“Take a breath,” I said softly, stepping closer to her. “This is to be expected. She’s a coward—attacking you in secret and then running away in the night.”
Ella nodded slowly. “You’re right,” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s cowardly. But she’s very mistaken if she thinks she can hide from me.”
Determination lit her face like a flame. Without hesitation, she picked up the phone again, set it on the counter, and redialed—this time putting it on speaker.
“I’ll do this all night if that’s what it takes,” she said, her voice sharp and unwavering.
It was on the fifth attempt that the call was finally answered. A hesitant female voice came over the line, and I saw the recognition flash across Ella’s face the moment she heard it.
“The coordinates you sent,” Ella said, sk
