Page 13 of Fighting for Ella

Not until she was sure they were safe.

Once she knew that her family wasn't going to be harmed, then she would make sure that everyone knew the truth. That she wasn’t the mole at Prey and hadn't betrayed anyone. She had been ambushed at her house the night Cassie had disarmed the bomb on the cruise ship and been shown a video of someone setting a bomb under her parents’ house. A house where one of her sisters also lived with her husband and three small children, including an infant only five months old.

How did she have any choicebutto do as she’d been ordered?

How could she risk the lives of the people she loved?

Even knowing the risks, she’d fought, but four men had been there. Four really big men who had held her down while one of them lit a cigarette and burned the soles of her feet as he detailed how he would go straight to her parents’ house, torture them, her sister, brother-in-law, two nieces and her baby nephew before sitting back and watching them all die as the house exploded.

That was when she realized that she had been left with no choice.

Obedience was the only thing that would protect the people she loved.

Maybe that made her selfish to prioritize her own family over everything and everyone else.

But it didn't make her stupid.

Hearing footsteps thundering through the jungle behind her, Ella knew she had no chance of outrunning Miguel. Nor could she expect any warmth and compassion from him when he caught her. Perhaps if he hadn't caught her almost being raped, he wouldn't have been as nice, maybe he would have just tackled her and put her in handcuffs, but she knew for sure that’s what he would do this time.

Eyeing a tree up ahead, she wondered if she could hide since she couldn’t outrun him.

Even if her feet weren't injured, she still wouldn't have had any hope of getting away from Miguel and this might be her only chance.

If she was caught now, Raul would order the mole to detonate the bomb under her parents’ house. All she had to do was play this out until she knew the bomb had been removed and then she could do what she’d come here to do.

Betray Raul Castillo and the mole.

Whatever it took, she was bringing them both down.

If that meant she went down with them, then so be it. At least they would pay for hurting the people she loved, for threatening her family, and trying to steal a drug that she and her team had created for good.

Grabbing hold of the lowest branch, Ella dragged herself up onto it. Then up onto the next. And the next. And the next. She climbed until her arms trembled with exhaustion, and she was high enough up for her stomach to churn.

She didn't like heights.

Had never climbed a tree in her life.

But she’d done it.

Up there she was safe. Miguel wouldn't think to look for her in a tree, he’d assume she was still running and keep running after her. Then, when he’d gone past her, she could climb back down and keep walking, hoping she found Raul’s place before Miguel or one of his teammates found her.

Or before another of Raul’s soldiers found her.

A combination of fear, sadness, and exhaustion had more tears tumbling down her cheeks.

She just wanted this to be over.

However it wound up ending.

A minute or two after she’d settled high up the tree she saw him. Miguel. Slinking past her hiding place. While he was moving quickly, he’d slowed his pace a little, probably wanting to trick her into thinking that she’d outrun him so that she would slow her own pace and he could pounce on her like the predator that he was.

It was okay. She didn't blame him for it. All he knew was that the mole was someone at Prey with insider knowledge and she certainly fit that bill. Miguel didn't know her and didn't know that she valued loyalty. He didn't know that she loved the people at Prey like a family and would never allow the Reactivator to fall into the hands of a man like Raul Castillo.

But her Prey people, surely, they would figure out the truth.

After all, she’d made it as obvious as she could while still following Raul’s instructions.

If she alerted anyone at Prey, the bomb would be set off, killing most of her family. But if she played along, she could buy time. So, she hadn't tried to hide the fact that she was taking the drug. She had booked a ticket in her own name, had wornclothes she knew were ones her people would recognize as hers and had not tried to disguise herself.

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