THE CHASE
As I processed the information, I knew that I had to act fast. Ava's father being involved in organized crime changed everything.
"Ava, I need to ask you some more questions," I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.
Ava nodded, her eyes wide with fear.
"Do you know who your father's associates are?" I asked.
Ava hesitated before answering. "I don't know all of them," she said. "But I know he's been working with some people from the Russo family."
My eyes widened in surprise. The Russo family was one of the most powerful organized crime families in the city.
"Ava, this is serious," I said. "We need to get you out of here, now."
Ava nodded, and I could see the fear in her eyes. She knew that she was in grave danger.
As I quickly packed up our things, I knew that I had to come up with a plan to keep Ava safe. We couldn't stay in the city, not with the Russo family involved.
I quickly made a call to Jack, filling him in on the new information.
"Ethan, this is big," Jack said. "We need to get Ava into witness protection, now."
I nodded, even though Jack couldn't see me. "I agree," I said. "But we need to be careful. The Russo family won't give up easily."
Jack sighed. "I know," he said. "But we have to try. I'll make the arrangements. You just get Ava to a safe location."
I nodded, my mind racing with the plan. We would have to move fast, and stay one step ahead of the Russo family.
As I looked over at Ava, I knew that I would do whatever it took to keep her safe.
And I knew that we were running out of time.
As we left the safe house, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. I scanned the surrounding area, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Ava noticed my tension and placed a hand on my arm. "Ethan, what's wrong?" she asked.
I hesitated, not wanting to alarm her. "Just being cautious," I said.
But Ava's eyes narrowed. "You're not telling me something," she said.
I sighed, knowing I had to be honest with her. "I think we might be in danger," I said. "The Russo family isn't going to give up easily."
Ava's face paled, but she nodded bravely. "I'm ready," she said.
I smiled, feeling a surge of admiration for her courage. "Let's get out of here," I said.
We quickly made our way to the car, a nondescript sedan that Jack had arranged for us. I scanned the area one last time, then got in behind the wheel.
Just to be sure, I took a few evasive maneuvers, turning down side streets and doubling back on ourselves.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached the outskirts of the city.
But as I glanced over at Ava, I saw that she was looking at me with a curious expression.
"Ethan, where are we going?" she asked.
I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But something about Ava's expression made me trust her.
"We're going to a safe house," I said. "A place where you'll be protected."
Ava nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. "And what about you?" she asked.
I smiled, feeling a sense of determination. "I'll be right by your side," I said.
Ava smiled back, and for a moment, I forgot about the danger that lurked around every corner.
But as we drove on, I knew that we couldn't let our guard down. Not even for a moment.
Ava noticed my tension and placed a hand on my arm. "Ethan, what's wrong?" she asked.
I sighed, knowing I had to be honest with her. "I think we might be being followed," I said.
Ava's face paled, and she turned to look out the back window. "I don't see anyone," she said.
I nodded. "That doesn't mean they're not there," I said.
As we drove on, I kept a close eye on the rearview mirror. And then, suddenly, I saw them. A black SUV, following us at a distance.
My heart racing, I floored it, speeding down the highway. Ava gasped, holding on to the door handle.
"Ethan, what's happening?" she cried.
"We're being followed," I said, my eyes fixed on the road ahead.
The SUV behind us sped up, closing the distance. I could see the occupants, two men with menacing expressions.
Ava screamed as the SUV swerved into our lane, trying to cut us off. I expertly maneuvered the car, avoiding the SUV by mere inches.
But the SUV wasn't giving up. It swerved again, this time clipping our bumper. Ava cried out as our car fishtailed, threatening to spin out of control.
I gripped the wheel tightly, fighting to keep the car on the road. The SUV was still behind us, its occupants determined to catch us.
But I was determined to lose them. I floored it, speeding down the highway as the SUV gave chase.
We weaved in and out of traffic, the SUV hot on our heels. Ava was white-knuckling the door handle, her eyes wide with fear.
But I was focused on getting us out of this alive. I took a sharp turn, dodging a slower-moving car. The SUV followed, its tires screeching in protest.
We were approaching a busy intersection, with cars and trucks streaming through. I knew it was our chance to lose the SUV.
I took a deep breath, then made a split-second decision. I swerved into the intersection, narrowly avoiding a collision with a truck.
The SUV wasn't so lucky. It clipped the truck, spinning out of control. I watched in the rearview mirror as the SUV crashed into a nearby lamppost.
Ava let out a sigh of relief as I slowed down, merging into the flow of traffic. "We lost them," she said, her voice shaking.
I nodded, my heart still racing. "For now," I said.
But I knew that this wasn't over. The Russo family wouldn't give up easily. We had to keep moving, stay one step ahead of them.
And I was determined to do just that.