Chapter 48 Ethan
Ethan
The convoy rolls in tight.
Black SUVs.
Engines low.
Security heavy.
Too heavy.
Too obvious.
I don’t like it.
“Positions?” I murmur.
“North covered,” Ronan says.
“West side,” Aaron adds. “And I’ve already found three guys pretending they belong.”
“Jonah?”
Static.
Then—
“Still with you. Signal’s messy.”
I don’t like that either.
“Ava?”
A beat.
Then—
“I’m here.”
Clear.
Focused.
Her voice steadies something in me instantly.
“Talk to me.”
Keys tapping.
Processing.
Then—
“They’re early.”
My grip tightens.
“How early?”
“Now.”
Gunfire explodes.
Right on cue.
“Contact!” Aaron snaps.
The crowd breaks.
People scatter.
Security floods in—
Too late.
Targets exposed.
Chaos.
I move.
Fast.
One shooter drops before he clears his second shot.
“Left—two!” Ava calls.
I pivot.
Fire.
Both go down.
Her timing is perfect.
Always has been.
“Sniper—east wing, second floor!”
Ronan moves.
“On it.”
We’re ahead of it.
We’ve got control—
Then—
“Ava?” Jonah says.
Something’s wrong.
I hear it instantly.
“What?” she replies.
“I’m seeing something weird—”
“Define weird,” I cut in.
A pause.
Too long.
“…this isn’t just a team.”
My pulse spikes.
“What is it?”
Another pause.
Then Ava—
quieter now.
Focused in a way that sets something off in my gut.
“They’re not reacting to us.”
Aaron frowns.
“What do you mean?”
“They’re not adjusting,” she says slowly. “They’re following a sequence.”
That’s not possible.
Not at this level.
Unless—
No.
“Ava,” I say, sharper now. “What are you seeing?”
Her breath catches.
Just slightly.
Then—
“They’re being directed.”
Silence drops.
Cold.
Controlled.
By who?