"JEEEEN!!!"
My legs launch into a sprint before my mind can even catch up. They're moving on pure instinct now—driven by a single thought: That cleaning service guy!Jennifer has to be in his dumpster.
In the next heartbeat, I spot him. His back is still visible, pushing that oversized cart down the corridor.Seconds later, my hand clamps onto his shoulder.
With a furious yank, I hurl him to the floor.
He crashes down with a sharp grunt and a panicked shout, but I don't care.
I fling open the dumpster lid and yell again, breathless and wild,"Jen!!"
But it's empty.
Completely empty.
No bags. No trash.
And no Jennifer.
I grab the man by the collar and yank him upright.
In one swift move, I twist my arm around his neck, locking him in a chokehold.
"Where is she?"The words come out low, dangerous, laced with the promise of death.
"I—I don't know!" he stammers, eyes bulging with terror.
Wrong answer.
I slam a punch into his gut. He doubles over, coughing up blood, gasping, writhing.I grab his throat and squeeze.
"Where. Is. My. Wife?"Every syllable drops like a hammer.
"Back… door…" he wheezes out, choking on the words.
Good enough.
I knock him out with a sharp slap to the jaw and toss his limp body aside.
Spinning around, I dash back to the women's restroom—past it—to the end of the hallway.
I vaguely remember seeing a door there earlier.
"Fighter jet," I whisper to myself, and my brain instantly kicks into high-speed mode. My surroundings blur as the world slows to a crawl.
The door leads me outside the airport.
Everything freezes.
Even the plane descending overhead hangs motionless in the sky like a photo.
I tear through the lot, sprinting toward the parking area. Cars are everywhere—parked, idling, moving in slow time."JEN!!!"My voice echoes through the stillness, frantic and loud.
I pound on trunks.
Shove open back doors.
Shout her name again and again as I weave through row after row of vehicles like a madman.
Almost at the far end now.
At the gate, a small line of cars queues to leave the airport.
Desperate, I scream again,"JEN!!!!"
Then—Like a hallucination—"Scott…"A faint whisper.
"Jen!! Jen!! Where are you?!?!"This isn't in my head. It can't be.
"Scott!!"Stronger now.
"Keep calling me! I'll find you!"I charge forward, following the sound.
Each call leads me closer.Louder.Clearer.Until—The first car in line.
I see four men inside.
No Jennifer.
But I know she's there. I feel it.
I rip open the driver's door and drag him out like a ragdoll.
The front passenger doesn't fare any better—I yank him out and toss him aside.
In the back, the other two go for their weapons in slow motion.
But their hands don't even reach their belts.
CRACK.
Two punches.
Two jaws.
Two bodies slamming to the asphalt.
I rush to the trunk, heart pounding.
Please, please…
I lift the hood.
Relief slams into me.
Jennifer's inside, drenched in sweat and panic, but alive.
"Scott…"Her whisper echoes like salvation.
"I've got you, baby," I say, helping her out. "Are you okay?"
She nods, pale and shaking.
I cradle her in my arms. She clings to me tightly.
"I'm sorry, baby… I'm so sorry," I whisper, rubbing her back in gentle circles.
Her voice is barely audible."Who… who were they?"
Her question snaps me out of the moment.
Right.
Them.
I release her and turn around—ready to interrogate.
But they're gone.
All four of them.
"Shit!"They were right here! Just seconds ago!
But in fighter jet mode… those seconds for me are milliseconds—or less—for everyone else.
No way they got up and vanished that fast.
Unless…
"Get in the car. Now!"I grab Jennifer's hand, pull her to the passenger seat, and help her in.
Then I sprint to the driver's side, yanking the door open.
But before I can start the engine, I force myself to shift my brain speed back to normal.
Because if I drive in fighter jet mode—This car won't survive the first turn.
"Who are they?"Jennifer asks me again, her voice a mix of fear and confusion.
"I'm not sure," I answer, eyes locked on the road, "but I'm guessing they're from the organization."
"What? Lily?" Her voice sharpens.
"I'm afraid so..." I grit my teeth. "Bruno helped her."
"The one who can disappear?"
I nod tightly. "The men who took you—they vanished. There's only one explanation: Bruno got them out."
The thought stings. I didn't expect betrayal from him. Bruno had been unpredictable, yes, but never like this. I never thought he'd help Lily pull something this dangerous—this personal.
I steer the car away from downtown, taking a detour on purpose.
"Where are we going?" Jennifer notices the change immediately.
"Hiding," I reply. "Logically, Bruno can't teleport to places he hasn't seen or doesn't know."
I glance at her and force a smile to ease the tension.
"I've got a cabin up near the mountain. Let's just say… we're extending our honeymoon."
Jennifer studies my face, then lets out a soft smile and squeezes my arm. "Okay. I'll let my office know."
She reaches for her handbag to grab her phone, but something catches my eye.
"Where's your bracelet?" I ask, a sinking feeling hitting my gut.
Jennifer stops searching and looks at her bare wrist.
"That woman!!" she exclaims.
"What woman?"
"In the restroom, when I was washing my hands. There was this woman... she kept praising my bracelet—saying how beautiful it was, that I was lucky to have it. But something about her tone... it was off. Like she wanted it. So I took it off and put it in my bag."
Her eyes widen. She dives into her bag, rummaging frantically.
"It's gone! My bracelet is gone!"
"Charlotte…" I mutter.
"Who's she?"
"My ex-teammate. She can bend minds. What happened after that?"
Jennifer's brows pinch together as she tries to remember.
"I... I don't know… I left the restroom and—aaah!"She gasps, pressing her hand to her head. "Someone grabbed me from behind. Then something covered my nose... I felt dizzy, and everything went dark."
I clench my jaw, swallowing my rage.
"Are you okay now? The baby?"
She nods, placing a hand gently on her stomach.
"Yeah… thank God Sophie's tough," she says with a shaky smile.
I reach over and place my palm over her belly, rubbing it gently.
"She's stronger than any of us," I whisper.
The next twenty minutes pass in silence. Jennifer texts Matt, telling him we're on a surprise "vacation." Then she reclines, resting her head against the seat, eyes closed.
We're on the mountain road now—a narrow two-lane strip barely wide enough for two cars. I keep my speed within the limit, not wanting to risk drawing attention from cops.
"This truck's illegal," I murmur when a massive open truck swerves into the junction ahead of us, cutting me off.
It's a hulking beast, hauling long, unsecured iron poles stacked high in the back.
Illegal in this country. Dangerous as hell.
"It's not safe to carry things like that," Jennifer mutters, watching the wobbling metal.
I nod and try to overtake the truck several times, but the road's too tight, traffic too thick.
No opening. No luck.
Frustrated, I back off, maintaining a safe distance. But just as I ease the gas—The truck slams on its brakes.
I react instantly, slamming the brakes as hard as I can.
"Scott!!"Jennifer's terrified scream cuts through the cabin.
The tires screech.
The car lurches forward—And stops just inches from slamming into the truck's steel frame.
We both sit there, breathless.
"Sorry, babe," I say, exhaling hard as I grip the wheel tighter.
She clutches her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.
The truck starts moving again.
Just as I'm about to drive, a sharp, deafening crack explodes in front of us—like steel snapping under pressure.
A split second later, I see it.
The iron poles.
All of them lurch forward.
Fast.Unstoppable.
Racing straight toward our windshield.
"SHIT!!" I shout just as Jennifer screams my name.
Without thinking, I rip off my seatbelt and throw myself over her.
My arms stretch wide, trying to shield both her chest and her belly—but
I can't protect everything.
Not with the angle.
Not with time running out.
"The baby…" Jennifer whispers into my ear.
Her hands press against my shoulders, guiding me—begging me—to shield her stomach.
I slide lower, bracing my body over her belly just as the windshield shatters with a violent crash.
Then—Boom. Boom. Boom.Steel rains down on us.
The poles smash through the front, crushing the dashboard, hammering my back.
"ARGH!!"Agony explodes through my spine.
Blood gushes from my mouth.
My ears ring from the impact.
Everything goes muffled—until a voice cuts through the static.
"Head down!"
It's a whisper, but powerful. Urgent. Commanding.
My body obeys instinctively.
I duck—just in time.
WHOOSH.
Something thick and sharp tears through the air right above my head.
And then—
"AAAAAAAAAACH!!"Jennifer's scream pierces the chaos.
No.No. No. No.
I force my head to turn.
And I see it.
An iron cable—as thick as my thumb—has pierced her chest.
Right through.
My heart stops.
Everything else disappears.
"Jen!!" I gasp. "Jen!! Hang on, baby! Please, hang on!"
She doesn't respond.Her body is limp.Blood begins to soak her shirt—bright red, terrifying.
I try to move.
Try to reach her.
But I can't.
My body is crushed under debris.
I'm pinned.
"Jen!! NO!! Help! Somebody HELP!!"My voice breaks into screams.
The passenger door bursts open.
Someone steps in.
I turn my head—barely.
Bruno.
He appears as if out of thin air, eyes locked on Jennifer.
With one touch, he snaps the iron cable in half like it's nothing.
Then he reaches in—one arm behind her back, the other beneath her legs—and lifts her carefully, effortlessly.
"No!! Don't take her! Please, Bruno—PLEASE!!" I cry out.
His eyes meet mine.
"She'll be safe," he says, calm. Certain."You know where to find her."
Then—he vanishes.
Taking Jennifer with him.