Detective Ava Locke 0.5-Vanished by Clara Lewis (reader novel txt) 📗

and looked around for anything that might resemble what a workshop should look like. In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of a worktable.

“Bingo,” she whispered to herself as she made her way to the garage-turned-workshop.

She paused at the table, her hand brushing over the metal laid over it. The way the metal had been welded together made Ava shudder. These were bars. If they had stayed a little longer, escape would have been impossible.

The workshop held more than just tools. While the front had his tools lying around, the back contained Murphy’s collection of weapons. The sheer number of his collection was enough to creep her out. She chose a random gun and put it into her waistband, pulling her jacket over it to conceal it.

She looked up and saw Ellie and Kate reach the truck. Ava allowed herself to smile, something that dropped the moment she saw Murphy step out of the house with a shotgun in his hand.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself as he lifted the gun to aim at Ellie and Kate. Yet his blood thumped through his veins and his eyes saw red.

Ava heard a loud shot echo through the air, and she ran toward them only to see Kate fall to the ground.

“No!” Ava yelled.

Murphy heard her and turned his attention toward her. He raised the gun at her and fired. Ava ducked behind the wall just in time. Wood splintered by her head as the bullet ripped through the wall. Ava held her breath and leaned around the corner, taking aim at Murphy and firing, only for him to dodge for cover.

A few more shots blasted through the walls, causing Ava to cradle her head to protect it. She remained hidden as she counted his bullets.

He had already wasted eight in his anger with her and that left him with four more. Determined not to let him get another shot at Ellie and Kate, she shot at Murphy once again.

She heard him yell in pain as one of the bullets grazed a limb. He returned fire. Four shots blasted near her, closer than before, and Ava crawled back into the garage for protection.

She stayed hidden for a while. Ava expected Murphy to come barreling toward her the moment his bullets were finished, but she heard only silence. Dread filled her stomach and sunk like a heavy weight as she came out of her hiding spot.

Murphy was no longer focused on her. He was walking across the clearing making a beeline for Ellie and Kate. Ava raised her gun and tried to take aim, but it was impossible at this distance. Any misfire would easily hit Ellie or Kate. Kate had been shot in the arm and the pain clearly weakened her.

Murphy began to run to them, and he gained on them fast. Seeing as there was no way Ellie could round the truck fast enough to get to the other side, she shoved Kate through the door.

“Drive,” Ellie ordered.

The girl watched as Murphy appeared behind Ellie and grabbed her.

“Drive!” Ellie repeated.

Chapter 9

When Ava had finally emerged from the safety of the garage, she was met with silence. She walked out to see Kate waving frantically and pointing at the house. Ellie wasn’t with her.

Ava stormed all the way to the house, her gun drawn. The shotgun lay discarded on the porch. This time the lights had gone off. She stepped inside and yelled.

“Where’s Ellie?”

“Close the door behind you at least.”

Ava looked up and saw Murphy holding Ellie by the neck. Ellie struggled to breathe, and she kicked at him to no avail. He tightened his hold on her and whispered in her ear. Whatever he must have said caused Ellie to calm down.

Ava stepped closer and pointed her gun at him.

“Let her go.”

“You’re in no place to make demands. I have a knife.”

Murphy raised his knife to Ellie’s neck and dug in, hard enough to draw blood. Ellie whimpered in pain, causing Ava to raise her hands. Ellie stopped struggling and hung limp in Murphy’s arms.

“She’s got the right idea. Give up Ava.” Murphy said.

Ava slowly put the gun on the floor and pushed it away, her eyes tracking the knife across Ellie’s neck.

“Okay, fine. Let her go, Murphy. We can make a deal.”

Murphy laughed.

“You think I want to cut a deal with the people who will send me to prison? No thanks.”

“You can pin it on me. You can be a hero, Murphy; don’t you want that? I’m sure you can convince the whole lot of them that I was the one who orchestrated the whole thing. How about that? You might even get a medal.”

Murphy seemed to consider it. He stared at her thoughtfully before a he frowned.

“The girl ran away; they’ll testify against me.”

Ava forced herself to scoff.

“Who’s going to believe someone like her? You’re a man of the law; your word counts more than theirs does.”

Ava raised her eyebrows, begging him to consider her offer.

“Just let Ellie go. She won’t tell anyone because she has no one to tell. Right, Ellie?”

Ellie nodded weakly.

Murphy laughed ruefully.

“Do you think I’m stupid? You’re a liar, you know that?” Murphy said, pointing his knife at Ellie’s jugular. “Just like this one.”

He tightened his hold on Ellie. Ava moved forward, her arms reaching out to stop Murphy. The man raised his knife as a warning, and with a look, he forced her to stay put.

Finally, Murphy loosened the grip he had on Ellie’s neck. Ellie dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

Ava was too late.

In just a few steps, Murphy was by her. He stepped on her hand, causing Ava to scream in pain. He kneeled down in front of her and got