Chapter 36: Echoes of Betrayal

The dense cover of the forest wrapped around Ava and Jaxon like a cocoon, but despite the darkness and the sense of isolation, Ava knew it was only a fragile illusion of safety. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she urged Jaxon forward, her hand firmly gripping his arm. Every step felt like a marathon, each one heavier than the last as exhaustion crept into her bones.

"We need... to keep moving," she said between breaths, glancing back to ensure they hadn't been followed.

Jaxon winced, his body still weak from the ordeal. "I'm trying... but I can't" His voice broke off, and he stumbled, his legs giving way beneath him.

"No!" Ava cried softly, catching him before he collapsed completely. "We're almost there, Jaxon. Don't give up on me now."

He gave her a weak nod, but his eyes were clouded with pain. Ava's heart twisted. They didn't have much time. The roar of engines in the distance, though faint now, was a constant reminder that their enemies wouldn't stop hunting them until they were either captured or dead.

Ava scanned the trees, looking for anything that might provide them a brief respite, somewhere to hide until they could come up with a plan. Her mind was spinning, but she refused to give in to panic. She had to think. She had to stay one step ahead of the danger closing in around them.

"There," Jaxon muttered weakly, nodding toward a small outcropping of rocks half hidden by the underbrush. It wasn't much, but it might give them a few precious minutes to rest.

Ava helped Jaxon over to the rocks, lowering him gently onto the ground as he leaned back, struggling to catch his breath. His face was pale, the bruises and cuts standing out starkly against his skin, and Ava's chest tightened at the sight of him like this. She hated seeing him so vulnerable, so broken. But despite everything, he was still fighting still trying to protect her, even when he could barely stand.

"I'm sorry," Jaxon rasped, his voice hoarse as he closed his eyes. "I should have... I should have told you... about everything. Maybe... if I had... this wouldn't have happened."

Ava shook her head fiercely, her fingers gripping his hand. "No, Jaxon. This isn't your fault. You've been fighting this alone for too long. I should have been there... sooner."

Jaxon's eyes fluttered open, and he gazed up at her with a mix of pain and regret. "It's not just them... there's more to this... Ava, I..."

"Shh," Ava whispered, her heart racing as she glanced around again, her senses on high alert. "Don't talk. Save your strength."

But even as she said it, a deep pit of fear opened up inside her. The weight of Jaxon's words hung in the air, and she knew, without him having to say it, that there were things he had been keeping from her. Secrets that went far deeper than anything she had imagined.

Her mind reeled with questions, but she pushed them aside. This wasn't the time for answers. Not yet.

Ava pulled her phone from her jacket pocket, glancing at the screen. There was no signal out here, but the beacon she had activated earlier would still be pulsing, sending out its location to anyone who knew where to look. A double edged sword. Caleb had said he would find them, but after everything that had happened, Ava wasn't sure she could rely on anyone not even Caleb.

The thought sent a cold shiver down her spine. She hated thinking like that, hated the seeds of doubt that had been planted in her mind. But the way things had gone down at the warehouse,the timing of the ambush, the fact that Caleb had shown up when he did made her uneasy.

"What are you thinking?" Jaxon asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ava shook her head, forcing a small smile. "Nothing. Just trying to figure out our next move."

Jaxon's hand squeezed hers gently. "You don't have to protect me, Ava. I can handle the truth."

Ava hesitated, her mind racing with the suspicions she had been trying to push aside. She had trusted Caleb for so long he had always been the one constant in her life, the one person she could rely on. But lately, the cracks had begun to show, and now... now she wasn't sure what to believe.

"I don't know if we can trust him," Ava finally admitted, her voice trembling slightly. "Caleb. There are... things that don't add up. I can't shake the feeling that... maybe we've been played."

Jaxon's brow furrowed, his gaze sharpening despite the pain that lingered in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Ava's thoughts raced, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place with sickening clarity. "The timing. How did Caleb know where to find me? How did he know about the compound? And why did he..."

Her words were cut off by the unmistakable crack of a branch snapping somewhere nearby. Ava froze, her heart leaping into her throat as she strained to listen.

"Someone's coming," Jaxon rasped, his body tensing as he tried to push himself up.

"No," Ava whispered urgently, placing a hand on his chest to keep him down. "Stay low."

The forest was silent for a moment, the only sound the rustle of leaves in the faint breeze. But Ava's gut told her that something or someone was out there. She could feel it, the prickling sensation at the back of her neck that warned of impending danger.

She crouched down beside Jaxon, her eyes scanning the trees, her heart pounding in her chest. The silence stretched on, each second dragging out like an eternity.

And then, out of the shadows, a figure emerged.

Ava's breath caught in her throat as she saw Caleb step into the clearing, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. His face was unreadable, his expression calm, but there was something in his posture that made Ava's heart race with suspicion.

"I found you," Caleb said softly, his voice steady as he approached. "Thank God you're okay."

Ava's fingers curled into fists at her sides, her mind spinning with a thousand conflicting thoughts. She wanted to trust him,wanted to believe that he was still the man she had always known. But something felt wrong. Something was off.

Jaxon shifted beside her, his eyes narrowing as he looked up at Caleb. "You were supposed to stay behind. What happened?"

Caleb's gaze flicked briefly to Jaxon before returning to Ava. "Things got complicated. I couldn't leave you out here alone."

Ava swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her ears. She wanted to believe him, but the doubts were louder now, drowning out the voice of reason.

"What now?" she asked, her voice tight, as if she were trying to hold the world together with a single thread.

Caleb's eyes softened, and he stepped closer, his hand outstretched toward her. "Now... we get Jaxon to safety. Together."

But as Ava looked into his eyes, a deep, unsettling feeling rooted itself in her chest.

She didn't know if she could trust him anymore.

And as the tension hung in the air between them, an ominous silence fell over the forest... one that whispered of betrayal.