Emilio and Camila sent the same well wishes, asking me to keep them posted.
Arriving at the Markov Building, I took the elevator to the rooftop where Godfrey had a helipad. His property was designed for a small aircraft and was approved by the city and the state. Adrenaline rushed through me as I heard the helicopter waiting for me. Godfrey had a pilot’s license, but I saw Gabriel Parisi in the helicopter ready to fly us. He had dark hair, olive skin, bushy eyebrows, and friendlyeyes. As I approached, Gabriel saluted me. A door on the other side of me opened, and Godfrey appeared, wearing dark clothing and a Kevlar vest.
He tossed me a vest to put on. “Do you need a weapon?” He tucked his gun into the holster at his waist.
“No.” I showed him the gun I’d retrieved from my car that was now tucked in the back of my waistband.
After our escape, the boys and I did our best to learn whatever we could to protect ourselves. Now we both had licenses to carry and were excellent shooters.
My men, who were close to the Ozarrow Woods, would be stationed at the lake, waiting for my arrival. I asked them to be discreet, keeping their eyes on signs of cars going in or leaving. The blueprint I had didn’t show the entrance or exit, as the construction had changed since the original blueprint, which never got updated online. Another team would be dressed as FBI agents, scouring the edge of the forest for signs of Hawthorne’s men.
“Kill them,” I said.
After Eva’s rescue, they’d call the local authorities and Detective McNally.
The thirty-minute flight in the night felt like hours. Gabriel had alerted the city that he was transporting a patient to a hospital in case the people at the gate wondered about the helicopter noise. Gabriel landed on an open field near the lake. He turned off the engine, keeping the area quiet.
“Stay here and keep watch. We’ll be back,” Godfrey told Gabriel.
We made our way on foot through the woods to the campground, which was quiet in spring. The two black SUVs parked in the lot belonged to my men. Bryan and Garvin had brought their team.A total of six men exited the SUVs and greeted Godfrey and me.
“We didn’t see any cars coming or going,” Bryan said, offering me earbuds. “We’re all connected to the main communication center. Someone’s monitoring it behind the scenes. Just speak, and we’ll hear you. You can see where we are from the map on your phone.”
“Thank you.” Nodding, I looked at the blueprint on my phone and pointed to an area on the map. “The hidden entrance must be here or there.” I glanced around, and the single lamppost in the park didn’t allow us to see well in the middle of the night.
“We heard an explosion over here just before you arrived.” One man pointed his flashlight toward the woods, past a gazebo with picnic tables, grills, and bathrooms. “It shook the ground.”
As if on cue, another boom occurred in the same direction. Then gunshots rang out, echoing through the woods.
Terror soared as I directed my hands. “Two of you stay here in case someone runs this way. The four of you can divide into two teams in the woods. If you see anything, let everyone know. Got it?”
They nodded as I drew my weapon, rushing toward the woods.
“I’ll take this path.” Godfrey gestured to a path farther down from where I was heading. “We’ll cover more ground this way.”
“Be careful,” I said and disappeared into the trees.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Eva
When the two boilers exploded, chaos erupted as Hailey stole a set of master keys that unlocked more doors for people. Smoke billowed, and the emergency lights flashed while alarms shrieked. People scattered, and someone shouted about an exit in the opposite direction of where I was heading. I didn’t know what to believe and didn’t want to waste time. What if the other direction led to a dead end or a room rigged with traps? I trusted my instincts about going toward the delivery center.
Four frightened teens followed me, Avery, and Hailey. There were more kids here, but I didn’t know where they were held. I didn’t have time to look for them. If I escaped, I’d make sure someone came back to help them.
Fear and adrenaline pumped through me as we ran into the delivery center, out through the wide doors, and onto the dirt road with woods on either side. Chilly air and darkness greetedme, but the two flashlights I’d stolen from the desk in the delivery office shed light for us to navigate.
Avery held one flashlight, and I had the other. We hurried into the woods, with the trembling beams cutting through the darkness. Hope thrummed in the air as leaves crunched under our feet.
“Get them!” someone shouted nearby, and my heart pumped faster.
The main dirt road would make it easy for them to find us. We needed a discreet path.
“I’m scared,” said Mary, the thirteen-year-old girl who looked like she was about to cry.
“There’s a small path over there!” Avery pointed. “I’ve got you, Mary. You’re going to be okay.” Avery took Mary’s hand and hurried down the small path.
“They’re over here!” a man shouted, sounding too close for comfort.
