28. Axel
CHAPTER 28
AXEL
Hands grip my shoulders, dragging me up from the floor. My chest feels tight as I struggle to breath after seeing the photo. The image burns inside of my mind of her laying there, her broken body covered in blood.
“Axel, look at me!” Flynn shouts. I know he’s right there next to me, but he sounds a million miles away.
I can’t look at him, I can’t look at anyone.
There’s only one person I want to look at, and she’s out there somewhere… Hurt, bleeding, waiting for me.
I feel myself starting to hyperventilate when a sharp slap across my cheek jolts me, taking me by surprise as my cheek tingles. I snap my head to look at who did it, ready to launch myself at them but the second I make eye contact with them I freeze, stunned by the eyes staring back at me.
Mandy.
What the fuck is she doing in here?
She stands in front of me, her hand still raised as if she’s ready to strike again. She doesn’t look away as her eyes burn into me.
Fear, betrayal and anger radiates from her body.
“You shouldn’t be here Mandy.” I address to her, making sure my voice is firm and thick.
She scoffs in response to my statement, “What so you can keep staring into another universe while my best friend is somewhere alone, and hurt because of you ?”
The harshness in her tone takes me back, her words ringing true.
Eva is hurt because of me. I made it a point to come into her life and look where it’s got us.
She pushes my shoulders making me take a step back as I try and steady myself, “What the fuck is wrong with you Axel? You think shutting down is going to help her?”
I open my mouth to reply but no words come out as she takes a step towards me, her finger digging into my chest.
“You don’t get to fall apart,” she continues, “Not when Eva’s out there and I can’t believe I’m about to say this…” She takes a deep breath, “Not when she needs you to find her.”
I take a moment to look around the room, my brothers stand there watching. Waiting for me to say something, but no matter how much I try, I can’t find the words.
“Are you seriously standing here doing nothing while she’s out there?” Mandy asks, her voice tainted with disappointment. “She’s alone, Axel! Bleeding, terrified, and it’s because of you!” She starts hitting my chest over and over again, letting out her anger.
“Mandy!” Carter warns, his tone low, but she doesn’t stop.
“No, Carter!” She snaps back, “He needs to hear this, Eva is dying out there. And instead of going after her, he’s standing here like a fucking statue!”
Her words strike something inside of me as I grab her wrists, stopping her movements with my hands.
“You think I don’t care? You think I’m not tearing myself apart right now?”
“You’re not doing enough!” She fires back. “You should’ve already been out that door! But instead, I had to come here and hit you just to get you to move.”
The air between us deepens as emotions wrap around the room.
“She’s not gone yet,” Flynn steps in. His voice breaking through the tension. “But every second we waste here, she gets closer to it.”
Mandy’s jaw tightens, her eyes glistening as she holds her tears back. Ant steps forward, taking Mandy’s hand in his. They share a glance only them two understand as Mandy’s body relaxes into him.
“We’ll find her.” I growl, trying to convince myself.
Flynn picks up my phone, “They sent the photo from what looks to be like a burner phone, but there’s still data that we can pull from the image. Ant should be able to trace some information from it.”
I nod sharply as Ant lets go of Mandy’s hand and walks towards his laptop. His fingers fly across the keyboard, typing at a speed that I’ve never seen.
Walking over I lean over his shoulder. “Ant, I need everything you can get from that photo. Location, surroundings… Anything.”
“A please would be nice.” Mandy says from the back of the room.
I look over at her to see her throwing me daggers before returning my gaze to the laptop.
“ Please Ant” I say, not wanting to waste any more time.
He glances at me, his expression calm despite the storm brewing around us. He nods once and gestures for Flynn to pass the phone.
Flynn tosses it to him, and Ant plugs it into his system, the image popping up on his screen. My stomach feels uneasy from seeing it again, Eva. Lying there on the cold ground, blood smeared across her face and the amount pooling beneath her.
The room is silent apart from the sound of the keyboard clicking, all of us waiting for something.
“Can he get anything?” Gunnar asks, his voice sharp.
“He will,” I snap, not taking my eyes off the screen.
Within moments, Ant pulls up a map with several highlighted areas, all near the east docks.
He presses a few buttons causing a voice to bellow out over the speakers.
“ Three possible locations based on the data and surroundings. First location is the old shipping yard, Second location is the abandoned warehouses and the third location… an empty terminal entrance near the containers. ”
I slam my fist against the desk, causing everyone around us to flinch. They’re not even close to each other!
Flynn approaches us slowly, taking his time to make sure I don’t lose my shit.
He studies the screen, no doubt noticing the same thing I did, “If we hit them one by one, we’ll lose too much time.”
“We split up.” I say immediately, “We don’t have a choice”
Mandy stands up, walking towards us, “I’m coming with you.”
I turn around, standing taller than I did earlier. “No, you stay here with Ant. We need constant monitoring and for someone to translate his words for us.”
She goes to argue but I don’t let her, “Mandy, it’s not an option. You’re staying here and that’s final. I can’t explain everything right now but when I return with Eva… I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
She nods at my response, “If you screw this up, Axel…” She doesn’t finish as her voice breaks, but I know exactly what she wanted to say. “We won’t, we will find her.”
Carter joins us at the laptop, anxiously waiting to leave as he slips his mask from the bag. “We need to leave now. Every second counts.”
My phone pings a second later as Ant starts to send the locations to everyone’s phone.
I grab my bag containing my mask and gun, forcing myself to focus on her as we walk out of the door.
We decided it would be best for Gunnar, Flynn & Carter to go together in the car to one of the locations, while I head to the second on my bike. If Eva isn’t at either, we’ll regroup and hit the third together.
The rumble from the engine fills the silence as I weave through the streets, the city lights blurring into one. I don’t bother with music. The sound of the wind against my helmet and the hum of the bike beneath me is all I can take right now.
I blink the image of her away as I ride but no matter how hard I try, it reappears, reminding me of what I’ve done.
Gripping the handlebars tighter, my knuckles whiten against the cold night breeze.
I need you to be okay Eva, please be okay.
The weight of my past failures press down harder with each second that passes, the failures of letting my brothers enter this type of world. The failure of not being able to protect Ant and now Eva. The thoughts suffocate me, but I can’t let it break me, not now.
I swerve hard around a corner, the tires skidding slightly before catching the pavement. The second location isn’t far now, and my heart pounds harder with each block at what I might find.
I come to a stop outside of the second location, the abandoned warehouses.
The buildings cast shadows against the floor as the night sky provides them with a cover, giving it an eerie feeling.
I cut the engine and slowly dismount my bike as I take in my surroundings. My boots crunch against the broken concrete and shattered windows. Slowly, I take my time checking every inch of the warehouses, making sure to have my gun at the ready.
“Eva!” I shout, my voice bouncing off the empty walls as I step through another doorway.
The place is like a maze of broken machines, shelves and god knows what. Every shadow plays a trick on me as I aim my gun towards them. Every creak setting my nerves on edge the deeper I go.
I push forward, not letting the noises get to me. I pull my phone out, shining the torch, looking for anything that could point me towards her.
“Eva, can you hear me?” My voice cracks, the desperation appearing.
I stand here waiting for something, a cry, a stone throw but nothing happens.
I don’t give up as I push myself further towards the back of the warehouse. Shining my torch, I find a dark stain in the far corner. My heart leaps into my chest at the possibility of her being here as I run towards it.
“Fuck!” I shout as I run my fingers over it. It’s dry and old… too old to be from her.
Slamming my fist against the floor, I collapse beside it as time slips away from me.
My phone buzzes on the floor next to me and I snatch it up, praying for good news.
Flynn: Nothing here, heading to the third location now.
I grip the phone in my hand as I stand, running back towards my bike.
“I’m coming Eva” I whisper, the words a promise and a prayer.
As I round the final corner to my bike, flash lights appear from the other side.
“Hey you! Stop, this is private property!” A voice shouts, but I don’t listen as I jump onto my bike. Pulling my helmet on, I turn the throttle causing the rear wheel to spin as I turn around, leaving the voices to disappear in the distance.
I race back down the empty streets, determined to get to her faster knowing my brothers will be arriving there any second.
Suddenly my phone buzzes in my pocket as I exit the freeway, the vibration sending a jolt through me. I hit the comms button on the side of the helmet, waiting to see who is on the other end, “Talk to me,” I bark, trying to shout over the wind.
My stomach sinks as Carter's voice sounds through the headset, “We found her,” he tells me, his voice tight.
My heart jumps, hope sparking for the briefest second. “Where?”
“The terminal entrance, she was right there as soon as we turned in, Flynn and Gunnar are with her now, but-“ He cuts off, unable to carry on.
“But what?” I shout, needing to hear what he had to say.
“It’s bad, Axel. She’s unconscious. There’s a lot of blood.”
The words hit me like a punch to the guy, knocking the air from my lungs as I lose control over the bike briefly.
“She’s alive,” Carter adds quickly, as if sensing my panic. “But she needs help. Now.”
“Stay with her,” I growl, the words coming out sharper than I intended, “I’m a few minutes away.”
I swiftly end the call and lean into the bike as I push it to its limit.
Hold on Eva, I’m on my way.
She’s alive. That’s all that matters right now. The bastards who did this to her will pay, but first, I need to get her to help.
I turn the final corner, seeing the terminal entrance coming into view, wasting no time. I push the kickstand down, leaving the engine running as I spot my brothers surrounding her, like they’re shielding her from the world. ??I sprint toward them, my boots pounding against the gravel as I race towards them. Flynn looks up as I approach, his face pale and grim, but he doesn’t move fast enough.
“Move!” I snarl, shoving him out of the way with enough force to send him stumbling backwards. I don’t turn to see if he is okay as the sight of her motionless on the ground sends a fresh wave of horror through me.
She’s lying on the cold, hard ground, her skin pale against the blood smeared across her face and arms. Cuts cover her arms, and her clothes are torn, soaked with blood. She looks so fragile. My knees hit the ground before I kneel beside her.
“Eva,” I whisper, my voice cracking, barely audible. My hands hover over her, unsure where to touch without causing her more pain, there’s so much blood to the point I can’t pinpoint where her injuries are.
I sit here, waiting and hoping for a response, even a small whimper but the only reassurance I get, is the rise of her chest as she breathes slowly.
Flynn kneels beside me, his tone urgent but calm. “She’s breathing, Axel. Barely, but she’s holding on.”
I lean closer, being careful of my movements as I stroke a piece of her hair away from her face. Her skin is cold and pale, confirming Flynns words. Bruises are starting to form across her jaw as droplets of blood appear on her lips.
“You didn’t deserve this,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “I’m so sorry, Eva. I should’ve been there.”
Flynn’s hand grips my shoulder. “We need to move, Axel. She’s losing too much blood. We can’t stay here.”
His words snap me back to reality as I nod, swallowing hard, I push all my anger aside before sliding my arms under her, as gently as I can.
She feels so light, too light, as if the life is slipping out of her.
“Hold on,” I say softly, more to myself than her. “Just hold on. I’ll get you out of this buttercup.”
As I lift her, her head rolls against my chest, and I feel the sticky warmth of her blood soaking into my shirt. Every step towards the car feels further and further away.
“Flynn, take the bike and meet us at the hospital.” I tell him without looking back, making sure to never leave my eyes from her. I can only assume he agrees as I hear the sound of footsteps disappearing behind me.
A small whimper leaves Eva’s lips as I climb inside of the car, never letting her go as I do. That sound is like music to my ears as I try and hold back the tears.
“Hold on, buttercup,” I whisper, my voice trembling as I press my cheek against her hair. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
Soon after Carter and Gunnar slide into the front, the car jolts forward as Gunnar floors the accelerator. The tires screech against the road, and the city blurs outside the window as we race against time, praying we aren’t too late to save her.
15 hours.
That’s how long I’ve been sat waiting for an update since we arrived in the emergency room.
The second I walked in carrying her, it was like the whole world stopped moving as they ripped her from my arms and rushed her away. No matter how hard I try, no one will give me an update about her condition.
The last time I tried, I nearly got myself kicked out as I pushed a doctor against a wall demanding to know where she is.
“Drink.”
I look up from the floor to see Mandy standing in front of me with a coffee in her hand.
Sighing, I take it from her, not remembering the last time I drank something, “Thanks.”
After we arrived, I arranged for Carter to collect Ant and Mandy from the apartment. She needs her best friend and right now, her best friend needs her.
“So,” Mandy starts, sitting down beside me, “I spoke to the doctors.”
My head snaps up, my heart pounding at the thought of an update. “What? What did they say? Is she okay? Is she?—”
“She’s okay,” Mandy interrupts, her voice steady but soft. She places a hand on my leg, grounding me. “She’s been through hell, Axel, but she’s stable. It’s going to take time for her body to recover… but she’s a fighter. She always has been.”
My breath catches and my vision blurs as the weight I’ve been carrying collapses all at once. The coffee falls from my hand, the cup hitting the floor with a dull thud, spraying coffee everywhere as it mixes with my blood stained clothes.
I drop my face into my hands, my shoulders shaking as the relief pours out of me.
She’s okay.
My chest heaves, and for a moment, I’m not sure if I’m laughing or crying. Maybe a bit of both.
“She’s okay,” I whisper through the chaos in my head, repeating it over and over, trying to make myself believe it.
Mandy reaches over and squeezes my hand gently, like she’s trying to show me this is real. “Yeah Axel… she’s okay.”
A touch of sadness is in her tone, but I ignore it as the news of Eva being alive takes over every inch of me.