Flying Free (MAC Security 2.50)

Just as I’m about to press the screen to call her, Daley comes running into the room, his face full of panic. “He’s gone!”

“What?” I frown. “Who’s gone?”

“Madden, he’s disappeared. The eyes I had on him haven’t seen him for a few hours so I sent them inside to check and he’s gone.”

“Fuck!” I stand up, my hands clenching into fists as I squint my eyes at a spot on the wall, trying to think what we can do from here. “I’ll gather the guys, call in your eyes. We need to work out where he’s gone.”

Daley follows me out of the room and down the hallway as I shout for everyone to get into the main room. “He left traces of an explosive device.”

“Dammit,” I curse under my breath and wait at the front of the room for everyone to come back.

“What’s up?” Jason asks when he walks in, his eyes flicking to Daley as he talks to someone on his cell.

“He’s gone,” I say, gritting my teeth and trying to keep my cool.

We need to find him quick because nobody builds a bomb not intending to use it and if he’s moved location, that means he may be going to wherever he intends to set it off.

“On their way,” Daley says when he pockets his cell and comes to stand next to me. “Let’s look at his known connections and start from there.”

“Yeah,” I say, shuffling through the files we have on him and tilting my head at Chad for him to do his thing on the computer.

“We’ll look into his time line and where he’s been to try and find out where he’s going next.”

“Ava?” I hear in the distance. I ignore it at first, not being able to see where it’s coming from and carry on walking through campus. It’s the dreaded Thursday shift today and instead of staying at Corey’s tonight, I decide to go back to the apartment. I don’t fancy going all that way, not at this time of night anyway.

“Ava!” I hear again, only this time louder. I stop and turn, searching for where the voice is coming from and spot a figure behind one of the trees.

My heart starts beating harder in my chest and my palms begin to sweat. This is where I should run but my feet stay rooted to the spot as the person comes closer.

“Ava,” the person says again and my nerves turn into anger when I recognize his voice.

It’s him, the sorry excuse I have for a dad.

“I told you to stay away from me,” I grit out, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “I’m not helping you, dig yourself out of the hole that you’ve made.”

I spin around, starting to walk away but his footsteps get closer and faster before his hand comes out and grips onto my arm, spinning me around with strength I didn’t think he had.

“What the...”

“Please, Ava,” he says, his voice whiny and pathetic. “They found me and hurt me.”

I grit my teeth and breathe through my nose, trying not to breathe in too much of his rancid scent. I squint my eyes as a light flicker’s on over us and illuminates his face.

Gasping, I pull away and search his eyes. There have been times where he’s given himself a fat lip just to get my sympathy but this time I have no doubt that someone has beat him up. His hand is clutching his side too so I’m assuming that he has bruises there as well.

“What happened?” It’s out of my mouth before I can even think about it and he must see the concern on my face because he starts to tell me how sorry he is about everything and that he wants to have a real relationship with me.

If he thinks I’m going to fall for that then he’s stupid. I have no illusions that all he wants is money to pay his debts.

“Don’t fill me with bullshit,” I say, holding my hand in front of me and looking down at the ground, trying to think about what I should do.

Guilt swamps me as I stand here. He may have done some really questionable things and wasn’t a father in the slightest but... he’s still my dad.

“How much?” I ask, lifting my head back up and watching as he looks away.

“Three,” he whispers, barely audible.

“Three hundred?” I ask. I try to figure out how much I have in my savings account. I’m sure I can manage that. If it will get him out of my life again, once and for all, then it’s worth it.