The silence between Ava, Caleb, and Jaxon stretched on like a taut wire, threatening to snap at any moment. Ava could feel her pulse quickening as Caleb's eyes lingered on her, his expression unreadable. She had known him for years, trusted him with her life more times than she could count,but now? Now, everything felt different. The weight of doubt was suffocating.
Jaxon shifted beside her, his breath labored as he leaned against the rock, watching Caleb closely. Despite the pain in his body, Ava could sense the tension in him too
the same creeping suspicion that had taken root inside her.
"Caleb," Ava began, her voice soft but sharp, "how did you find us so quickly?"
Caleb blinked, his brow furrowing slightly. "I told you. I used the tracker in your phone... I was following your signal the whole time."
Ava's stomach twisted. The explanation was logical, but there was a coldness to his words that didn't sit right with her. She glanced down at Jaxon, whose narrowed gaze told her he wasn't convinced either.
"Was that it?" Jaxon rasped, his voice strained. "Or were you tracking us for them too?"
Caleb's jaw tightened, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. "What are you talking about? I've been trying to help both of you. If I hadn't shown up when I did, you wouldn't be alive right now."
Ava wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to believe him. But every instinct in her body was screaming at her to be careful, to tread lightly. The stakes were too high to trust blindly now.
"You knew about the compound," Ava pressed, her voice trembling slightly. "You knew about the guards, the layout... How? How could you have known all that?"
Caleb's eyes flashed, his frustration deepening as he took a step closer. "I have connections, Ava. You know that. I've been keeping tabs on Jaxon's enemies for months, trying to stay one step ahead. That's how I found you. That's how I was able to help."
Ava felt her throat tighten, the words sticking like shards of glass. She wanted to believe him. Caleb had always been there for her, always been the one to pick her up when she fell. But now... there was a distance between them she couldn't ignore, a gnawing sense that something wasn't adding up.
Jaxon groaned beside her, shifting uncomfortably as he pushed himself into a more upright position. His body was still battered, and she could see the toll it was taking on him. But even through the pain, Jaxon's sharp gaze was locked onto Caleb.
"Who are your connections, Caleb?" Jaxon asked, his voice low and steady despite the exhaustion. "Who's been feeding you intel?"
Caleb's eyes flicked to Jaxon, and for a moment, Ava saw something flash behind his gaze something dark, something guarded. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by the same cool, calculated expression he always wore.
"You don't need to know that," Caleb said evenly. "What matters is that I'm here, and I'm getting you both out of this."
Ava felt the unease settle deeper in her chest. She had never questioned Caleb before,never had a reason to. But now, with Jaxon beside her, his life hanging in the balance, everything felt more fragile, more dangerous.
Caleb extended his hand toward her, his eyes softening. "Come on, Ava. Let's go. We need to move before they catch up."
Ava stared at his outstretched hand, her mind racing. Could she trust him? Was she being paranoid, or was there something more to Caleb's actions that she wasn't seeing?
Before she could decide, Jaxon's hand gently grasped her wrist, pulling her back. "Wait," he said softly, his gaze never leaving Caleb. "What about Veronica?"
The question hit Ava like a punch to the gut. Veronica. Jaxon's enemies. The ones who had been hunting him for months,years even. They were still out there, still hunting him, and for all she knew, they could be closing in on them right now.
But Caleb's expression remained impassive, his face a mask of calm. "She's not your concern anymore, Jaxon. You need to focus on surviving."
Ava's heart skipped a beat. There it was again that cold detachment in Caleb's voice. The way he spoke about Veronica, the woman who had nearly destroyed Jaxon's life, as if she were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Jaxon's grip on Ava's wrist tightened, his eyes narrowing as he sat up straighter, forcing himself through the pain. "Caleb," he said slowly, his voice laced with suspicion, "why do I get the feeling you know more about Veronica than you're telling us?"
Caleb's lips pressed into a thin line, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Because I do," he admitted, his voice clipped. "I've been tracking her for months. I've been working to dismantle her operation from the inside. That's why I know how dangerous she is. But I'm telling you, Jaxon, she's not the one you need to worry about anymore."
Ava's blood ran cold at his words. The one you need to worry about.
"What are you saying?" Ava whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. "What aren't you telling us, Caleb?"
Caleb sighed, his hand falling to his side as he took a step back. "I didn't want to get you involved in this, Ava. I wanted to protect you from the worst of it. But if you really want to know the truth... fine."
The atmosphere around them shifted, the weight of Caleb's words pressing down like a heavy storm cloud. Ava held her breath, waiting for the revelation that she knew, deep down, was going to change everything.
"Veronica's not the mastermind behind all this," Caleb said, his voice cold and detached. "She's just a piece of the puzzle. The real threat... is much bigger."
Jaxon's eyes flashed with anger, his hands gripping the ground beside him as he struggled to stand. "Who, Caleb?" he demanded, his voice filled with a dangerous edge. "Who's behind all of this?"
Caleb's gaze hardened, his jaw clenched as he stared down at Jaxon. "It's not just about you, Jaxon. It's about all of us. I've been playing both sides, trying to keep you alive long enough to figure out who's pulling the strings. But we're running out of time."
Ava's heart sank, the realization hitting her like a tidal wave. Caleb hadn't just been keeping secrets he had been manipulating the situation from the start. Everything he had done, every move he had made, had been part of a larger game. And now, they were caught in the middle of it.
Jaxon's expression twisted with rage, his fists clenching at his sides. "You betrayed us," he hissed, his voice low and venomous. "You've been working with them this whole time."
Caleb's eyes darkened, his expression hardening as he faced Jaxon's accusation. "It's not that simple. I did what I had to do to survive. And now, you need to do the same."
Ava felt the ground shift beneath her, the world tilting as everything she thought she knew came crashing down. Caleb her friend, her protector, had been lying to her all along. And now, they were caught in a web of deception with no way out.
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away, forcing herself to stay strong. She couldn't afford to break down. Not now.
"Caleb..." Ava whispered, her voice trembling. "How could you do this?"
Caleb's gaze softened for a moment, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "I'm sorry, Ava. But there's no going back now."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence, sealing their fate.
Ava's heart shattered as she realized the depth of Caleb's betrayal. The man she had once trusted with her life was no longer the person she thought he was. And as the weight of that truth settled over her, she knew that nothing would ever be the same again.