin guilty of treason."

CHAPTER 54.

Hunter paced the length of the windowless interrogation room. Two CSPD uniforms had retrieved him

from his home that morning. His father had requested they pick him up, they'd said. Bring him in for questioning. Cooperation hadn't been an option.

They had dumped him here, told him Buddy would be in shortly and left. That had been nearly twelve

hours ago.

He stopped. Moved his gaze over the room. A single table made out of wood. Three chairs, also made out of wood. They'd been around a while and bore the evidence of each of those years in the form of

cigarette burns, chips, scratches and carvings. He continued his inspection. No fire alarm. No phone.

Reinforced door, locked from the outside.

This was wrong. He had known it was wrong this morning. Had sensed a setup.

The officers had said it was about Avery. She was in trouble. Buddy had said to tell him that.

So he had come. And left Avery on the outside. Alone.

He pivoted and crossed to the door. "This is bullshit!" he shouted and pounded on it. "Charge me or

release me!"

He pressed his ear to the door, swearing at the silence on the other side. He had to get out of here.

Avery was in trouble.

He pounded again. "Hey! I gotta take a piss. Unless you want a mess to clean up, you better get your

asses to this doo-"