Felicia dragged Shawn from the pit, her words a continuous stream. Earlier, when he'd fallen, she'd repeatedly kicked him back down. Now, he clung to the earth, refusing to be pulled out. "Ah! What are you doing? What do you want?"

Shawn's terror was understandable. This isolated spot was ideal for a murder. The mountains were dense with trees and thick undergrowth; a moderately high cliff loomed nearby, its face sometimes adorned with a waterfall during the summer rains. Even now, in winter, a small cascade tumbled down. Dragging him along, Felicia said, "You wouldn't cooperate, so I'll find Lucas myself! The whole village is searching for him. I'm sure he'll be found!"

Shawn screamed and struggled. "Haven't you considered that I may have already killed the boy?"

His words hinted at a lack of opportunity.

Felicia's eyes flickered; a breath of relief escaped her lips. She pulled harder. "If that's the case, it will be an eye for an eye. You're the one who deserves to die!"

She hauled Shawn to the cliff's edge. The waterfall roared, its spray a cool mist against their skin. Shawn was terrified, his screams hoarse and desperate, but he could only watch as Felicia dragged him closer to the precipice.

Finally, he cried, "I don't know! I really don't know! I didn't kidnap the kid! It has nothing to do with me!"

Lucas' disappearance was real, but if not Shawn, who then?

Shawn wailed, "Maybe it was Kayla! She suggested it, and she's the one who hid Lucas. It really wasn't me!"

Felicia paused. She had overlooked Kayla. That afternoon, during the supply run to Hillfort, Kayla hadn't appeared to bother Arnold as usual, claiming a foot injury. However, Kayla always preferred others to do her dirty work. Would she ever soil her own hands?

In that moment of distraction, Shawn attacked. He lunged at Felicia, fury fueling his assault. "I'm going to kill you!"

Before he could finish, Felicia's swift kick landed squarely in his stomach. With a thud, he crumpled, a lifeless heap. Even the cleverest plan was futile against such power.

Felicia sighed, then pulled Shawn up by his hair, forcing him to meet her gaze. She sneered. "I've already given you a chance. You truly deserve to die."

Understanding her intent, Shawn screamed, "Help! Help! Felicia is trying to kill me!"

Perhaps he'd forgotten that his own efforts to set this trap—luring the villagers away and bringing Felicia to this remote mountain—meant no one would hear his cries.

Felicia recalled a villainous cliché. "Shout all you want. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you."

As the words left her lips, the light dimmed. A chill seized her; she looked up. A tall figure stood in the shadows, barely visible in the shifting light, a faint smile playing on his lips. Felicia wondered how long he'd been watching.