Chapter 11 - THE WAREHOUSE
The rain came down harder as Ethan drove through the empty streets.
His hands gripped the steering wheel.
Every second felt like a lifetime.
Ava sat beside him.
“You shouldn’t go alone.”
“No.”
Ethan looked at her.
“I’ve already let too many people get hurt.”
Ava reached for his hand.
“This isn’t your fault.”
He looked away.
“I trusted the wrong people.”
Ava was quiet.
Because she knew that feeling.
The warehouse appeared at the end of the road.
Old.
Abandoned.
Forgotten.
Exactly the kind of place where secrets disappeared.
Ethan stepped inside.
“Lena!”
His voice echoed.
Nothing.
Then…
A weak voice answered.
“Ethan…”
He followed the sound.
Behind a locked door.
Lena was sitting on the floor.
Her face was bruised.
Her hands were tied.
“Oh my God.”
He rushed toward her.
“Who did this?”
Lena looked terrified.
“Leave.”
“What?”
“You have to leave now.”
A noise came from behind him.
Slow footsteps.
Ethan froze.
He turned.
Margaret stood in the doorway.
Not angry.
Not afraid.
Calm.
“Mom…”
She looked at him.
“I was hoping you would come alone.”
Ethan stepped between her and Lena.
“What did you do?”
Margaret sighed.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“By kidnapping someone?”
“She betrayed me.”
Lena shouted:
“I never betrayed you!”
Margaret looked at her.
“You lied.”
Lena’s face changed.
Ethan noticed.
“What is she talking about?”
Nobody answered.
Then Lena whispered:
“I knew about Ava before the accident.”
Ethan froze.
“What?”
Lena looked down.
“I worked for Margaret before I worked for Ava.”
The words hit him.
“You were spying on her?”
“I was supposed to report information.”
Ava’s face appeared in his mind.
Her trust.
Her pain.
“How could you?”
Lena started crying.
“Because I had no choice.”
Margaret laughed.
“Everyone says that.”
Lena looked at Ethan.
“But I stopped.”
“When?”
“The night of the accident.”
Silence.
“Why?”
Lena looked toward him.
“Because I found out what Margaret planned to do.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“What did she plan?”
Lena swallowed.
“She didn’t want Ava to die.”
Everyone froze.
“What?”
“She wanted something worse.”
The warehouse became silent.
“She wanted Ava alive…”
A pause.
“Alive but unable to fight back.”
Ethan felt sick.
Then Lena said the final words.
“Because Margaret wanted Ava to watch her take everything.”
Suddenly…
A loud crash came from outside.
Everyone turned.
Someone else had entered the warehouse.
A voice called out:
“Ethan.”
His heart stopped.
Because he knew that voice.
It belonged to the one person who should have been impossible to find.
May you like
His father.
TO BE CONTINUED…
