“Try again,” he snapped. His hand was already gripping the desk, knuckles white. Avery stood beside him, silent, her face pale against the glow of the monitors.
“Nothing,” dispatch said finally. “It’s gone dark.”
Jackson swore under his breath and shoved the phone to speaker. He hit Noah’s contact and waited, every second dragging like lead.
Noah picked up on the second ring. “Talk to me.”
“Riley just called,” Jackson said, putting the call on speaker. “We’ve got her on recording. She sounded scared, scripted. Someone was feeding her lines. She gave us a location: the south ridge of the training facility. Said it’s where they’re holding her and Megan.”
“Son of a bitch.” Noah’s voice came back sharp, breathless. “You’re not the only one dealing with a fire. I’ve got Sheriff Chase on the other line. It’s chaos at the hospital.”
Jackson’s chest went tight. “What happened?”
“Hospital just got hit. Armed men, three maybe four. They shot the guards posted outside Mick’s room and took him.”
Jackson’s stomach dropped. “Took him? You’re telling me Mick’s gone?”
“Yeah,” Noah said, grim. “Vanished before backup got there. No ID on the shooters yet. They were fast, professional.”
“Hell.” Jackson raked a hand through his hair, mind racing. “So either Mick orchestrated his own damn extraction, or he’s next on the list.”
“Exactly,” Noah said. “I’ve got every unit I can spare locking down roads around the hospital, but if they planned this right, they’re already long gone.”
Jackson looked over at Avery. She met his eyes, jaw set, no fear. Just the grim understanding that everything had shifted again.
First the call. Now Mick.
Some movement caught Jackson’s eye, and he turned to see something he sure as hell didn’t want to see.
Avery was across the room, already strapping on her vest.
“Don’t even think about it,” he said, stepping toward her. He kept his phone gripped in his hand.
She didn’t stop. “I’m not thinking. I’m acting.” The sound of Velcro and buckles filled the space, sharp and final. “You heard her, Jackson. Riley said the only way she and Megan live is if I give myself up.”
“Like hell you are.”
Her gaze cut to him, steady and unflinching. “You think I can just sit here while they’re being used as bait?”
Jackson felt the blood pounding in his ears. “That’sexactlywhat they want. You walk into that ridge alone, you’re gone before we ever see you again.”
Noah’s voice, strained and urgent, came through the phone still in his hand. “Jackson’s right, Avery. You can’t just go charging in there blind. That location screams setup. We don’t even know who’s running this anymore.”
Avery yanked her hair back and tucked it under her collar, her expression carved from steel. “I don’t care who’s running it.Riley and Megan are barely more than kids. I can’t leave them out there because I’m scared.”
“This isn’t fear,” Jackson shot back. “It’s strategy.”
“Strategy doesn’t matter if they’re dead,” Avery argued.
He took a step closer, voice low. “And what if that’s the point? What if theywantyou to walk in so they can finish this once and for all?”
She didn’t answer, just kept adjusting the vest. The click of the last buckle sounded like a gunshot in the quiet room.
On the line, Noah swore softly. “Listen to me, both of you. If you move, you move smart. Give me ten minutes to get eyes on that ridge. If you go now, you’re walking straight into a kill box.”
Avery looked at Jackson again, her expression breaking for the first time. “They said the only way Megan and I live is if Avery gives herself up,” she repeated quietly. “What am I supposed to do—ignore that?”
Jackson stared at her, the weight of her words cutting deep. Because he knew she meant it. She’d walk into hell itself for those hostages.