Book excerpt: Jade Byner has endured the abuse for a long time. The seventeen-year-old is not as innocent as she would like others to believe, but she may have good reason to fear for her life. Her intricate escape plan seems to be flawless. By nightfall she should be in a distant city starting a new life with her beloved Josh. Bad, luck, bad people, and bad weather sabotage Jade's plan. Unexpected lethal winter temperatures numb her mind and diminish her ability to reason. Early the next morning she and Josh are near death in a large deserted park. Their only hope for survival lies with three elderly actors stranded in the same park after a late performance of a Christmas play. The frail old men face insurmountable obstacles caused by their own individual demons and the vicious weather. Their combined ingenuity and strength may not be enough to save themselves and the two young strangers from the deadly forces of nature.