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I exhaled, looking back at the costue as music played and people smiled

Santa sat up in the gazebo, a line of a dozen kids waiting to meet with him

“The treasure hunt,” I reminded him That hy everyone was out We couldn’t have planned this kidnapping better for Taylor and Ilia Tons of activity to get lost in

I glanced behindway, knohat the village would be like

“Head past the cathedral,” Emmy told him “Take the lane down to Old Pointe”

He hit the horn and flashed his lights as people took their sweet ti way Slowly, the snow-covered street cleared

“Kai, go!” Banks yelled

He swerved, past the gazebo, Sticks, and the White Crow Tavern, jerking the wheel and skidding around the corner

Banks whi the safety bar above her , and I could tell she was losing her mind Every moment those kids weren’t in our ar them

I had no idea what Taylor and Ilia were planning, but if they’d wanted them dead, they would’ve done it at the house There was no way they were planning on returning theh It’d be suicide

Thoughts of things sowhat happened to kids all over the world The horror that ht

I rubbedmy hand

The headlights burned a hole in the darkness ahead, snowflakes fluttering to the ground as the gun dug into my back I was tempted to use it

God, I was teht

“Stop!” Banks yelled She pointed ahead, and everyone looked, seeing taillights in the ditch off the side of the road My heart ha up behind the SUV and pulled to a stop, everyone knoithout a word that it was the same car

What the hell happened? The kids…

We ju at our faces as we ran to the crashed, black SUV

Relief and fear washed over me at the same time

Taylor was collapsed with his head over the steering wheel, hispartially down, and I leapt down the ravine, grabbing hold of the door handle

“You son of a bitch!” I yelled, reaching over theand trying to grab hi car was crashed between two trees, and I couldn’t get the door open

“Octavia!” Emmy shouted

Followed by Banks “Mads!”

I darted for the rear of the car and pulled open the hatch, crawling over the backseat to the motherfucker

“They’re not here!” Banks yelled, crawling in after me