Page 31 of The One that Got Away

Lisa's arms ached, her grip tightening on a heavy metal pipe she had snagged from the floor. Oliver was locked in a struggle with the larger of their pursuers, his face set in grim determination. The man's relentless advances seemed like a mountain pressing down upon them, and Lisa felt the ice of fear creeping into her veins.

"Oliver!" she cried out, swinging the pipe with all her might. It connected with a dull thud against the attacker's side, causing him to grunt in pain and stagger away from Oliver.

Oliver seized the moment, his fisherman's strength honed from years at sea surging through him. He lunged forward, his fist connecting with the man's jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Stay down!" Oliver commanded, his voice a rumble of thunder in the eerie calm that followed.

With the immediate threat neutralized, they turned to each other, their chests heaving in unison. A wave of relief washed over Lisa, the same kind that came after a storm when the sea lay still and forgiving once more. Their eyes met, and in Oliver's gaze, she saw not just the shared victory but also the echo of every challenge they had overcome together.

"Come on," Lisa said, taking Oliver's hand. "We need to get Ava."

They found Ava huddled in the shadows of the abandoned cabin, her slender form shaking with silent sobs. Her eyes, usually so full of fire, now mirrored the terror of the night's events.

"Lisa, Oliver," she whispered, her voice a thread of sound. "I was so scared. I thought I wouldn’t see you again."

"Shh, it's over now. You're safe," Lisa assured her, pulling Ava into a tight embrace. Ava's body trembled against hers, and Lisa could feel her own heart pounding, not just from the exertion but from the fierce protectiveness that surged within her.

"Daniel's waiting for you at our place," Oliver said, his presence a solid reassurance in the darkness. "He's been asking for his mom."

Ava's eyes filled with tears, reflecting the moonlight. "Thank you," she murmured, clutching at Lisa as if anchoring herself to reality.

"Let's go home," Lisa said, a warm certainty filling her voice. She took Ava's hand in one of hers, Oliver's in the other, forming a chain of resolve and care. “I called the sheriff and told him to go to the cannery and what he’d find there. He’ll take care of them.”

Chapter Eleven

Ava's phone buzzed on the kitchen counter, the screen lighting up with an ominous glow that sliced through the quaint warmth of Lisa and Oliver’s home, where she had been staying for some weeks. She wiped her hands on a dish towel and then read the message that had popped up. Then, she grew pale. Seeing this, Lisa walked over to her.

“What’s going on, Ava? What is it?”

She lifted the phone so Lisa could see what the text said:

"The past isn't buried. Neither are you… yet."

Ava broke into tears and ran out of the kitchen, crying. A chill skittered down Lisa's spine, erasing the comfort brought by the scent of freshly baked bread and the laughter of her children playing in the living room. Oliver was sanding down a piece of driftwood at the kitchen table and saw the color drain from her face.

"Lisa? What's wrong?" His voice was a rough caress, edged with concern.

She couldn't speak; the words stuck like thorns in her throat. Instead, she thrust the phone into his calloused hands, her eyes wide with fear. The message glared back at them, a silent threat that echoed the danger they thought they'd left behind.

“Ava just received this.”

Oliver's jaw tightened, the charming smile that so often played on his lips replaced by a hard, determined line. "We need to move, and fast," he said, the timbre of his voice low and urgent. He grabbed his phone and called Sheriff Coleman. They spoke for what felt like an eternity to Lisa before he hung up.

Oliver sighed. “The sheriff and all his deputies are dealing with something on the other side of town. Since a crime hasn’t been committed and it’s just a threat, he can’t rush off until they’re done with what they’re doing. By the time they make it here, it might be too late. I don’t think we can risk that.”

“Okay,” Lisa said. “We know what we must do then.”

"Daddy, look what I made!" Daniel bounded into the kitchen, brandishing a crayon drawing of a lopsided house with smoke billowing from its chimney.

Lisa knelt, her wavy hair brushing against Daniel’s cheek as she pulled him close. "We're going to play a game, okay? A scavenger hunt."

"Can Mommy play too?" Daniel asked, his innocent question piercing her heart.

"Of course," she replied, mustering a smile for the boy. She looked over to Oliver, who nodded, understanding the unspoken plan forming between them.

"Kids, listen up!" Oliver called out, using his “captain-on-deck” voice that never failed to command attention. "We’re going on an adventure, just like the ones we read about in your books. We need to pack some things and stick together. Can I trust my brave crew to help?"

Eager nods and excited chatter filled the room as Lisa and Oliver swept into action. Oliver gathered the children, talking them through what they needed to do, while Lisa went to find Ava, who was in the backyard, her long dark hair lifting in the wind.

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