AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Several more days passed, and to be honest, I spent most of my time drinking and reading.
Not because I couldn't leave but because I didn't want to.
I was sick and tired.
Tired of games.
The waiting.
The moments passed too slowly.
The guilt I was riddled with.
The only way I could get out of my own head was through a bottle of whiskey or wine. Or whatever else I could get my hands on.
I could tell James disapproved of my methods but didn't say anything. He filled my liquor cabinet when my supplies dwindled.
Sarah was ok but on light duty after the gunshot wound to her leg. Thankfully, the bullet pierced right through and missed any bones or arteries. She insisted on staying on the case but was strictly on house duty, or what I like to call babysitter duty. She reported directly to James if I left the house. And because I felt guilty about what had happened, I didn't push my luck and stayed inside unless James was around, which was not very often. He would go to bed late and wake up early. I longed for the intimacy we once shared, and when I tried to get a spark of that back, he shut me out coldly with excuses of exhaustion. His rejection sunk like a stone in my stomach, and as each second passed, it felt like I was discarded piece by piece. Every ounce of self-respect disappeared as I drifted further away into a stupor of alcohol. I no longer felt anything but the murky haze surrounding me; not even the judgmental glares from other agents mattered to me anymore. All I wanted was for all the thoughts clattering in my mind to disappear.
THIRTY-THREE
JAMES
Ihad been running around like a chicken with his head cut off. What happened at the mill was a big deal. There were multiple fatalities and injuries.
When I heard gunshots outside the mill, my only thought was to get to her. I had to protect her. It was pure chaos when Everett and I emerged, gunfire blazing, bodies littering the ground, yelling and screaming. It was like being in Afghanistan again.
I was not scared for myself. I was terrified because I knew Ava was out there in the middle of the scene.
I couldn't see her.
Every time we inched forward, more bullets ricocheted by our heads. We covered and ducked and moved between cars and pulled the injured deputies out of the crossfire. It seemed like there were multiple gunmen at first. However, I realized that the noises I heard were from a semi-automatic assault rifle and the service weapons of the deputies.
My heart skipped a beat as Ava stood up and fearlessly fired at the gunman, her aim steady and unshaken. The explosion that followed nearly knocked me off my feet, but I climbed to my feet and raced after her, not daring to take my eyes off her for even a second. I stumbled over rocks and careened into tree branches as I sprinted through the field, desperately searching for a sign of where she had gone.
My chest tightened as I heard a male's voice in the distance. I had to reach Ava before he did. I pushed myself even faster until I finally burst through the trees into a clearing. Standing in front of me was the man who had been tormenting the woman I loved. His long, brown hair was thrown back in a bun, disheveled from his exertion. His skin was sweaty and red with rage. Yet despite his rage-filled black eyes and twisted grin, there was something strangely average about him that made him all the more terrifying. Without hesitation, I threw myself forward between Ava and this monster, ready to do whatever it took to protect her.
I could see Ava standing to my right. She held a branch, ready to swing at him.
When the killer met my eyes, they widened in surprise, or fear, at my arrival. I fired my weapon without hesitation. I didn't expect him to survive when he disappeared over the cliff. The fall alone should have killed him. If not, the water's rapid current should.
But it didn't.
How could I tell Ava that we found no body in the water but instead found footprints leading out over two miles down the river, disappearing into the thick woods?
The dogs had tracked him to a road, where I assumed he hitched a ride because his trail ended there. This demented fuck was still alive. He was given another chance to come after her. And we had fucked up again.
Even though we were ambushed that day, it wouldn't matter to the superiors. They would hold him accountable for it. For bringing her to an active crime scene and allowing the killer to escape.
Again.
My inability to catch him put me on the radar of suits. A place I had never ended up in...until now.A place that meant I was about to get my ass chewed. Or worse, taken off the case immediately. I had to make sure that didn't happen. I couldn't leave Ava here alone or with some staunch ass-kisser that wouldn't protect her the way I would. Or anyone else on my team, for that matter.
THIRTY-FOUR
AVA
Javier Martinez was James' boss. I heard that name spoken many times over the next few hours, mostly with disdain spilling out of the mouths that spoke about him. After several cops were killed and Sarah was injured, he decided to step down from his throne to come out to Harborview and re-assess the situation personally.
