CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Aussie sat at the back of the classroom, staring blankly at the PowerPoint slides projected on the wall. The annual Navy-mandated substance abuse training was the same every year. It was long, boring, and delivered in the most monotone voice possible.
The instructor, a gray-haired civilian contracted by the Navy, droned on about the dangers of alcohol abuse, sounding like she’d rather be anywhere else. Aussie was right there with her.
He stifled a yawn, propping his chin on his hand. His leg bounced under the table as his mind began to wander. Ava. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they’d left her house that morning. The court hearing weighed on him. They still didn’t know the full details, but the fact that it involved Christian’s case was enough to keep a knot of worry in his gut.
He checked the clock on the wall, willing it to move faster. Come on, let’s wrap this up already. He hated being stuck here when all he wanted was to be by Ava’s side, supporting her and Christian through whatever the judge had to say.
Originally, they were just supposed to be briefed in the morning on a potential situation that was flaring up in the Middle East. As soon as the briefing ended, Aussie was planning to head to the courthouse to attend the hearing with Ava. But that plan was shot to hell when they were informed that they had to attend the stupid required class.
Just as his patience was about to snap, the classroom door burst open with a bang, startling everyone inside. Derek strode in, his face set in a grim mask. “Class is over, gentlemen,” he announced, his voice cutting through the monotony like a knife.
Aussie’s head snapped up, his stomach twisting. Obviously, something had gone down.
“What’s going on?” Bear asked as he was already halfway out of his seat.
Derek scanned the room, locking eyes with Aussie. “I just got a call from Agent Jefferson. That cell phone they found near Barrett and Chase’s bodies had some incriminating texts on it. The FBI just raided both Ezekiel Moore and Judge Jarod Brown's offices. Both are in police custody. One of the agents found some evidence in Mr. Moore’s office that shows that Ava and Christian could be in immediate danger.”
The words hit Aussie like a punch to the gut. His body was already moving on instinct. His chair scraped against the floor as he stood. “What kind of danger?” he demanded.
“Not sure about all the details yet,” Derek said, motioning for the team to move. “But we’re not waiting around to find out. Let’s go. I’ll explain more on the way. Agent Jefferson is already en route, and the police have been notified.”
The team began rushing out of the room, grabbing their gear as they went. The instructor, clearly flustered by the sudden interruption, huffed and puffed, clutching her clipboard to her chest. “Excuse me, Commander, but this is an important—”
Derek cut her off with a sharp, sarcastic smile. “Oh, I’m sure your lecture on the dangers of wine coolers has been riveting, ma’am. But we’ve got lives to save. You’ll survive without us.”
A few snickers filtered through the room as the team filed out, leaving the instructor sputtering behind them. Aussie followed Derek into the hallway. His heart was pounding as he ran through worst-case scenarios in his head. He didn’t say a word as he climbed into Derek’s SUV.
Derek slid into the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut before starting the engine. He glanced at Aussie, his expression hard but laced with a hint of disbelief. “You’re not gonna believe who’s tied up in all of this.”
Aussie’s jaw clenched, his grip tightening on the dashboard as they sped out of the parking lot. “Try me.”
Derek let out a sharp exhale, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Clint Meyers, Ava’s boss.”
Aussie’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you fucking kidding me? That guy is involved?”
“Apparently so. And if what Agent Jefferson said is true, the guy is planning on being at Ava’s hearing.” Derek muttered as he sped down the road.
Aussie’s stomach sank further as Derek’s words hung heavy in the air. This was bigger than any of them had imagined. And Ava and Christian were right in the crosshairs.
“I need to warn Ava.”
“Call her.”
Aussie pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Ava’s number. As the phone rang, Aussie prayed to God that she wasn’t in danger.
◆◆◆
Ava sat on the wooden bench outside Judge Holten’s chambers. Her foot tapped nervously against the polished floor. The courthouse was busy with the usual sounds of shuffling papers, murmured conversations, and the occasional clatter of footsteps echoing down the marble halls. But Ava barely noticed. Her focus was entirely on Christian, who sat beside her, scrolling through something on his phone. He looked calm, but Ava could tell he was as uneasy as she was.
She wrung her hands in her lap, her thoughts swirling. What’s going to happen in there? The possibility of losing Christian clawed at her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Ava’s mind drifted back over the past few weeks. She thought about Christian’s laughter echoing through the house, their late-night conversations, and how he always helped her in the kitchen, even when he complained about chopping onions. He wasn’t just a kid in her care anymore. He was like a son to her in every way that mattered. The thought of that being ripped away was unbearable.
And then there was Aussie. She bit her lip, glancing at her phone. Where is he? She hadn’t heard from him since early that morning, but she knew he’d had a meeting with his Commander about a potential deployment. After that, he mentioned some mandatory class he and the team had to sit through. She hoped he’d make it in time. She needed him here. She needed his calm presence to ground her.
The sudden blare of fire alarms jolted Ava out of her thoughts. Christian looked up, his brows furrowed in concern. “What’s going on?” he asked, pocketing his phone.
“I don’t know,” Ava said, standing and scanning the hallway. People were already moving toward the exits.
“Do we need to go outside?” Christian asked.
“I think we should,” Ava said, grabbing his arm gently. “Let’s follow everyone else.”
They joined the flow of people heading toward the exits, the sound of the alarms grating against her ears. “I don’t smell smoke,” Christian said, his voice tinged with suspicion.
“Neither do I,” Ava admitted, glancing around. She didn’t see any signs of fire, but the courthouse staff were ushering people toward the doors, so she decided it was better to be safe.
Once outside, the chilly air hit her face, and she breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves. People milled around the courthouse steps and the nearby sidewalks, talking in hushed tones. Ava and Christian moved toward the parking lot, thinking it would be quieter there.
As they descended the wide stone steps, a familiar voice called out, stopping Ava in her tracks. “Ava!”
She turned, startled to see Clint, her boss, hurrying toward them. “Clint?” she asked, frowning. “What are you doing here? I thought you were off until after the New Year.”
Clint gave her a tight smile, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his coat. “I was,” he said, glancing around nervously. “But I heard Judge Holten wanted to meet about Christian, so I decided to come by.”
“Oh,” Ava said slowly, her unease growing. She didn’t like how jumpy Clint seemed. His eyes darted around, and his posture was stiff, almost defensive.
“That’s thoughtful of you,” she added, trying to sound neutral.
Clint nodded quickly. “Yeah, well, I wanted to make sure everything’s in order.” He gestured toward the parking lot. “Where are you headed?”
“We were just going to wait in my car until the fire department clears the building,” Ava said. She kept a close eye on Clint, who seemed to fidget more with each passing second.
“I’ll walk with you,” Clint offered.
Ava hesitated, her instincts screaming that something was off. She glanced at Christian, who looked up at her questioningly. Forcing a small smile, she nodded. “Alright,” she said, her voice even. “Let’s go.”
As they walked toward the parking lot, Ava’s grip on her car keys tightened. Something about Clint’s behavior didn’t sit right with her. She made a mental note to stay alert and keep Christian close. Something told her this wasn’t just a coincidence.
The cold air stung Ava’s cheeks as she walked briskly toward her car, Christian beside her and Clint trailing just a step behind. Her keys jingled in her hand, the sound barely registering over the growing sense of unease in her chest.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, startling her. She fished it out and saw Aussie’s name on the screen. Relief washed over her—maybe he was on his way after all.
“Hey,” she answered, trying to keep her voice steady.
“Ava,” Aussie barked, his tone sharp and urgent, unlike anything she’d ever heard from him. “Where are you?”
She froze mid-step, her heart lurching. “I’m walking to my car with Christian and Clint. The fire alarm went off in the courthouse, so we decided to wait in the car until they clear the building.”
There was a beat of silence on the other end, and then Aussie asked again, his voice colder this time, “Clint is with you?”
“Yes,” Ava replied slowly, her stomach twisting. “Why?”
“Get away from him,” Aussie snapped. “Right now. He’s part of the criminal network that the FBI is bringing down. He’s dangerous, Ava. I’m on my way, and so are the police.”
Ava’s breath caught, her grip tightening on Christian’s hand. She glanced over her shoulder at Clint, who seemed oblivious to her sudden tension.
“They’re already here,” she whispered, spotting flashing red and blue lights heading toward the parking lot.
“Good,” Aussie said, his voice barely audible over the blood rushing in her ears. “Stay calm, but don’t let Clint suspect anything. I’m pulling into the lot now.”
Before Ava could respond, the situation erupted into chaos. Police cars screeched to a halt, officers spilling out with their guns drawn. Men and women in FBI jackets appeared in front of them with their weapons aimed squarely at Clint.
“Clint Meyers!” an agent shouted. “Get on the ground! Now!”
Ava froze, her mind struggling to process that this was really happening. Christian tugged on her arm, his voice trembling. “Ava, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, her eyes darting between Clint and the advancing officers.
Clint’s demeanor shifted in an instant. His nervousness evaporated, replaced by raw panic. “Stay back!” he screamed, his hand darting into his jacket.
“No!” Ava gasped, realizing too late what he was doing.
Clint pulled out a gun, aiming it first at the officers, then swinging it toward her and Christian. The world seemed to slow as he barked, “If anyone shoots me, they die! Back off!”
The officers froze, their weapons still trained on him. Ava’s heart pounded in her ears, her vision narrowing as the barrel of Clint’s gun wavered between her and Christian.
“This is all your fault!” Clint snarled, his eyes wild as he focused on Christian. “You ruined everything! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Christian clung to Ava as he trembled against her side. “I didn’t—” he stammered, tears welling in his eyes.
“Stop it!” Ava snapped, her voice shaky but fierce. “Whatever this is, it’s not his fault. Leave him alone!”
Clint’s eyes burned with rage, his grip on the gun tightening. “You don’t get it! He’s the reason everything fell apart!”
Ava’s mind raced. Think, Ava. Do something. But before she could move, Clint turned the gun fully toward Christian.
“No!” Ava screamed. Without a second thought, she threw herself in front of Christian just as Clint pulled the trigger.
The crack of the gunshot echoed in her ears, and a searing pain tore through her chest, stealing the breath from her lungs. She collapsed to the ground, the cold pavement biting into her skin. Somewhere in the distance, more gunfire erupted, but all she could focus on was the unbearable agony radiating from her upper chest.
Blood pooled beneath her, sticky and warm.
“Ava!” Christian’s voice broke through the haze, panicked and choked with tears. He knelt beside her, his hands pressing against the wound, though they couldn’t stop the flow of blood.
Suddenly, two large figures appeared next to her. One seemed very familiar, though her vision was blurry.
“Ava, love. Stay with me,” one of the individuals said.
“Aussie…” she whispered. Her eyes felt heavy.
“Yes, it’s me. No, don’t close your eyes. Keep looking at me,” he told her.
Suddenly, another face popped into her line of vision.
“Christian,” she said. Her voice sounded weak.
“Why, Ava?” he cried, his face streaked with tears. “Why did you do that?”
Ava forced herself to meet his eyes, her lips trembling as she managed a weak smile. “Because,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the chaos around them, “I’ll always protect my son.”
Her vision dimmed as the world around her began to fade into darkness. She couldn’t hold on anymore. The last thing she saw and heard was Christian’s tear-streaked face and Aussie yelling at her not to close her eyes before everything went black.
◆◆◆
“No!” Aussie yelled as he gently shook Ava. “Ava, don’t you dare! Stay with me!”
The paramedics arrived, pushing him aside as they worked to stabilize her. Aussie stumbled backward, his legs barely holding him up. Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Then suddenly, the entire scene replayed in his mind but in slow motion.
Tears streamed down his face as he watched Ava throw herself in front of Christian, shielding him from the bullet meant to end his life. Her body jerked backward from the force of the bullet before slamming into the ground.
Christian broke free from Snow’s grasp and ran into Aussie’s arms. Aussie held him tightly, shielding him from the sight of the medics working on Ava.
“Is she going to die?” Christian sobbed, his hands clutching Aussie’s shirt.
Aussie’s voice cracked as he answered, “No. She’s not going anywhere. She’s a fighter, Christian. She’s going to make it.”
The team closed in around them, forming a protective barrier as the paramedics worked on Ava before loading her into the ambulance.
“I can’t lose her,” Christian whispered, his voice trembling.
Aussie tightened his hold on the boy, his throat constricting as tears blurred his vision. “Neither can I,” he said softly.
As the ambulance doors closed and the siren wailed, Aussie stood there, clutching Christian tightly, praying with everything he had that he wouldn’t have to face a world without Ava.