Part 27 (1/2)

Then there was Mattius, too.

Riley's skin burned when he thought of Mattius. When he thought of all the things he wanted to do for him for what he'd done to Chlo and Jordanna.

He wanted to. Of course he wanted to.

But he might not get the chance to.

He had to be brave enough to accept that.

”You know, Kane let me go.”

Riley turned to Melissa as they approached the final steps to the fifth floor. ”What?”

”He came into my cell. I thought he was going to hurt me, like he'd promised. But in the end he just got up and left. I realised he'd dropped an arrow. Just like... just like I did for him.”

Riley's focus intensified, then. ”You let him go from your camp?”

”I let him go because I wanted to believe he could leave. I wanted to believe he could redeem himself, somehow. And in a way... in a way I guess he did.”

Riley lifted his hand. ”He took two of my fingers.”

”And then he died,” Melissa said. ”I killed him. And... I dunno. Part of me wonders if that's what he wanted, all along.”

Riley took a few seconds to digest what he'd just heard. If Kane had let Melissa go-if he had repaid her for letting him go in the past-then maybe there was some good in him after all. h.e.l.l. Maybe he'd even expected Melissa to step in and take his life, just before he could do any more serious damage to Riley.

But he was gone now.

He was gone, and he'd served his purpose.

The circle was complete.

”Fifth floor,” Amy said. ”We want to be careful here.”

Riley looked down the corridor of the fifth floor. The memory of seeing Mattius was so vivid that he could remember exactly which room he'd seen him standing by. He'd imagined coming up here so many times, only in his mind's eye, it was Jordanna and Chlo by his sides, not Amy, Carly, and Melissa.

But they were here.

They were here, and they were getting Kesha.

Then, whatever happened, happened.

Riley walked down the corridor. His heart pounded. Every muscle in his body tensed.

He walked to the third door on the right. He gritted his teeth as he reached for the handle. He held his breath.

When he turned the handle, it didn't budge.

He sighed.

”What?” Melissa said, walking up to the door. ”Don't tell me you actually expected Mattius to leave the door unlocked?”

Riley tilted his head. ”I guess not.”

Melissa pulled a card out of her pocket. ”Just a good thing I'm good at picking locks of hotel doors then, right?”

She messed around with the card, sticking it between the door and the lock.

”What're you...”

”Just trust me,” Melissa said. ”I know a thing or two.”

Riley looked at Amy. Amy raised her eyebrows, as if gesturing Riley to show some trust.

The footsteps got closer.

The shouts got nearer.

And then the lock clicked.

The door opened up.

And as it opened, initially, Riley expected to be blasted with a round of bullets. He expected to be stabbed in the chest or to taste the blood of someone else standing beside him, just like he had everyone else's.

But all of that fear and apprehension faded away when he saw the cot right in the middle of this room.

He felt his eyes building up with pressure as he approached. He felt his jaw shaking. His heart raced, and his throat wobbled.

Beside the cot, he saw their outlines. Their smiling outlines. And even though he'd seen Jordanna and Chlo in the past, this time, it really felt like they were here in the room with him.

It really felt like they were real.

He walked over to the cot and a whole host of horrible thoughts crossed his mind. What if Kesha was dead? What if she wasn't here? What if Mattius or Kane had done something to her?

But again, all those questions and apprehensions disappeared when he saw her looking up at him.

Her eyes were big and bright. She was wriggling her hands and toes.

When she saw him, she made a little chuckling sound and smiled.

”Kesha,” Riley said. He reached into the cot and lifted her. Some of the blood from his chopped fingers spread to her, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was they were together.

He held her softly, like the precious thing she was, and her warmth transferred right through to him. And as that warmth pa.s.sed into him, the l.u.s.t for revenge faded away. The urge to punish Mattius for what he'd done to Jordanna and Chlo disappeared. Because he'd done what he had to do. He'd succeeded at Chlo's final, dying wish.

Keep Kesha safe.

”I'm going to keep you safe,” Riley whispered. ”I promise. I'm going to keep you safe.”