Page 126 of Lost to Thievery
“Go!” I yelled at Emerie, feeling my heart start up again.
She gunned after them, and I had to acknowledge the nauseating emotion eating at my insides. I was glad not to have control of the car. I would have driven myself and that black car right off a fucking bridge.
I closed my eyes, trying to reel in the sensation.
No. The love of my life was in that car. There had to be some sort of explanation. She wouldn’t leave me.
One of the cars chasing with us skidded out of control as Varon took a sharp turn without slowing.
He was going to kill Ava driving like that.
“Don’t lose him!” I bellowed at Emerie as she yanked the handbrake up, letting the car drift around the corner.
“I’m fucking trying,” she grunted through her clenched teeth, swerving to the left to miss an idiot civilian who decided to hit his brakes when Varon flew past him.
I screamed, watching helplessly as the black car headed straight over a crossing, right into the path of a semi-truck. Tyres screeched as the car’s back end swerved to the side, out of the truck’s path, missing the collision with a hair’s breadth, before speeding onwards.
“Fucking hell!” Emerie cursed as our own car came to a stop. “How’d he do that?”
I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t think. I had to get her away from him. He was going to kill Ava. I couldn’t let him have her. He was a danger to her. He would be her death.
“Emerie!” I choked out.
“Yes, yes! I’m going.”
We barrelled recklessly down the road, not taking our eyes off the black car. They were headed to the marina.
If only I could get to her. I could talk some sense into her. He must have gotten into her head again. I had to get to her; remind her what will happen to her if she lets him take her again. Remind her who really loves her. Whoshereally loves.
The black sportscar drove right into the crowd at the fish market. Emerie stomped on the brakes, and we darted out of the car. There were already agents running towards the car as it came to a halt on the farthest dock.
I sprinted towards it, pushing my limbs to breaking point as I watched Ava get out of the car and onto the boat. They were all on it.
I screamed her name, but she did not hear me, did not look my way.
This isn’t happening,I tried to convince myself. It was just another one of those nightmares.
Or maybe this was her plan. To catch all of them. She could catch all of them like this. Clever! And reckless. She was always reckless like this.
God, I should have more faith in her! She wouldn’t leave me.
The boat lurched forward as I ran up on the docks. Fuck! How do I get to her now? How do I save her?
My chest was burning as Emerie and I ran all the way to the end of the dock, watching theNightingalespeed towards the open ocean.
My knees buckled in relief as a coastguard boat sped after them. TheNightingaleswerved through the boats in the harbour and made it out. But just as they picked up speed, another coastguard boat rushed at them from the side. TheNightingaleswerved to the right, trying to avoid the collision, and instead rammed right into a container ship.
I screamed helplessly as the boat splintered apart, a ball of flames erupting into the sky, before engulfing what was left of theNightingale.
I was still screaming on my knees when the shockwave of the explosion hit us, shaking the dock underneath me.
I tried to jump into the water, tried to get to her, but Emerie held me down, pinned me face-down into a police hold.
“It’s too late!” she wept. “She’s gone! She’s gone.”
I pushed past the agents as the divers hauled the last torn-up body out of the water.
Marshall stepped in front of me. “The director ordered me not to let you near the bodies, boss. It’s too—”
