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She walked out of the house, relieved, knowing that someone would follow, so was being planned

She felt ill; now her sto, too

Cliff!

She couldn’t believe it

But she couldn’t forget the voice Cliff is hungry Cliff wants food

And then the laughter

She walked toward the stables; she hadn’t come unprepared

She didn’t knohat she expected She saw Cliff standing in front of Tigger’s stall, his shotgun in his hand

Where had he stashed Beth?

He turned to look at her and frowned She hurried toward hi to have only one chance

"Here Take it," she said, thrusting the bowl of cold gurasp the bowl; his shotgun was loose in his hand

She dropped the bowl into his hands and grabbed the shotgun from hiainst his head as hard as she could

He looked at her in disbelief as he fell back against the gate to Tigger’s stall and sluhts on the property went out So, oak-lined path to the house Just when he reached the drive in front, the lights went out All of theray; dusk was upon theenerators will kick in!" he said

But the generators didn’t kick in

Jackson took off for the house; Jake started to follow hial was there, and she was standing on the path by the side of the house She beckoned to him

He followed her She led him around to the stables He could barely see in the near dark The low to his surroundings

"Where, Eroan He hurried over to the sound Cliff Boudreaux was down on the ground, holding the side of his head

"Cliff, what the hell happened?" Jake demanded

"Ashley…"

"Ashley did this to you?" Jake derasped his arm "I couldn’t see…couldn’t tell…it went dark so fast But I saw her face He had to have called her out here I didn’t knohat the hell was going on…the horses…I’ll help you…"

Cliff caught his arle to his feet

He didn’t round His head slumped to the side

Ashley was out there The killer had her

Where?

Ashley didn’t knohat in the hell had hit her; she’d felt a sting, and then nothing more

And now, she didn’t knohere she was

Her eyes were open, she thought But the world was still dark

She tried to blink; even blinking see She realized that she was being carried Her head bobbed and sainst a man’s shoulders, and she had absolutely no control over it She tried to focus, and she realized that she couldn’t see because there were no lights Struggling to regain so her away froin to see shapes around her; the ht Her focus was bad, but she could try to see She felt the man’s exertion as she was hefted over some obstacle in his path

Cliff!