Chapter 12 – The Eyes That Watch
Ava didn't sleep much that night. Not because of nightmares—those had become normal—but because of the message.
"They know where you are."
It had popped up on her burner phone just after midnight. No number. No trace. Just six words that froze her where she stood.
She hadn't told Lana or Cami yet. And definitely not Jessy. Not yet. He was still asleep in the living room, curled awkwardly on the couch with a blanket barely covering his legs.
It didn't make sense. They were hidden. Safe. No one should have known they were here. Unless…
She shook the thought away.
Morning light crept into the living room as Ava quietly made her way to the kitchen. To her surprise, Jessy was already awake, sitting at the table with two mugs of tea in front of him.
"Didn't sleep well either?" he asked gently.
Ava forced a smile. "Not really."
He slid a mug toward her. "Green tea. Calms the nerves."
"Thanks."
He studied her for a moment, and then, as if sensing the weight on her chest, said, "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."
Ava hesitated. She wanted to tell him. About the message. About her growing fear. But something held her back. Maybe it was the memory of Chloe—how she always said to be careful who you trusted. Even those closest to you.
"I know," Ava said instead. "I just... need to sort it all in my head."
Jessy nodded. "Whenever you're ready. I'm not going anywhere."
---
By noon, Elijah had returned. He wasn't the kind of man who spoke much, but every word he gave felt loaded with meaning. He'd promised to help them uncover the truth—but he never revealed his full hand. That made Cami uneasy.
"He knows more than he's saying," she whispered to Ava as they watched him tinker with the old satellite phone. "But he's not lying either. He's just... careful."
"I don't blame him," Ava said. "After everything we've seen."
Elijah finally looked up. "Tonight, I want to show you something. Not here. A place where no one can watch. We'll move at dusk."
Jessy appeared in the doorway. "I'm coming too."
Elijah looked at him, unreadable. "You sure about that?"
"Ava's not going anywhere without me."
Ava gave a small smile. It was true. Jessy had been at her side every step of the way. He never complained. Never questioned her. Maybe that's what scared her the most.
---
The house that Elijah led them to was on the far edge of Crestfield—abandoned, its windows boarded up and the grass tall from years of neglect.
"No one comes here," Elijah said as he pried open a side door. "Not anymore."
Inside, the place was coated in dust and silence. He led them downstairs to a hidden basement. There, in the dim light, he showed them boxes—files, photographs, maps.
"This was Chloe's backup stash," he said. "She prepared for everything. Even her death."
Ava's breath caught. She moved to the boxes slowly, reverently. Her hands trembled as she picked up a photo—Chloe standing beside Elijah and... another girl she didn't recognize.
"Who's this?" Ava asked.
Elijah hesitated. "Someone who knew too much. She's gone now."
That answer didn't sit right, but Ava said nothing.
They spent the evening combing through files. Lana took pictures. Cami mapped out connections. Jessy stayed close to Ava, offering quiet reassurance, though she caught him glancing at the documents more than once with a strange look in his eyes.
That night, back at the house, Ava checked her phone again.
Another message.
"You're running out of time."
Her stomach twisted. This wasn't random. Someone was watching them. Someone who knew exactly where they were and what they were doing.
Ava showed it to Cami this time.
"It's the same number as before," Ava whispered. "Still untraceable."
Cami's face darkened. "Whoever it is, they're close. Too close."
"You don't think... one of us—"
"No," Cami said quickly. "I don't think that. But we can't rule out that someone might be leaking information."
Ava didn't respond. Her eyes drifted toward the living room, where Jessy was helping Lana charge the camera gear.
He had always been by her side.
That's what worried her most.
---
Later, Ava lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Jessy knocked gently and poked his head in.
"Hey," he said. "Couldn't sleep. Thought you might need company."
She nodded, and he came in, sitting on the floor beside her bed.
"You thinking about Chloe again?"
"Always."
He smiled softly. "She'd be proud of you. For not giving up."
Ava didn't answer. The silence stretched between them.
Then Jessy said something that made her sit up.
"I always thought Chloe was too curious for her own good. Always digging into places she shouldn't."
Ava blinked. "What do you mean?"
Jessy looked surprised by his own words. "I just meant... you know. She took risks. Dangerous ones."
Ava studied his face. That strange look from earlier. The way he always showed up. Always said the right thing.
The texts.
She smiled. "Yeah. She really did."
But inside, Ava felt a shift.
Something wasn't adding up.
---
Outside the house, someone watched from the woods.
Phone in hand.
Typing.
"She's starting to suspect. What now?"
The reply came quickly:
"Wait. Don't rush it. We're not done with her yet."