"You know I can't let you go, right?" The man asked, voice gentler than I was expecting it to be. I looked up and he was staring right at me, eyes uncharacteristically kind.
I nod slowly, whispering, "Go ahead."
~~~
Ava Williams is just trying to l...
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Abandoned?
"That doesn't make sense. Pavlov was just here a few minutes ago." I said as we navigated our way through the building. Jaime glanced back at me with a confused expression on his face and I could tell we were thinking the same thing.
How did they leave so quickly? There was no way we could just walk out of the building. It was too easy. My stomach twisted itself into knots.
We picked up our pace. Jaime led the way out of the basement, positioning himself so that he was always shielding me with his body around every corner. The rest of the group took up the rear, glancing behind us every few seconds.
"You tracked the necklace."
Jaime nodded, keeping his attention ahead of us.
"I destroyed it." I said. Jaime looked over his shoulder at me, his lips parting in surprise. "Pavlov knew it was a tracking device. He was going to send it away." I wasn't sure destroying the necklace would work, but I was glad my instincts were right. "It was Victor. He took me from the party. But he didn't tell Pavlov about the necklace." Jaime swore under his breath.
"Victor?" Cole whispered behind me. "As soon as I find him, I'm going to-"
"He's dead." I interrupted him. "Pavlov shot him."
We approached the staircase. Jaime raised his gun by his head, gesturing us forward. I glanced behind us and noticed everyone had a weapon in hand. I felt defenseless before I realized that I was more likely to shoot myself than Pavlov.
The concrete steps were cold and rough under my bare feet, and I lifted my tattered dress around my ankles to keep from tripping. Jaime hesitated at the top of the stairs, listening for any noise down the narrow hall. When the coast remained clear, we moved quickly, Jaime's hand tightening around my own.
We had barely made it to the end of the hallway when we heard it. Footsteps. So quiet I almost missed it. I was trying to discern where they were coming from when I realized that there was more than one pair. It's a trap, the thought popped into my head just as Jaime pressed me against the wall, using his body as a shield, my front to his back. Our group fanned out, forming a protective half circle around Jaime and I.
Wordlessly, Jaime sent two men down each hallway. Once they're out of sight, we waited. Seconds stretched into minutes and silence consumed us, no one daring to utter a word. Fatigue threatened to consume my body, the only thing keeping it at bay is the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Gunshots rang out causing me to jump against Jaime's back. My heart raced frantically in my chest. When no one returned, Jaime turned so he was facing me.
"Stay here."
Before I could even protect, him and the rest of the group took off down the hall at a hurried pace. I waited for a few minutes, ears straining for any sound. I picked up a noise coming from behind me, realizing that someone was coming up the staircase we just emerged from. I hesitated briefly before urging my feet to move.
