Haven Bound

45. Austin

45

Austin

Hearing that piece of shit's voice on the other end of the call and knowing he was there with Chelsea had my vision clouding in a red haze. Anything that was on my desk was knocked off and obliterated as fear and rage like I’ve never known overtook my senses. My head is pounding as pressure builds, my chest heavy with the feeling of failure as I struggle to take in a deep breath.

I failed her. I promised to protect her and keep her safe, and I’ve been so caught up in loving her that I fucking failed to keep that promise. I have to believe that she will be okay. I have to believe that we will find her. Because the alternative is just… it’s not a reality I ever want to face. A world without Chelsea isn’t a world that I ever want to live in. I have no choice but to trust Zack Mercer and his ability to hack into systems and get intel. If anyone can find Chelsea, it’s him.

“It’s really hard to focus when you’re hovering over my shoulder like that,” he snaps, his fingers flying across his keyboard as multiple large monitors display dozens of camera feeds all across Haven Beach and surrounding cities.

“I can’t fucking lose her,” I growl, turning to swing a fist at the wall behind his desk. The bite of pain that snakes its way up my arm from the hit does nothing to ease the rage coursing through my system .

“You won’t,” he assures me without tearing his gaze away from the screens.

It’s been almost an hour since the call disconnected, and we’ve spent every minute possible trying to locate Chelsea. I’ve tried calling her at least a dozen times hoping maybe she’d be able to answer if only so that I could hear her voice again.

It was all a waste. Hailey drove out to the delivery neighborhood and called to let me know that she had found Chelsea’s cell phone. Every second that passes without knowing where he’s taken her has only amplified the sickening fear roiling in my stomach.

I haven’t spent the last seven years with the goddamn Phoenix Legion without learning to always be prepared for the worst possible scenario. Yet I wasn’t fucking prepared for this. I’ve learned over the years to remove the emotion from an assignment and do whatever guarantees the best possible outcome. Until now, I’d never been in a situation where that wasn’t an option.

I can’t remove my emotions from this. I wouldn’t silence them even if I could because it’s my love for Chelsea that is currently fueling my anger. It’s my feelings for her that are spurring Zack on to work as fast as he is. It’s Hailey’s twelve-year-long friendship with her that caused her to drive out to Chelsea’s last known address just to look for anything that could help us find her.

“I’ve got her,” Zack shouts. He brings the camera feed up on the main screen and enlarges the video, optimizing it to be as clear as possible. Jason’s gray sedan was last recorded heading out of Rivercrest and into Sutton Ridge. The surrounding buildings and landscape look vaguely familiar, and when Zack rattles off the name of one of the roads, I realize that I know exactly where Jason is going.

I’ve been there before. It’s the same place where I found his father before I carted him off to an abandoned warehouse to end his life.

Every single happiness that I’ve wished for with Chelsea, that I’ve seen as part of our future since we found our way back to each other, flashes before my eyes. I need to believe that we still have time, that we’ll have a chance to complete every item on our bucketlist. And maybe even add a few new things.

I have to believe that we’ll get the chance to experience a life filled with love and light, even if it means we have to submerge ourselves in the darkness one more time. I’ve spent years battling against the shadows that weigh heavily on my shoulders, but for the first time, I don’t think fighting them is the answer. I have to face them head on.