(Ava’s POV)
We didn’t run so much as move with purpose.
That was the first thing I noticed as the woman, and our rescuer, and guided us through the service corridors. There was no panic in her stride, no wasted motion. Every turn was intentional. Every pause meant she was listening, calculating.
Brian leaned heavily against me, his weight a constant reminder of how close we’d come to losing everything. His breath was shallow, but steady. Determined.
“Stay awake,” I murmured.
“Wasn’t planning on sleeping,” he said, voice rough. “Miss all the fun.”
Despite everything, a laugh bubbled out of me. It felt strange, and almost wrong, to feel anything but terror. But beneath it, something fierce burned bright.
Hope.
The corridors narrowed, lights flickering erratically as the facility foug
