Twilight: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 3

if Anne was armed last night? And why do those two on the deck both have their hands on their weapons?”
“Parsons said something about Anne’s story not adding up,” Dean reminded them. He darted another worried glance around the Lodge grounds. “God, it creeps me out that I made out with a psycho-killer.”
Normally, Sam would’ve laughed at the exaggeration. This time, however, it felt uncomfortably close to the truth, and he didn’t laugh. “We don’t know that about her, but yeah. It’s pretty creepy.”
As they neared their cabin, Bo pulled the key out of his jacket pocket. “Well, we’ll be back at the Kimberley Inn in a few hours. I’m sure Parsons will let us know if she thinks we’ll be in any danger once we leave here.”
Sam nodded. “They’ll most likely find her pretty soon anyhow. There’s only so long she can survive out in the open up here, when it’s so cold.”
At the cabin, Bo unlocked the door and the three of them piled inside. Sam was relieved to see that Bo’s limp had become less pronounced than it had been the previous evening. “How’s your leg, Bo?”
“Better.” Throwing the key on the table, Bo dragged his backpack from under the bed and set it on the mattress. “Of course, it’s always better when I’m away from the area where the portal was.”
“True.” Sam cast a worried look in Bo’s direction. “Are you going to be okay hiking down the mountain?”
“I think so, yeah.” Bo flashed a lascivious grin. “You might have to hang onto me, though.”
As usual, Bo’s sudden shift from serious to playful startled Sam into laughter. “I think I can handle that.”
Dean snickered. “I just bet you can.”
“Shut up,” Sam suggested, thumping Dean on the shoulder.
Screwing his face up in mock pain, Dean rubbed his shoulder. “Oh fine. Since you’ve broken my arm, you can just go empty the water bucket. I was gonna do it, but now…” Dean shook his arm with an exaggerated wince. “Oh, the pain!”
“Smart ass.” Picking up the half-empty water bucket, Sam headed for the door. “Be right back. Try not to die of your injuries while I’m gone.”
Laughter followed him outside, and he smiled. After the events of the morning and the previous night, it felt good to joke and laugh.
Sam took a quick look around as he stepped between their cabin and the one next to it. The place seemed strangely quiet. No animals scurried away from his approach, no birds chirped, not even a breeze stirred the branches of the nearby woods. Unease prickled the back of his neck.
Scolding himself for letting the tension of the past couple of days get to him, Sam turned to face downhill and upended the bucket. The water splashed into the snow, forming a crater and cutting a little river toward the pathway between the two rows of cabins.
Something rustled behind him. He turned just in time to meet Anne’s blazing eyes. Her teeth were bared, a large kitchen knife clutched in her hand.
Adrenaline jolted Sam into action. He let out a shout and dropped the bucket just in time to deflect a blow from Anne’s knife. The blade sliced open the side of his left hand. Hissing at the sharp sting, he stumbled backward. Blood splattered the snow, creating red puncture wounds in the sparkling white crust.
“Fucking fag,” Anne growled, and lunged at him.
Sam dodged the dripping knife, tripped over the bucket and went sprawling flat on his back.
Anne was on him in a heartbeat. She straddled his middle and sat on his stomach, her knee pressing his good hand to the ground. The point of the knife dug into his throat. He grabbed her wrist and managed to put a few inches distance between his flesh and the blade. The effort sent a river of blood gushing from the wound in his hand. It hurt with a deep, nauseating ache, and the muscles in his hand refused to work properly.
His grip slipped in the torrent of blood, and the knife once again pricked his throat. Anne grinned down at him, her eyes bright with triumph. “Gotcha,” she whispered, and Sam wondered if he was really about to die.
He heard the cabin door bang open, heard the shouts and the sound of running feet, but didn’t really register what was happening until Anne’s weight suddenly lifted from his body. Blinking, he watched Bo haul her away by the back of her jacket.
Not missing a beat, she swung the knife at Bo. He dodged it, clamped a hand around her wrist and dealt a vicious punch to her jaw. She crumpled silently to the ground.