Doug gave himself a shake, as though trying to snap out of the dark spell she’d spun around him. “We’re talking about a whole community that’s missing, Maura,” he said. “Twelve houses, twelve families. If something happened to this many people, there’d be no way to hide it.”

“In this valley, you could. You could hide a lot of things.” She looked at the shadows surrounding them, thought of what might be hidden beyond the glow of the lantern, and drew her jacket tighter. “We can’t stay in this place.”

“You’re the one who thought we should wait to be rescued. You said it this morning.”

“Since this morning, things have gone from bad to worse.”

“I’m trying to get us out of here. I’m doing my best.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t.”

“But that’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? That everything’s my fault. That’s what you’re all thinking.” He gave a loud sigh and turned. “I promise, I’ll find a way to get us out of here.”

“I’m not blaming you.”

He shook his head in the darkness. “You should.”

“Everything’s just gone wrong, things that no one could predict.”

“And now we’re trapped, and Arlo’s probably going to lose his leg. If not worse.” His back was still turned to her, as if he couldn’t bear to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry I ever talked you into this. It sure as hell isn’t the trip I was hoping for, not with you along. Especially not with you along.” He turned to look at her, and the lamplight deepened every hollow of his face. This wasn’t the same man whose eyes had twinkled at her in the restaurant, not the same man who’d spoken so breezily about trusting in the universe.

“I needed you today, Maura,” he said. “It may be selfish of me, but for my sake, and Arlo’s, I’m glad you’re here.”

She managed a smile. “I can’t say I share the sentiment.”

“No, I’m pretty sure you’d rather be just about anywhere else right now. Like on that plane headed for home.”

To Daniel. By now her flight would have landed, and he’d know she wasn’t on it. Was he frantic? Or did he think this was her way of punishing him for all the heartache he’d caused her? You know me better than that. If you love me, you’ll know I’m in trouble.

They left the bloodstained hallway, walked back through the shadowy front room, and stepped outside, into a landscape lit by the moon and stars. They could see firelight glowing in the house where the others now slept.

“I’m tired of being in charge,” he said, gazing at that window. “Tired of always having to lead the way. But they expect it. When things don’t go right, Arlo whines about it, yet he never steps up to take the lead. He’d rather just stay on the sidelines and complain.”

“And Elaine?”

“You’ve seen how she is. It’s always: You decide, Doug.”

“That’s because she’s in love with you.”

He shook his head. “I never saw it. We’ve been friends, that’s all.”

“It’s never been more than that?”

“Not on my part.”

“She feels differently. And Arlo knows it.”

“I never encouraged her, Maura. I’d never do that to him.” He turned to her, his features sharper, starker, in the lantern light. “You’re the one I wanted.” He reached out to touch her arm. It was no more than a brush of his glove across her sleeve, a silent invitation that told her the next move was hers.

She pulled away, pointedly moving out of his reach. “We should get back to Arlo.”

“Then there’s nothing between us, is there?”

“There never was.”

“Why did you accept my invitation? Why did you come with us?”

“You caught me at a moment in time, Doug. A moment when I needed to do something wild, something impulsive.” She blinked away tears that blurred the lantern light into a golden haze. “It was a mistake.”

“So it wasn’t about me at all.”

“It was about someone else.”

“The man you spoke of at dinner. The man you can’t have.”

“Yes.”

“That situation hasn’t changed, Maura.”

“But I have,” she said, and walked away.

When she stepped inside, she found that everyone was still asleep and the fire had calmed to glowing embers. She added a log and stood before the hearth as flames sprang to life, hissing and snapping. She heard Doug walk in behind her and close the door, and the sudden whoosh of fresh air made the flames shudder.

Arlo opened his eyes and whispered, “Water. Please, water.”

“Sure thing, buddy,” said Doug. He knelt down and held Arlo’s head as he pressed the cup to his lips. Arlo took greedy gulps, spilling half the water down his chin. Satisfied, he slumped back onto his pillow.

“What else can I get you? Are you hungry?” asked Doug.

“Cold. It’s so cold.”

Doug took a blanket from the couch and gently draped it over him. “We’ll build up that fire. You’ll feel better.”

“Been having dreams,” Arlo murmured. “Such weird dreams. All these people were in here, looking at me. Standing around, watching. Waiting for something.”

“Narcotics will give you bad dreams.”

“They’re not bad, really. Just strange. Maybe they’re angels. Angels in funny clothes, like the man in that picture.” He turned his sunken eyes to Maura, but he did not seem to be looking at her. He was focused past her shoulder, as if a presence lurked right behind her. “Or maybe they’re ghosts,” he whispered.

Who is he looking at? She swung around and stared at empty air. Saw the portrait of the man with the coal-dark eyes staring back at her. The same portrait that hung in every house in Kingdom Come. His face glowed with reflected firelight, as though sacred flames burned within him.

“And he shall gather the righteous,” Arlo said, quoting from the plaque on the portrait’s frame. “What if it’s true?”

“What’s true?” asked Doug.

“Maybe that’s where they all went. He gathered them up and led the way.”

“Out of the valley, you mean?”

“No. To heaven.”

Wood snapped in the hearth, startling as a gunshot. Maura thought of the cross-stitched sampler she had seen hanging in one of the bedrooms. PREPARE FOR ETERNITY.

“It’s strange, don’t you think?” said Arlo. “How none of the car radios work here. All we get is static. No stations at all. And we can’t get a cell phone signal. Nothing.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” said Doug. “And we’re in a valley. There’s no reception.”

“Are you sure that’s all it is?”

“What else would it be?”

“What if something really bad happened out in the world? Being stuck here, we wouldn’t hear about it.”

“Like what? A nuclear war?”

“Doug, no one’s come looking for us. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“They haven’t noticed we’re missing yet.”

“Or maybe it’s because there’s no one left out there. They’re all gone.” Arlo’s sunken eyes slowly took in the room where shadows flickered. “I think I know who these people were, Doug. The people who lived here. I think I’m seeing their ghosts. They were waiting for the end of the world. For the Rapture. Maybe it came, and we just don’t know it yet.”

Doug laughed. “Trust me, Arlo. The Rapture is not what happened to these people.”

“Dad?” Grace asked softly from the corner. She sat up, pulling the blanket close around her. “What’s he talking about?”

“The pills are confusing him, that’s all.”

“What’s the Rapture?”

Doug and Maura looked at each other, and he sighed. “It’s just a superstition, honey. A crazy belief that the world as we know it is doomed to end with Armageddon. And when it does, God’s chosen people will be sucked straight up to heaven.”

“What happens to everyone else?”

“Everyone else is trapped on earth.”

“And slaughtered,” whispered Arlo. “All the sinners left behind will be slaughtered.”

“What?” Grace looked at her father with frightened eyes.

“Honey, it’s nonsense. Forget it.”

“But some people really believe it? They believe the end of the world is coming?”

“Some people also believe in alien abductions. Use your noggin, Grace! Do you really think people are going to be magically transported to heaven?”