Chapter Fourteen
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Eli watched Delaney the moment her phone buzzed. Her posture shifted, tight and alert, and her grip on the phone turned rigid. Whatever she was hearing, it wasn’t good. He took a step closer, scanning her face for a clue. Her eyes sharpened with focus, and a muscle ticked in her jaw.
Something was wrong.
Without a word, she turned and motioned for him to follow. He didn’t hesitate. She cut across the bullpen, her stride quick and precise, then paused at one of the deputies posted near Olivia.
“Stay with her,” Delaney said. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”
The deputy nodded, and Delaney kept moving. Eli stayed right behind her, tension curling low in his gut.
They stepped outside into the thick heat. As soon as the door clicked shut, Delaney turned and held up her phone.
“It’s Ava,” she let him know. “I’ve got her on the line.”
Hell. What had happened now?
She tilted the phone so Eli could listen too. He leaned in, heart already kicking faster.
“Ava?” she prompted. “It’s Delaney. I’m here with Eli. We’re listening.”
Ava’s voice came through the speaker, shaky and raw. “I—I don’t know how long I can stay on. I think they saw me leave. I ran, but I don’t know if they’re tracking me.”
“Where are you?” Delaney asked.
“It’s an old barn about a half mile from the institute. Red siding. Metal roof. There’s a broken windmill out front and a cattle chute nearby. Hay in the loft. It smells like oil and rust. Please, hurry.”
Eli met Delaney’s eyes and gave a sharp nod. “I know that place.”
Eli fired off a quick text to Noah as he and Delaney reached the SUV.Ava escaped. Sending location. We’re en route.
Delaney climbed into the passenger seat, still holding the phone to her ear. “Ava, we’re close. You’re going to be fine. Just stay hidden and stay on the line with me.”
Eli started the engine and pulled out, tires grabbing at the pavement. He shot a glance at her as she listened intently.
“Why did you run?” Delaney asked gently. “What happened?”
Ava’s voice came through, tight with fear. “Because Olivia was right. It’s not a treatment center. It’s a lie. They experimented on Jason. My boyfriend. I didn’t believe it at first, but I saw it with my own eyes. Now he’s gone. They said he was transferred but no one will tell me where.”
Eli felt the tension radiate off Delaney, the grip she had on the phone going white-knuckled. His own jaw clenched as he accelerated down the highway, gravel spitting under the tires as they left town behind.
“We’re going to find you,” Delaney promised. “Just hold on.”
Eli’s phone buzzed again with a reply from Noah.Arranging backup. ETA?
Eli tapped out a quick response with one hand while keeping the other steady on the wheel.Ten minutes.
That meant backup probably wouldn’t reach them for another twenty, maybe more. The Crossfire Ops facility sat on the opposite side of the county.
They would be on their own. And without Delaney being a hundred percent. Hell. But less than a hundred percent was still better than nothing, and Eli felt in his gut that every second mattered. They had to get to Ava.
He glanced over at Delaney. She was still locked in with Ava, her voice calm but firm.
“We’re almost there,” she said to the girl. “Are you still safe? Can you see anything outside?”
“No one’s come in yet,” Ava answered. “But Iheard voices earlier. I think someone’s looking for me.”
