Detective Ava Locke 0.5-Vanished Clara Lewis (top 50 books to read TXT) 📖

“You’re running away from the wrong person,” Ava warned.

Ellie didn’t listen. The man and her shared a look which caused Ava’s stomach to drop.

“Get in the car, Ellie,” he ordered.

Ava refused and kept her grip around Ellie’s wrist tight. The man chuckled and grabbed her forearm with so much force that Ava had no choice but to let go. Ellie took that chance and grabbed her bag. She booked it from there and closed the car door with a slam. From there, she stared straight ahead and refused to look at Ava.

The man had gotten what he wanted. He had Ellie, and Ava finally felt the weight of her crushing failure. After all, it was her idea. Ellie focused her eyes on the floor of the truck, waiting for the man to get back in and drive off.

That wasn’t his intention though. His feet never moved from Ava’s peripheral nor did she hear his footsteps fade away. Ava’s feeling of defeat evolved into fear. She brought her head up and looked around wildly. The man stood in front of her, waiting.

What was he observing her for? He had gotten what he wanted. Ava looked up and saw him grab at her. Ava kicked away from him, earning her a growl. She crawled up and reached for her gun, tucked in her waistband.

Nothing.

Panic filled her as the man turned his head to her and began stalking toward her. Ava looked around her wildly and finally spotted the gun on the ground, mere steps away from her. At the same time, the man caught sight of it too. Their eyes met and for a split second there was silence.

When Ava moved to get to her gun, the man grabbed her hair and yanked her back.

“Stay still,” he ordered.

Ava struggled nonetheless, causing the man to pull at her hair. Ava dug her nails into his arms causing him to hiss in pain, but his hold never faltered. He began to drag her toward his truck.

The gun was so close now. Ava reached out one of her arms and stretched her fingers, hoping it would be enough to grasp the handle of the gun. The man noticed and let out a dark laugh at the sight of Ava desperately trying to gain the advantage. Without letting go, the man stepped around her and kicked the gun far across the parking lot.

The brute then hoisted her over his shoulder as if she weighed no more than a feather. Ava pounded on his back, but it was no use; he was clearly stronger. He opened the door to his truck and threw Ava, causing her to land on the floor painfully.

Ellie’s hands trembled in her lap as she watched Ava fight back. Her confident posture had now curled upon itself. Only now did she realize what a big mistake she had made.

It wasn’t Ellie’s fault. She didn’t know better. However, at this point, Ava had felt so much that she couldn’t help but send a scathing glare toward Ellie. Ellie had the decency to look guilty.

Ava directed her glower to the man who said nothing.

“Behave,” he grunted.

Ava responded to that by attempting to kick the man. He caught her foot and huffed in annoyance. He brought out his gun causing Ellie to gasp.

“Shoot me,” Ava dared.

The man laughed and brought the butt of his weapon up. The last thing Ava felt was the force of the cold metal rendering her unconscious.

***

Her leg had fallen asleep. Ava slowly blinked her eyes open and squinted. She attempted to get up but soon realized she had been tied down. Ava struggled against her restraints, trying not to get out—that was impossible—but to get some blood running through her veins again.

The man heard her moving and turned around.

“Look, Ellie! She’s awake,” he said, chuckling.

Ellie merely nodded and let out a forced laugh. Ava noted how Ellie angled herself away from the man. He reached out and Ellie flinched.

“Get your hands off her,” Ava growled.

The man raised his hands up in a show of mock surrender. Ellie simply moved away as far as she could.

“I can get off here,” Ellie said, pointing at a run-down gas station.

She was already out of the city. If she waited at the gas station, she could catch another ride to the next city.  Her hands trembled as she watched the man’s reaction. His hands gripped the steering wheel with a force that turned his knuckles white. He wasn’t happy.

Ellie’s beating heart calmed down when he turned onto the road that led to the gas station. However, instead of stopping, he only continued driving. Ellie looked back, her relief turning into dread.

“We’re almost there, don’t worry. We’re almost home,” he simply said.

Ava and Ellie locked eyes in the side mirror, and they had the same incredulous look. Ellie’s eyes reflected fear to which Ava nodded, a small comfort for their shared situation. Ava somehow maneuvered her body into sitting upright. As she got up, she lost her balance and scraped her cheek against the faded seats. Ava winced as the pain reverberated through her entire face. She scooted up the seat and sucked in a breath when she saw a purple bruise form around her cheek. After sending a glare toward the driver in the rearview mirror, Ava directed her attention to the window.

The repetitive landscape had her almost falling asleep. And she would have if it weren’t for the lingering feeling that someone was watching her. Every so often, she would catch the man looking at her from the rearview mirror and she would avert her eyes quickly. It was a discomfort of a different kind. It wasn’t like the awkward meeting of eyes when you’d run into a stranger at a bus stop. No, this felt like a slimy,