Page 138 of The Chain
The guard places the gun on the ground and puts his hands up.
“Lie facedown on the ground,” Pete orders and the man complies as Pete kicks the gun away.
“You don’t have to hurt me. There’s duct tape and rope in the garage. I got the garage-door opener in my jacket pocket,” the guard says quickly.
“How many armed men inside the house?” Pete asks.
“I’m the only—” the man begins.
“Nobody move!” someone says, and there’s the sound of a gunshot.
A spotlight comes on. Standing at the front door are Ginger and a man about her age—her twin brother, Rachel assumes. Both of them have handguns.
“Rachel, is that you? What’s going on?” Ginger asks innocently.
Ginger? What the hell?Doubt courses through Rachel. Did Erik’s tracker somehow cross signals with the GPS tracker they put in Kylie’s shoes? Did Kylie transfer the GPS tiles after all? Was this whole ridiculous hunt through the swamp an enormous mistake?
Oh my God, yes. If it’s a mistake, Kylie is safe. Yes!Rachel has to explain before someone gets hurt.
“I’m so sorry, Ginger. This must look completely crazy. I was just telling this gentleman here—”
The garage door opens to reveal a skinny old geezer with white hair holding what looks like an assault rifle. “What are you doing here on my property?” the old man demands.
“Grandpa, we’ve got this!” Ginger’s brother says.
“Olly’s right, Red, we’ve got it under control,” Ginger says. “Rachel, you and your friend should really drop your weapons.”
“Everyone, please, I think we’ve made a huge mistake. I’m sorry. I put a GPS tracker in Kylie’s sneakers. I thought she’d been kidnapped.”
“Drop your gun, please, Rachel. Why on earth would you think she’d been kidnapped?” Ginger asks.
“It’s complicated,” Rachel replies.
Ginger is under the floodlight above the door, and Rachel can see her face.
She sees her clearly for the first time.
That copper hair. Those blue eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. A cold blue. A chilly bottom-of-the-abyss blue. Blue eyes that are watching this whole scene with cool disdain.
Ginger seems to be enjoying it, even.
And then Ginger’s eyes meet Rachel’s and the two women look at each other for what seems like an age but is perhaps little more than a second.
That second is enough.
They recognize each other.
You.
You.
Rachel knows and Ginger knows, and Ginger knows that Rachel knows.
Erik’s app hasn’t made a mistake.
The Chain leads here and Ginger is not going to let any of them leave this place alive. They have uncovered the secret, and to protect it Ginger is going to have to kill all of them. Rachel, Pete, Marty, Stu, and Kylie.
Rachel had been about to tell Pete that they should drop their weapons and put their hands up. But if they do that, Ginger will murder them on the spot.
