Chapter 4
AVA
The cool evening breeze tousled Ava’s hair as she stepped out of the van, weapon in hand, at the abandoned amusement park. She scanned the darkened area, the remnants of summertime attractions now eerie and ominous in the still night.
The precarious plan they’d been tasked with pulling off was made all the more daunting by the fact that almost no one on her supposed team got along.
Part of her wanted to cut ties with Chris, to leave him to fend for himself.
But the stakes were too high. They needed the information he could provide, no matter how much it twisted her stomach to rely on him.
The heat of her anger mingled with the unsettling warmth that kept creeping up on her, making her wonder if she was in over her head.
“Babe,” Alex said as she checked her gun for the umpteenth time, “are you sure about this?”
“Yeah, Ava, I could handle this alone,” Kyle said as he shifted his pistol in his hands.
“No offense, but your aim isn’t that good, Doc.”
He shrugged. “I mean, it’s good enough. Is anyone really going to stop to check my aim when bullets start flying? They’ll probably just cut and run.”
“Or shoot back.”
“Okay,” he said with a bob of his head, “duly noted. All the more reason for you to stay here.”
“No,” she argued with a shake of her head. “All the more reason for me to go with you so I can actually shoot the person before they shoot you.”
Kyle heaved a sigh, glancing at Alex. “I tried, Mav.”
“Appreciate it, Doc.”
“Let’s hope there are no guns involved,” Chris said with a disgusted sigh. “I still can’t believe you talked me into this.”
Ava held back an eye roll. “You’re the one who wanted to risk his life to say he was sorry for almost killing me.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking. Also, Miranda was nowhere near my mind at that time.”
“Yeah, well, if she had been nowhere near your mind back when we were engaged, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.
You’re the one who got involved with her.
” Ava poked a finger at him, recalling the moment he’d betrayed them to Miranda, spilling the secret that she and Alex were married in name only.
The fury that had burned through her had set off the entire chain of events that led to Chris’s new Board ties and her almost-death.
Dull anger still roiled inside her, but she shoved it aside, eager to find information they could use to begin their systematic take-down on this behemoth.
“I’m the one?” Chris raised his eyebrows, poking a finger at his own chest. “Are you serious? She was his CFO.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t have anything to do with that,” Alex said with a grimace. “I barely went to the office.”
“Yeah, well, when you did, Miranda set her sights on you, but noooo, you had to have Ava. Couldn’t settle for the hot brunette, you had to have the hot blonde,” Chris said, his tone dripping with resentment.
Ava forced a smile, but her heart pounded in her chest. “How did I ever date you?”
Chris flashed a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t know, babe, but you did.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed, his hand tightening around the gun. “Uh-uh, I call her babe. You called her hon.”
“Okay, fine,” Chris said with raised eyebrows. “I don’t know, hon, but you did.”
“Please stop it. The point is, if you hadn’t cozied up to Miranda, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“Untrue.” Chris waved a finger in the air. “And this was my point before. You wouldn’t be in this situation because Miranda was working for StoneCorp and was hitting on Alex.”
“But Alex would never have told her all the secrets you did.”
“Maybe he would have if you’d have stayed with me. Then Alex would have been the culprit here, not me.”
Heat washed over Ava again, and she chalked it up to the ridiculous argument ensuing between them. “Please stop talking. You’re just making things worse.”
“Worse, how could they possibly get any worse?” Chris asked.
“Take a look around you, Ellen, we’re at the threshold of Hell,” Alex added a tongue-in-cheek grin at Ava.
Ava grinned at him, her annoyance dissipating a little as she fell just a little more in love with her husband. “Aww, you always know how to make me smile, Ace.”
“By calling you Ellen?” Chris asked.
“Never mind,” Ava answered. “It’s a line from Christmas Vacation. You’d know if you ever bothered to watch it with me all those times I asked.”
“You’re right,” Chris said with a sigh. “It’s all my fault because I didn’t watch Christmas Vacation or all those stupid Hallmark movies with you. And because I happened to tell Miranda Vale a few things about you when I was trying to protect you.”
“And then you almost got her killed,” Kyle pointed out. “Also, I love Christmas Vacation and Hallmark movies.”
“You’re such a suck up, it makes me sick,” Chris said, wrinkling his nose at him.
Ava’s phone jangled in her pocket, and she pulled it out, finding Sebastian as the caller. “Hey, Shadow.”
“Please stop calling me that.”
“Negative.”
After an irritated sigh, he continued, “Tell me you’re ready for this.”
“We’re ready,” she answered, shooting her team a glance as she felt anything but ready.
“You don’t look ready.”
Ava’s breath caught in her throat as she glanced around into the darkness for some sign of the man. “You left access to the pearl cam on my laptop. Can you try at all to keep the bickering to a minimum?”
Ava’s jaw clenched, her nostrils flaring with irritation. “Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe next time, we’ll find your ex and make her help with everything and see if you keep the bickering to a minimum. I’m hanging up.”
“Ava—"
“I’m hanging up now. Goodbye, Shadow.” Ava sighed heavily as she tapped the end call button a few times.
“Was that our friendly neighborhood turncoat?” Alex asked as he hacked into the security cameras around the abandoned amusement park.
“Yep,” Ava said. “He’s requesting we keep the bickering to a minimum. And if you call him a turncoat one more time, he’s probably going to call me again.” She turned her phone to silent so there would be no interruptions during Chris’s meeting that would give her away.
Alex arched an eyebrow as his fingers pounded against the keyboard. “Requested no more bickering? Seriously, bro?”
“Bickering is part of the fun. But,” Kyle said with a grin, “we should get into position so that no one sees us wandering around in there.”
“Yeah, and I guess it’s time for me to go be a sitting duck.”
“Just remember, buddy, this is all your fault,” Kyle said as he clapped Chris on the shoulder and led him forward.
“I still maintain it’s all Alex’s fault. He’s the genius who was all over their radar. I got roped in accidentally because Ava couldn’t make up her mind.”
Ava trailed behind him, sweat beading on her brow as she tried to keep her temper in check.
Chris wasn’t making it easy. She had half a mind to call Sebastian back and ask him to handle any further dealings Chris had with The Board.
But then again, Chris hanging out in a Board member’s house was probably a bad idea unless she was back in the fold.
They arrived at the site of the carousel, the large circular object now shrouded by a thick canvas.
Ava clapped him on the shoulder. “Try not to screw it up.”
She crossed to the canvas cover, untying one of the ties and slipping inside of it while Kyle took a post behind one of the game booths.
“Can you guys hear me?” Chris asked as he stood alone, sifting his weight from foot to foot.
“Loud and clear, Benedict Arnold.”
Chris clicked his tongue. “Seriously? First of all, Benedict Arnold kind of got a raw deal before he defected…you know, sort of like I did.”
“Oh, please,” Ava said with a shake of her head. “A traitor’s a traitor no matter how raw the deal.”
She sucked in a deep breath, her features wrinkling as a dull throbbing began at her temples.
“Traitors can be created, okay? That’s all I’m saying.”
“Please stop saying things before Miranda thinks you’re talking to yourself and runs away instead of feeding you information,” Alex said.
“Yeah, well she’s not even here yet. And it makes me feel better to talk a little while I’m standing here. I’m the one out here all alone.”
Ava shook her head at the words as she clung to one of the carousel horses to steady herself. Inside the canvas tent covering the ride, no air moved. Any coolness from the night was nonexistent. Sweat beaded on her brow, and she swiped at it.
“Incoming,” Alex reported.
Ava peered through the opening in the canvas, spotting Chris pretend to nonchalantly wander around. She noticed the crease in his brow, the stiffness in his shoulders.
A part of her did feel somewhat sorry for him. He’d gotten in way over his head in a desperate attempt to show up Alex. But it had been a fool’s errand. He could never top the man she loved more than life.
And now he’d been forced to play a dangerous game he’d never been meant to play. With the stakes as high as his own life.
Miranda appeared, limned in a yellow security light that spilled an eerie glow across the area. “Chris, you wanted to see me?”
“Yeah, I did,” he shot back, his voice sharp. “What the hell, Miranda?”
She shrugged, making her upturned collar ruffle her brunette bob. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I joined this cause, I fed you information–useful information–and then what? Because somehow Ava didn’t end up dead, I’m chopped liver? Someone nearly took me out at that funeral, and now I’ve got nowhere to go.”
“Look, Chris–”
“No, Miranda. Unacceptable. Totally unacceptable that this happened. You made promises to me when I came to you…none of which you have kept, and now I’m on the run for my very life from the people I helped.”
Miranda flicked her gaze sideways, shaking her head. “It’s not my choice.”
“And what am I supposed to do with that? Huh?” Chris asked, his arms stretched to the sides. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“There’s nothing I can do. What do you want from me?”
“You can do something,” he answered, “or you wouldn’t be here.”
She heaved a sigh. “All right, look, there may be something I can do. But…it’s not going to be clean or easy.”
Ava shifted closer, the heat rising in her becoming unbearable. She bit into her lower lip as her knees wobbled. She clung to the saddle of the horse nearest her, wincing as her foot scuffed against the carousel’s floor.
Chris barked out a cough, effectively covering her gaffe, or so she hoped. “Yeah, well, I don’t have much choice, now do I? What’s your plan?”
“There are a few of us bucking the Board officials. I wasn’t for the whole assassination attempt, just so you know.”
“Gee, thanks,” Chris said, his voice stinging.
“I need to find some support, but…if we can get anyone higher up, I may be able to get you back in.”
“Your boy Sebastian isn’t willing to help out?”
“He’s not my boy, and no. I’m not certain we can trust Sebastian.”
Ava’s stomach clenched at the words. If they suspected Sebastian of turning on them, he’d soon be effectively shut out of any information. They needed to fix this situation—and fast.
“Wow,” Chris said, playing along. “Never saw that coming.”
“Yeah, well…something doesn’t add up with him. But don’t worry, I’m testing him.”
“Testing him?” Chris asked.
Ava’s heart skipped a beat at Miranda’s words.
Testing Sebastian? If they suspected him of turning, everything they’d worked for could crumble in an instant.
The Board was ruthless, and if they decided Sebastian was a traitor, they’d stop at nothing to eliminate him—and anyone associated with him.
Ava’s grip on the carousel horse tightened as she fought to stay calm, to keep her mind from spiraling into worst-case scenarios.
She leaned closer, hoping Miranda shared the details of her supposed test so Sebastian could pass with flying colors. As she peered through the slit, though, her vision blurred, the edges blackening.
She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her eyes as the edges of her sight blurred.
The heat inside her body was almost unbearable, but she couldn’t afford to show weakness now.
Not with Chris and the others watching her every move.
She gripped the carousel horse tighter, willing herself to stay upright, to focus.
But the pounding in her head was relentless, and she knew she was running out of time before someone noticed.
“Yes. If he passes, we’ll have our in. If not…”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s just say the next assassination attempt will secure your place in the new kingdom,” she said with a lifted chin.
Chris flexed his jaw as Alex crackled to life in their ears. “Don’t push too much more. Let her go before she gets suspicious.”
“Fine,” Chris answered. “I guess I really have no choice here. But what do you expect me to do in the meantime?”
Miranda shrugged. “Hole up in a crappy hotel. And keep your phone handy.”
With that, she spun on a heel and strode away.
Chris cursed under his breath. “All right, she’s gone. You can come out now.”
“Yeah, uh, hey, Doc, once the coast is clear, can you come over here for a second?” Ava asked, hating to admit that she needed help, but the latest episode of nearly fainting had scared her enough to consult with Kyle.
“Ava?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, I’m good. I just…there’s something I need Doc to see.”
As she slumped against the carousel horse, Ava’s mind raced with possibilities.
The mission was far from over, and with every step forward, the ground beneath them seemed more unstable.
Her vision blurred again, and she bit back a curse.
Whatever was happening to her, it was getting worse—and if she didn’t figure it out soon, it could cost them all their lives.
With the pearl cam, stripped off and her earpiece out, she waited to have a private conversation with Kyle as she wondered what was happening to her.