Chapter 12
AVA
Ava’s heart raced as she clutched the fireplace poker, her mind a whirlwind of fear and determination. She knew this plan was risky, but the thought of Alex suffering, alone and helpless, fueled her resolve. She couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
“Ava, this is a terrible idea.” Kyle blocked Ava from leaving the living room, his hands on his hips as he shook his head.
“I’m tending to agree with Kyle on this,” Julia said, her voice a little timid.
Ava arched an eyebrow at Kyle. “You don’t have to agree with me. In fact, it would be better if you stayed here. You shouldn’t be involved, anyway.”
“Look, Ava, trust me when I say you shouldn’t do this. I’m like the king of bad ideas, okay? I promise that I understand your frustration and how it’s fueling the world’s worst ideas in your brain right now, but it’s a bad move.”
“Alex’s disappearance along with us having zero clues is what’s fueling my frustration and my idea. Now, step aside.”
Kyle frowned and shook his head. “No. I’m not going to let you do this.”
“And you’re not going to stop me.” She pointed the fireplace poker at him. “Now, stand aside or I’ll drop you.”
Kyle grimaced as he glanced to Julia for help. “Okay, that’s sort of scary because you’re a black belt, but still, no, I’m not going to let you go off all crazy like this. Seriously. I’m nicknamed Crazy Kyle. I’ve done some crazy things like kidnap Julia, sort of. I get it. Why don’t we just wait–”
“I’m not waiting!” Ava shouted, her fingers tightening around the poker. “We need answers. The longer this goes on, the less chance we have of getting those answers.”
“I just feel like this is…”
“Then don’t go. Just…stay here, okay?” Ava answered.
“Ava,” Julia said with a scoff, “I think we both feel some responsibility toward you and Alex here. This is a tough situation, and you’re acting out of fear and adrenaline. I think you need to take a step back and–”
“I’m not taking a step back. Of course, I’m acting out of fear. These people nearly killed me. They robbed Alex of millions of dollars. And they murdered Simon Blackburn in prison. If you think I’m going to sit here and do nothing while Alex could be going through heaven knows what, you’re crazy."
“All right, fine. But I’m going with you,” Kyle answered as she pushed past him.
She mounted the stairs, poker still in her hand. “Bad idea, Doc.”
“I don’t care, Ava. I’m not letting you go there alone.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said as she pushed into her and Alex’s bedroom, tossing the poker on the bed before she charged into the closet.
She doffed her hoodie in favor of a plain black one, zipping it up tightly before she tugged her hair into a ponytail.
“You’re not going alone,” Kyle said matter-of-factly, his hands on his hips.
“Fine. But I’ll drive. We have to make another stop first.”
She tugged her phone from her pocket and placed a call, letting the line trill as she changed her shoes.
The robotic voice of Raven picked up after the third ring. “I’m working on it, Ava.”
“I need a tracker. Something I can place on someone’s car. And I need it five minutes ago.”
“Why?”
She paused, staring at the phone’s display. “I thought that was obvious. I’m going to track someone.”
“Leave this to me–”
“No way. I’m not leaving anything to you. Now, can you get me the tracker or not.”
“Who are you tracking?”
“Never mind. Meet me at the old Beach Comber resort in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late.”
“Ava–”
She ended the call, shooting Kyle a glance. “Ready?”
“Not really, but I also really don’t want your murderous rage turned on me, so…let’s go.”
Ava rose, grabbing the poker. “I really can do this on my own, Doc.”
“Yeah, but should you? I feel like there should be someone who is the voice of…partial reason. Julia is going to be useless there because she just thinks everyone should hold hands and get along.”
Ava shoved her phone into her pocket with a nod. “Let’s ride.”
Kyle shifted to block her from leaving the bedroom. “Wait, say that again?”
“What?”
“I’m sorry it just…sounded so cool when you said it.” He grinned.
“Don’t make me regret letting you tag along, Doc.” She pushed past him into the hall, and he followed behind her.
“Sorry. I’m going to be totally cool from here on out.”
They descended the stairs, and Ava grabbed her keys.
“Ava, please,” Julia said, her features pleading, “rethink this.”
“We’ll be fine, Julia. Let me know if there are any developments on this end like a ransom demand or anything like that, though I would highly doubt it. Lock this door behind us and turn on the security.”
Julia bobbed her head as she shifted her gaze to Kyle. “Please be careful.”
“We will,” he answered with a squeezed of her hand.
They stepped into the night’s cool air and crossed to Ava’s pink SUV. “Hey, thanks for bringing my car back,” she said as they climbed inside.
“No problem. I’m super glad it was here for you to commit crimes with.”
She shot him a half-annoyed, half-amused glance as they drove the short distance to the abandoned resort.
Ava parked the car in the ramshackle parking lot before they rounded the dilapidated building.
The resort loomed ahead, its once vibrant slides and diving boards now ghostly silhouettes in the moonlight.
The cool night air carried a faint scent of salt and decay, heightening the eerie scene as they rounded the building and made their way to the beach.
She glanced around in search of their aviary ally, not finding him. “Where are you, Raven?”
With her fingers drumming against her forearm, she considered calling him again, but soon a dark figure emerged from the shadows, striding up the beach.
“You’re late,” she snapped.
“You’re demanding.” He stepped closer, his mask illuminated by the dim moonlight.
“Whoa,” Kyle said, his lips tugging into a frown. “And with the weird voice even now.”
“I thought that’s why you liked me,” Ava said as she held her hand out.
“I don’t like this, Ava. And I don’t like him.” He poked a finger at Kyle.
“Well, too bad, Big Bird, I’m riding shotgun on this little mission. I’m not letting her go alone.”
She wiggled her fingers at Raven. “Tracker. Come on, I’ve got things to do.”
He held the small device up in the air. “On switch. Magnetic attachment. I sent the app to your phone with this preprogrammed into it.”
“You’re so sweet.” She reached for it, but he yanked it back, grabbing her wrist and pulling her closer.
“Don’t take any unnecessary chances. The Board won’t kill him yet.”
She grabbed hold of the device and yanked her arm free. “Every second he spends with them is a second too long. I’ll do what I have to do. Let’s go, Doc.”
“Ava…” Raven called as she walked away from him.
She twisted back, arching an eyebrow.
“Be careful.”
“I will. Thanks.” She strode away from him with Kyle in tow.
He glanced behind them at the man who remained on the beach. “Wow, he is not creepy at all.”
“You get used to it after a while.”
“Did he really wear that mask the entire time he had you wherever he had you?”
“Yup,” she said as they reached the car and climbed inside.
Kyle wrinkled his nose as he clicked on his seat belt. “Yeah, that whole stalker vibe is way worse than anything I’ve ever done. I mean, I may have kissed Julia but…at least I wasn’t wearing a creepy mask and leaving roses.”
“Pretty sure Raven has you beat at the whole creepy vibe thing. Liking your stepmom is way different than what he’s doing.”
“So, how far is this place?” Kyle asked as darkened buildings sped past his window.
“Not far.”
“Okay. So, like…ten minutes? Twenty minutes?”
“Why?” Ava asked.
Kyle shrugged. “Just…trying to figure out how long I have to talk you down.”
“I’m not changing my mind, but I’ll let you out on the next corner if you want.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m good.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence until Ava eased the car to stop outside of a stately looking house. She eyed the car in the driveway. “Oh goody, she’s home.”
Ava toggled on the tracker before she slid out of the car and strode up the driveway, tracker in one hand and poker in the other.
As she passed the four-door sedan, she discreetly stuck the tracker on the rear wheel well before she continued up the winding path to the front door.
With her hands clasped around the poker, she rang the doorbell.
“Last chance to bail out,” Kyle whispered from behind her.
“Not a chance. But I’ll give you the keys if you want to wait in the car.”
“I’m good. Mostly.”
He shifted his weight as the door opened. Ava’s heart hammered in her chest as she stared at Miranda Vale.
Miranda’s features twisted with disgust. “Ava. What an unpleasant surprise. I have nothing to say to you.”
Miranda started to swing the door closed when Ava caught it and shoved it open, sending Miranda stumbling back a step.
Ava strode into the house with Kyle behind her.
“Where’s Alex?” Ava demanded, her voice a low, dangerous growl.
Miranda smirked, crossing her arms. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I’m not playing games, Miranda.” Ava took a step closer, the poker gleaming menacingly in her hand. “Tell me where he is, or this gets ugly.”
“I don’t know,” Miranda answered with a shrug.
“Really? Is that your final answer?”
Miranda gave her a haughty smile, lifting her chin. “It is.”
Ava tugged her lips into a wince. “Wrong answer, Miranda.”
She lifted the fireplace poker and smashed it into the foyer table, cracking it in half with one clean blow before she whipped the poker to point at Miranda. “Where’s Alex?”
Miranda tugged her chin back, leaning away from the point. “That’s cute, Ava. You’re going to pay for that.”
“You’re going to pay for taking Alex. Now, where is he?”
Miranda shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Ava’s nostrils flared before she stormed into the living room and smashed the glass coffee table to bits. She twisted to face Miranda again. “The next one breaks something more dear to you. Where is he?”
Miranda shot a glance over Ava’s shoulder at Kyle. “Are you seriously going to just stand there while she beats me to death?”
“I mean, she kind of has a point. Also, to be fair, no. Death is a whole different scenario from being maimed. I’m an emergency room doctor, so I’m very familiar with the difference.”
Miranda’s lower lip trembled a little as she grabbed at the pendant around her neck, her gaze shifting back to Ava. “You’re making a huge mistake if you do this.”
“And you’re making one by not telling me what you know.” She raised the poker overhead as she backed Miranda against the living room wall. “Last chance.”
Miranda slid down the wall, cowering as she raised her hands to cover her head. “Okay, we took him, but I don’t know where he is. I don’t know, okay? The powers that be…they moved him to a more secure location. I couldn’t take you there if I tried.”
“I don’t buy it,” Ava said, lifting the poker a little higher.
“Do something!” Miranda shouted at Kyle.
“I mean…she has a point.” Kyle shrugged. “You lied to us when we first got here. Why should we believe you now?”
Ava shifted the poker.
“No, no, no, no, no,” Miranda cried. “Listen, I’ll…I’ll try to help you, okay? I’ll try to find out where he is. I don’t make any promises, but…please…I can be a strong ally.”
Ava narrowed her eyes, lowering the poker. “You have twenty-four hours. After that, I make no promises about how I’ll react.”
With one final swing of the poker, she smashed through a lamp as she strode toward the door. “Let’s go, Doc.”
“Coming!” he shouted as he hurried behind her.
After they climbed into the car, he grinned at her. “Wow, Ava, that was pretty awesome. Do you think she’s going to tell you where he is?”
“I don’t believe a word she said. But what she likely is going to do is lead us to where he is or to the person who knows where he is. I need to know who that is if we can’t find Alex directly.” She fired the engine and peeled away from the curb.
After digging her phone from her pocket, she handed it over to Kyle. “Turn the tracker on.”
He toggled on her phone, found the app installed by Raven, and started it. “Ummm, okay, so the red dot is…already moving. That didn’t take long.”
“Where?” she asked as she pulled off on a side road, whipped around to face the road they’d just been on.
“She’s going in the opposite direction as we were. Ummm, she’s turning left.”
Ava leaned closer, glancing at the phone.
“Maybe she’s just taking a drive,” Kyle said.
Ava shook her head. “No, she’s going to see someone. She’s going to complain about what just happened. To demand that they take care of it. The question is…who else knows about Alex.”
Ava eased the car forward, keeping several streets of distance between them and Miranda’s location.
“Where are you going, Miranda?” Kyle asked the screen.
Ava glanced at the screen as she followed Miranda’s path to a street of posh homes. She parked a street over, climbing out of the car along with Kyle.
“Her car’s stopped on the next street up.”
“My guess is she’s heading to the beach,” Ava said.
They hurried to Miranda’s car, spotting it before they slipped between two homes and made their way across the dunes to the sandy beach below.
“Stay back,” Ava whispered as they inched forward.
Miranda’s dark figure stood, her arm wrapped around her midriff, a few feet up. Ava pushed Kyle to crouch behind a large outcropping of rocks.
“I don’t see anyone else,” Kyle whispered. “Maybe she just wanted some air.”
“Give it a minute,” she answered as she crouched closer to the sand.
Seconds later, a dark figure strode up the beach. Ava heaved a sigh, shaking her head as his face became visible. “Sebastian Bancroft. I’m not surprised. Well, I guess now we have our plan.”
“Which is?” Kyle asked.
Ava’s gaze locked onto the message from Sebastian. She knew this meeting could be their only chance. With a deep breath, she steeled herself for the confrontation ahead.
“Looks like I’m going to have to set up a little meeting with Sebastian Bancroft,” she said, determination hardening her features. “It’s time to see if I can cry on his shoulder and get some answers.”
Kyle’s eyes widened. “You’re really going to face him?”
“I have no choice,” Ava replied, her voice firm. “For Alex, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
She sent a quick reply to Sebastian, her fingers trembling slightly as she pressed send. As they waited for his response, the weight of what lay ahead settled over them.
“Let’s hope this works,” Ava whispered, staring out at the darkened beach where their enemies plotted. “For Alex’s sake.”