Ava's fingers trembled as she held the phone Ethan had given her. The weight of it seemed impossible to bear, pressing down on her like the very secrets it contained. She had thought she could handle the truth, but now, with the phone in her hands, it felt like she was holding a ticking bomb.
The warehouse had emptied out, leaving her alone with the device, the echoes of her footsteps mingling with the distant hum of machinery. Ethan had given her the phone and disappeared into the shadows, promising to return in a few hours. But Ava felt no sense of relief; if anything, the silence around her felt deafening.
She sat on one of the crates, the cold metal biting into the back of her legs as she stared at the screen. Ethan's words were still fresh in her mind: Help us take them down, or be caught in the crossfire.
But who was "us"? And who were the "them"?
The names and locations Ethan had mentioned were locked behind a passcode she didn't know, and as she tried to calm her nerves, she found herself fighting the urge to destroy the phone altogether. If she didn't know what was on it, maybe she could forget the entire mess. Walk away. Leave it all behind.
But her instincts—those gut feelings that had served her in times of crisis—told her there was no walking away. Not anymore.
She stood and walked to the edge of the warehouse, her thoughts racing. The windows were cracked, casting thin slivers of light into the otherwise dim space. The sky outside was already beginning to darken, the sun slipping beneath the horizon.
As she paced, she thought back to that night at the café. Ethan had been so sure of himself, his every word calculated, his eyes too guarded. But Isabelle had been different—more open, more human. Ava had sensed it then: there was a divide between them, something hidden under the surface. It was as if they were playing roles in a game neither of them could afford to lose.
But where did that leave Ava? She hadn't asked for this. She wasn't equipped to navigate a world of danger, lies, and half-truths.
Ava walked back to the crates, sliding the phone from her pocket. The device was still silent, but her thoughts were anything but.
"Alright," she whispered to herself. "Let's see what you're hiding."
She tapped the screen, scrolling through the basic menu. It looked like an old model—nothing special. But something in the back of her mind told her not to underestimate it. This wasn't just a regular phone. This was a tool. A key.
A series of encrypted files flashed before her eyes, but no clue as to how to unlock them. Ava stared at the screen, her frustration growing. She tried various combinations, her fingers moving like lightning across the touchpad. Nothing worked.
This isn't the time to give up, she thought, setting her jaw. She needed to get inside. She needed answers.
With a deep breath, she pressed the phone against her ear, trying Ethan's number once again. The phone rang three times before it went to voicemail.
"Ethan, where the hell are you?" she said, her voice sharp with annoyance. "I'm stuck here, and I need you to answer me. What's going on?"
She hung up, her frustration mounting. The room felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in around her. The game had changed, and Ava wasn't sure she was ready for it.
Just as she was about to give up and leave, the sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. Ava froze, her heart skipping a beat. The last time she'd been in this place, Ethan had been the only one here. Who else could it be?
The footsteps grew louder, and before she could react, a figure appeared from behind a stack of crates.
It was a woman. Tall, with dark hair and a sharp, calculating look in her eyes. She was dressed in a black leather jacket, her posture confident, as if she belonged here.
Ava took a step back, instinctively reaching for her purse, where she kept her pepper spray. The woman noticed the movement, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"No need for that, Ava," she said, her voice smooth but firm. "I'm not here to hurt you."
Ava's breath hitched. "Who are you?"
The woman raised an eyebrow. "You've been asking that a lot lately. I'm the one who can give you the answers you're looking for."
Ava's gaze flickered toward the phone in her hand. "Answers? I haven't even been able to get past the password. What do you know about this?" She stepped forward, her voice thick with suspicion. "Is this some kind of setup?"
The woman's smile widened. "Hardly. I'm not here to play games. I'm here to help you understand what's really going on." She moved closer, lowering her voice. "You're in the middle of something much bigger than you realize. And if you want to survive, you'll need to trust me."
Ava's heart pounded as she tried to process the woman's words. She was out of her depth—this was too much, too fast. But there was something in the woman's eyes that made Ava hesitate. She wasn't lying, Ava could feel that much. But what was she not saying?
"I don't trust anyone right now," Ava said, her voice steady despite the uncertainty in her chest. "But I need to know who you are. Why should I trust you?"
The woman's gaze softened, and for a moment, Ava saw a flicker of something human—vulnerability, maybe. But it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "My name's Nadia," she said. "And I'm trying to help you get out of this alive. Ethan's playing a dangerous game. And you're stuck in the middle of it."
Ava's stomach turned at the mention of Ethan's name. Playing a dangerous game. That phrase echoed in her mind like a warning bell.
"What do you want from me?" Ava asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Nadia took a step closer. "I want you to be prepared, Ava. There are people watching you, people who know you're involved now. And they won't hesitate to take you out if it suits their purpose." She paused, her gaze hardening. "You need to be ready. You need to know what Ethan's really hiding."
Ava swallowed hard, the weight of Nadia's words settling over her like a dark cloud. The danger was real. And it was closing in fast.
Before she could respond, Nadia turned on her heel and headed toward the exit. "Meet me tomorrow. I'll tell you everything you need to know."
Ava watched her leave, her heart racing in her chest. She was caught in the middle of a web of lies, secrets, and danger—and she didn't know who to trust anymore.