Chapter 25
ALEX
Alex’s hands trembled as he scanned the faces in the room they were herded to, desperately seeking Ava.
His stomach twisted into a tighter knot when he didn’t find her amongst the other hostages. His only hope was that she’d somehow escaped.
Hopefully she’d send help.
He’d check her location on his phone as soon as they could settle somewhere away from the many gunmen, by his count six.
Impossible odds to surmount without an army.
As he shuffled into the room behind Grant and Julia, one of the gunmen asked for their phones.
“I don’t have one,” he lied.
Faced with the business end of an assault rifle, he dug his from his pocket and dumped it into the garbage bag they held out.
“Nice try with the phone,” Julia whispered as they settled on the floor in the corner of the room.
“I wanted to track Ava’s phone. See if she got away somehow,” Alex murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper, shaky with a mix of fear and hope.
His mind spun with images of Ava, alone and vulnerable, or worse, facing down their captors with her typical bravado.
Each scenario tightened the knot of worry in his gut, making it hard to breathe.
Julia reached for his hand, squeezing it. “I haven’t seen her either. I thought she’d be in here.”
Grant stretched, scanning the room again. “I also don’t see Sierra or Kyle.”
“Maybe they’re all together somewhere in another room,” Julia suggested.
Alex’s heart sank. He couldn’t help but think that this was tied to their fight with The Board. What if they’d been targeted? What if Ava would be used as a bargaining chip again.
His chest tightened as he tried to breathe, finding it nearly impossible.
“I don’t see Theo or Vivienne,” Grant added. “They could be all together. Maybe they were together when the gunmen burst in and were taken to another spot.”
“It could be,” Julia answered, hope filling her voice.
“Have you seen Sebastian? Ava was with him last,” Alex asked, his voice tinged with desperation. Every second without sight of her felt like an eternity.
“I haven’t,” Grant said, “and that makes sense, right? They’d round up the Bancrofts. If Ava was with them, she may have gone along for the ride.”
“Yes,” Julia said. “Although that doesn’t explain Kyle and Sierra.”
“If Ava was anywhere near them, she’d do her best to keep them safe,” Alex said. “So, maybe she made certain they were taken along with her so she could keep an eye on them.”
“We need a plan,” Grant said, eyeing a few of the gunmen who flanked the door.
“Hope the cavalry arrives?” Alex asked.
Grant screwed up his face. “No, like rush them and take their weapons.”
Alex winced. “No offense, G-man, but that’s a tall order. The guns kind of tip the scales in their favor.”
“Then we need to be smart about it.”
“Grant!” Julia hissed, her voice laced with panic and disapproval and her fingers digging into his arm. “Are you crazy? You are not rushing toward a man with a gun.”
“Well, we could circle around and come up from behind.”
“No!” she said with a shake of her head. “I’ve nearly lost you multiple times in the past two years, I’m not going to be sitting by another hospital bed with you fighting for your life.”
“Sunshine is right. I’m not sure a grandiose plan to overturn the resistance is the best idea, Grantster.”
“Don’t you want to find Ava? Don’t you want to triumphantly rescue her from wherever she’s being held?”
“Yes, but I’d like to be alive when I do it.”
“I’m with Alex on this. As much as I love to act, there’s no viable way forward right now. I mean, maybe if we weren’t facing six people,” Julia said with a shrug, “but the odds are against us.”
“Not if we find eight people,” Grant countered.
She offered him an unimpressed stare.
“Fine, fine. We’ll sit on our hands and wait for a break.”
Across the room, a radio crackled to life. “We have a few stragglers not accounted for. Find them, end them.”
Alex’s heart thudded harder against his ribs at the words. Was Ava one of the ones unaccounted for?
And what would happen to her if she was caught?
“Do you think that’s Ava?” Julia asked, leaning closer to Alex.
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Grant shifted on the floor as three men left the room in search of their new targets. “There’s only three of them left. How do you like those odds?”
“I don’t,” Julia said with a shake of her head. “You’re still outnumbered, plus the guns.”
Grant pressed his lips together, his features pinching. “We’re not going to get better odds than this.”
Julia clicked her tongue, her features a mixture of concern and disappointment. “Please stop with these ridiculous plans, Grant.”
“Alex is with me. We need to save our families.”
“Grant…” Julia shook her head. “I know you’re worried about Sierra. I am too, and Kyle, and Ava, but we can’t do anything right now.”
Alex’s pulse raced as he listened to the argument. “Well, you both have points. I want to rescue Ava, but…I also don’t want to die. If I had my phone, I would feel a lot better.”
“What do you need your phone for? You just need two things. This and this.” Grant curled each hand into a fist and lifted them.
“Will you stop with this macho nonsense? Alex, you do not need to do this,” Julia said with a shake of her head. “Don’t let him pressure you into doing anything you’re not comfortable with.”
“I just…with my phone, I could maybe track Ava’s phone or tap into some of the security feeds here.”
“With just your phone?” Grant asked. “Don’t you need a laptop or something?”
“I’m not a child, so no,” Alex answered. “I could do it with one hand tied behind my back and my phone with twenty-five percent battery.”
Grant wrinkled his nose at the words. “Okay, new plan. We get your phone back.”
“How do you plan on doing that?” Julia asked.
“Rush them and–”
“Grant!” she said with a shake of her head.
“Fine, fine. We’ll sit on our hands again. I just…hate feeling helpless, and right now I feel helpless.”
Across the room, one of their guards radioed to the other men. “How’s it coming, Garcia?”
No one responded.
Alex shifted, his eyebrows pinching. Had Ava slipped the noose they’d set up? Assuming Ava was the straggler they were referring to.
“Garcia?” the man tried again.
“Try again,” a woman’s voice said.
Alex’s heart hammered against his ribs as he stiffened. “That’s Ava.”
Julia’s eyes went wide as she clutched his arm. “Really? How did she get that radio?”
“Who is this? Where is Garcia?” the man barked back.
“Most likely she jumped the guy.”
“In that dress?” Julia asked, her expression incredulous.
Alex shrugged. “Ava doesn’t really let anything hold her back.”
“She didn’t have anyone telling her not to jump the bad guys with guns. If she’s with Sierra, I’m certain she probably condoned it,” Grant said.
“And certainly Kyle wouldn’t have voted against them,” Julia answered.
“Garcia’s a little…tied up. As for your first question, that’s not information I’m willing to share.”
The man’s features twisted, his nose wrinkling as he snapped his fingers at one of the other men. “Go find her. Switch to channel two.”
Alex’s gut twisted at the words. There were still two other men unaccounted for and now a third was on his way to find her.
She’s managed to drop one of these guys, but could she take three more? He worried she couldn’t, especially if they teamed up to make sure they got her.
The man raised the radio to his lips again. “You’d be better off telling us your name and giving in to any other demands. I don’t look kindly on those who don’t play by my rules.”
“Oh, I’m shaking in my stilettos. Come find me and let’s see whose rules we end up playing by.”
Alex slid his eyes closed, his fingers curling into fists at her bold statement. Ava loved to taunt people into making a mistake. He prayed she could control the situation as well as she thought she could.
“Don’t worry,” the gunman growled, “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
The man frowned as he turned the channel on his radio. “Tell me you have her.”
“Almost. She left a trail that a child could follow.”
Julia winced, her fingers tightening around Alex’s forearm. “Oh, no.”
“We need to go after these two,” Grant said. “Even the odds a little. If we can get the jump on them, we can go after Ava and help her.”
“I have a feeling that trail they’re following is a trap Ava set. She’s not quite the damsel-in-distress type,” Alex answered.
Grant heaved a sigh as he shook his head. “The odds aren’t going to get any better. We need to go after them now.”
“Grant, I think this is a really stupid plan,” Julia said, her voice quivering slightly as she glanced at the door.
A chill ran down Alex’s spine. They were far from safe, and with each passing moment, the situation became more dire.
“Your friend is out there alone like John McClane running around this house taking out vigilantes, and you want us to sit on our hands instead of help her.”
“I didn’t know you liked that movie,” Julia whispered.
“Of course, I do. It’s my favorite Christmas movie.”
“Die Hard is not a Christmas movie,” Julia said with a shake of her head.
“I beg to differ,” Alex interjected. “It is by the very definition of Christmas movies, a Christmas movie. I think we’d have Ava’s support on this, too.”
“I’m glad we agree on that,” Grant answered with a nod. “Now, can we agree on going after these two guys?”
Alex glanced at the two weapon-carrying thugs flanking the doorway. “I kind of want to do something, but we need a better plan than us rushing toward them and getting shot and killed.”
One of the men paced back and forth before he raised the radio to his lips again. “Well?”
Only static met his demanding word.
“Hitch? What’s happening?”
“Gosh, this is really embarrassing, but…Hitch is a little busy, too,” Ava’s voice answered.
“Are you kidding? Is she a ninja?” Grant asked. “She’s taken two of them down, and we’re still arguing over a plan.”
“I told you she has a black belt,” Julia answered.