Ava's heart was pounding so hard it drowned out everything else. The moment Jaxon's call cut off, her world seemed to tilt on its axis. Panic surged through her, but she forced herself to stay calm, her mind racing to piece together what little information she had.
Caleb was immediately by her side, his hand on her arm, steadying her. "Ava, what happened? What did he say?"
"He's in trouble," Ava whispered, the words catching in her throat. "He told me to leave, to get out of here right now. But then... something happened. The call cut off."
Caleb's eyes darkened with concern, and he quickly grabbed his phone. "We need to move. Now. Jaxon wouldn't tell you to leave unless he knew you were in immediate danger."
Ava didn't need to be told twice. She was already moving, her instincts kicking in. Grabbing her bag, she threw in a few essentials and then headed toward the door, with Caleb right behind her. The fear that had been gnawing at her since Jaxon's departure now flared into full blown terror, but she knew she had to push it down. Jaxon needed her to stay focused, to stay alive.
They raced down the stairs, their footsteps echoing through the empty corridor. Ava's mind was in overdrive, trying to figure out where Jaxon might be and what had gone wrong. The images of him in danger, of him being hurt or worse, were almost too much to bear, but she forced herself to keep going.
When they reached the street, the cold night air hit Ava like a slap in the face, jarring her back to the present. Caleb was already pulling out his phone again, his fingers moving rapidly over the screen.
"I'm calling in a favor," Caleb said, his voice grim. "I have some contacts who might be able to track Jaxon's phone. We need to know where he is and what we're dealing with."
Ava nodded, her mind still reeling from the abrupt end to Jaxon's call. She knew that every second counted, that they couldn't afford to waste any time. But the thought of Jaxon being out there, alone and in danger, was tearing her apart.
As Caleb made the call, Ava's thoughts raced back to the conversation she'd had with Jaxon just hours before. The plan to take down Veronica, the dangerous players involved... It was all connected, she realized. Whatever had happened to Jaxon was directly tied to the web of threats they had been trying to untangle.
"Caleb, we need to find him," Ava said, her voice trembling despite her efforts to stay composed. "If something happens to Jaxon..."
"We will," Caleb assured her, though there was a tension in his voice that betrayed his own worry. "But we have to be smart about this. Running in blindly won't help anyone. Let's find out where he is first."
Ava nodded, though the anxiety gnawing at her made it hard to stay still. She watched as Caleb finished his call, his expression growing more serious by the second. When he finally hung up, he turned to her with a look that sent a chill down her spine.
"What is it?" Ava asked, her heart racing.
"They've got a location," Caleb said, his voice tight. "But it's not good, Ava. He's at the docks, near one of the warehouses."
Ava's blood ran cold. The docks were a dangerous place, especially at night. It was where the city's underworld conducted its most secretive and most deadly business. If Jaxon was there, it could only mean one thing: he was walking straight into a trap.
"We have to go," Ava said, her voice firm with determination. "Now."
Caleb nodded, his expression grim. "We'll take my car. It's faster."
They jumped into the car, the engine roaring to life as Caleb sped off toward the docks. The streets blurred past them, and Ava's mind raced with a thousand different possibilities, each more terrifying than the last. She could feel the weight of the unknown pressing down on her, but she knew she couldn't give in to the fear. Not now. Jaxon was counting on her.
As they neared the docks, the tension in the car grew thicker, the silence between them filled with unspoken fears. The familiar skyline of the city was now replaced with the shadowy outlines of warehouses, their hulking forms looming ominously in the darkness. The air was thick with the smell of salt and oil, a reminder of the industrial nature of the area and of the danger that lurked within.
Caleb pulled the car to a stop a short distance away from the warehouse where Jaxon's phone had been traced. He cut the engine, and for a moment, the silence was deafening. Ava's heart was pounding in her chest, her hands trembling slightly as she reached for the door handle.
"We need to be careful," Caleb whispered, his voice barely audible. "We don't know what we're walking into."
Ava nodded, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she tried to steady herself. She knew Caleb was right, but the thought of Jaxon being in there, possibly hurt or worse, was almost too much to bear. She couldn't lose him. Not now. Not after everything they had been through.
They slipped out of the car, moving quietly as they approached the warehouse. The building loomed above them, its windows dark and foreboding. Ava could feel the tension crackling in the air, the sense of impending danger almost suffocating.
Caleb signaled for her to stay close, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of movement. The docks were eerily quiet, the only sound the distant lapping of water against the pier. But Ava knew better than to trust the silence. It was the kind of silence that came before something terrible happened.
As they reached the entrance to the warehouse, Caleb paused, his hand hovering over the door. He turned to Ava, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and fear.
"Ava, if something goes wrong..."
"Nothing's going to go wrong," Ava interrupted, her voice trembling but resolute. "We're getting him out of there."
Caleb hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded. He pushed the door open slowly, the rusty hinges creaking in protest. They slipped inside, their footsteps barely making a sound as they moved deeper into the darkness.
The warehouse was vast, the ceiling high above them disappearing into shadows. Stacks of crates and barrels were scattered throughout the space, casting long, eerie shadows across the floor. The air was thick with the smell of dust and decay, a testament to the building's long-abandoned state.
But Ava's attention was focused on only one thing: finding Jaxon.
They moved cautiously through the warehouse, the tension mounting with each step. Ava's heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat, her pulse racing as she strained to hear any sign of life.
And then, she heard it a faint sound, barely audible over the silence. A muffled cry, coming from somewhere deeper within the warehouse.
Ava's breath caught in her throat, her heart skipping a beat. She turned to Caleb, her eyes wide with fear and determination.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
Caleb nodded, his expression grim. "Stay close."
They moved quickly now, following the sound as it grew louder, more distinct. Ava's heart was in her throat, her mind racing with a thousand different scenarios. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't bear the thought of Jaxon being hurt, of him being taken from her.
As they rounded a corner, Ava's breath caught in her throat. There, at the far end of the warehouse, she saw him Jaxon, bound to a chair, his head slumped forward, blood dripping from a cut above his brow.
Ava's world tilted on its axis, the sight of him breaking something inside her. But there was no time to dwell on the fear, on the terror that threatened to overwhelm her. Jaxon needed her, and she had to act.
But before she could take a step forward, a voice rang out, sharp and cold, cutting through the silence like a knife.
"I wouldn't move if I were you."
Ava froze, her blood running cold as she realized they were not alone.