They moved back through the quiet hallway toward the reception area. The building had grown noticeably quieter, as if the energy had been sucked out of it. No more footsteps. No more distant murmurs from offices or therapy rooms. Just stillness.
They were nearly to the front doors when Ava appeared, walking quickly in the opposite direction. Her eyes darted around before landing on Delaney. Without slowing, she pressed something into Delaney’s hand—folded paper, quick and discreet—and kept going without a word.
Delaney and Eli exchanged a look but said nothing. They walked the rest of the way to their SUV in silence, climbing in. Eli closed the SUV door and Delaney unfolded the note in her lap. She scanned the short message, and a chill slid down her spine. She passed it silently to Eli.
He read it, his brows knitting hard.
Back off. I’m safe here. If anyone forces me to leave, I’ll be killed.
Neither of them said anything for a long moment. The weight of the words settled betweenthem like a loaded weapon.
Was that true? Did Ava actually believe Olivia or someone else would kill her? Maybe. But Delaney wished she knew for sure. She definitely didn’t want to rescue Ava only to have it lead to her murder. And that meant, they had to make sure it was safe for the girl. Not just here at the institute but outside where a would be killer could get to her.
Delaney’s pulse ticked faster as Eli turned the SUV through the gate and drove a short distance up the road. When he pulled off onto a patch of gravel, the institute was still visible through the trees.
He grabbed the binoculars from the backseat and stepped out. Delaney followed, moving across the seat to step out from the driver’s side door. The air was thick with the scent of cedar and the faint musk of wildflowers starting to bloom.
“Guards are gone,” he muttered as he scanned the area. “No one’s outside.”
Delaney barely had time to process that before a gunshot cracked through the air.
And the bullet slammed into the SUV.
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Chapter Ten
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The bullet hit the driver’s side window with a sharp crack, spidering the glass. Eli ducked instinctively, dragging Delaney down beside him as they hit the dirt behind the SUV.
Hell. Someone was trying to kill them.
Another shot rang out, kicking up gravel inches from where his elbow rested. Whoever was shooting had a clear view of their position. Eli angled his head, scanning the trees across the road. Nothing but oak and cedar, thick and tangled. Somewhere in there, someone had them in their sights.
Delaney slid her own weapon free, and like him, she fired glances around. “You see anything?”
“No. But they’re elevated,” he said. “That shot came from above, maybe fifty yards out.”
Another shot cracked, and this one struck the side mirror, blasting it into pieces. The debris rained down on them.
“Cover me,” Eli muttered, shifting his body around the back end of the SUV. Delaney returnedfire in the direction of the trees, not aiming to hit, just to distract.
Staying low to the ground, Eli scrambled away from the SUV and dropped behind a large boulder that was about six feet away. His pulse pounded in his ears, but his focus was sharp. He raised his weapon and scanned through the branches.
Movement. A sliver of black. Someone was shifting positions, trying to flank them.
“Right side,” Eli whispered to Delaney. “About forty yards.”
Delaney adjusted and fired twice. No scream, no thud. Either she missed or their shooter was wearing armor.
Eli took a breath, sighted in, and fired. A grunt answered, followed by the sound of someone crashing through the underbrush.
He waited, tense, tracking the noise. Then silence.
“You think they’re gone?” Delaney asked, levering herself up just a little.
Eli’s jaw clenched. “No. I think they’re setting up for something else. Get back down,” he warned her.
