Chapter 36: You Shouldn’t Have Done That.

  As Ava and Talon breach the building, a bitter wind from the fading storm gusts in behind them, swirling snowflakes through the doorway. The cold air contrasts sharply with the thick, stifling tension inside. Each of Ava’s movements is methodical, her eyes scanning the room as the door swings open with a creaking groan.

  The warmth from the crackling fire inside is a harsh reminder of the chill they’ve just stepped out of, yet the atmosphere remains frigid in its own right. Ava’s bootfalls echo in the near silence, a single crack shattering the quiet as her rifle fires, dropping the closest guard. Talon moves in sync with her, every step calculated as they push further into the room.

  Holts stands before them, his outline dark against the firelight. Jess, her arms protectively around baby Talon, huddles in the corner. The child’s soft coos seem a world away from the violence threatening to erupt. As the door swings shut behind them, Ava and Talon’s shadows stretch long and dark across the floorboards, casting ominous figures in the flickering light.

  "Stop killing my guards already!" Holts barks, frustration coating his words like venom. "Can’t you see this is why I’m in trouble?"

  Ava’s cold gaze sweeps over him, her rifle steady, the soft hum of her breath filtering through the cold. "Then you’re definitely not gonna want to look outside," she says, voice flat but cutting, as the last remnants of smoke and blood fade into the night beyond the door.

  Holts slams his fist on the table, sending a sharp echo through the cabin’s quiet interior. The flickering fire only highlights the tension, its shadows dancing ominously along the walls. He takes a step toward Jess, his eyes shifting between her and the child in her arms. The crackling fire roars louder as he moves, casting an orange glow on his hardened face.

  Talon’s rifle instantly trains on him, his voice as biting as the winter wind. "Touch him, and I’ll put you down, father or not, and who's good idea was it to take them, yours? "

  The air between father and son is thick with unspoken rage. Every muscle in Talon’s body tightens, coiled and ready to strike. Ava, watching closely, stands like a predator, waiting for the perfect moment. The silence of the cabin is suffocating, broken only by the crackle of firewood and the steady thump of their hearts.

  Ava knows they need to diffuse the situation, for now. "You’ve dragged us here, so it’s clear you need something from us. Let Jess and the baby go, and maybe we’ll listen to what you have to say."

  The storm outside continues to howl faintly through the cracks in the wooden walls, its echo wrapping around the cabin like a lingering threat. Holts eyes Jess and the baby, a flicker of something dark crossing his features. But after a long pause, he waves a dismissive hand, as if bored. "Fine. Let the family go. I don’t need them for this."

  Ava moves swiftly to Jess’s side, her voice low and urgent. "When you leave, stay away from the vehicles. Just trust me," she whispers, her breath misting in the cold air. Jess, eyes wide with terror, nods silently and rises, carefully cradling baby Talon as she moves toward the door. The wind rushes in as she exits, leaving behind a room that suddenly feels much colder.

  Holts doesn’t miss a beat as he unrolls a map on the table, its paper edges curling from the heat of the nearby fire. "Here’s the job," he begins, his voice too calm for the chaos that’s unfolded.

  Talon’s knuckles whiten around his weapon, the grip tightening as he listens, barely able to restrain his fury. The fire casts an eerie glow on his face, highlighting the lines of tension etched deep from years of bitterness.

  "Why Sarah?" Talon asks suddenly, his voice a low rumble. His question hangs in the air, as heavy as the storm clouds outside.

  Holts doesn’t even look up from the map. "Sarah? Sorry about that, son. Collateral damage." The nonchalance in his tone strikes Talon like a slap to the face.

  Talon’s control teeters on the edge. Ava can see the storm brewing inside him, feel the electricity in the air as it builds. She places a hand on his shoulder, a silent plea for restraint, but she knows it’s only a matter of time.

  "And my mother?" Talon’s voice shakes slightly, the tension barely contained as he glares at Holts.

  Holts finally looks up, his expression as indifferent as ever. "She served her purpose. Just like Sarah, just like that family did."

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  The words are barely out of Holts’s mouth when Talon snaps. With a guttural roar, he lunges at his father, fist flying.

  Holts stumbles, his lip bloodied from the punch, but still manages a smirk, his voice dripping with contempt. "You were always weak. Too much of her in you."

  Ava, still holding back, watches with a cold detachment as Talon vents his fury. But eventually, she steps in, pulling Talon back before he can take it too far.

  "Enough, Talon," she says, her voice sharp but steady. "We still need him. For now."

  Talon steps back, his chest heaving with barely suppressed rage. Holts slowly rises to his feet, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. His cocky grin remains, but there’s a flicker of fear in his eyes now—a recognition that his son is no longer the boy he once controlled.

  "You’ve still got that fire," Holts sneers, though it’s clear his bravado is faltering. "But you’re going to need more than that to survive what’s coming."

  Ava and Talon exchange a look—one of shared understanding, shared anger. Whatever comes next, it’s going to be brutal. The storm outside may have passed, but inside, it’s only just begun.

  Holts continued his taunts, smug in his defiance. Ava had heard enough. With a flick of her wrist, she pressed the remote. The explosion outside was instantaneous—a deafening roar that shook the building to its foundations. Glass shattered, walls trembled, and the dust-filled air became electric with the aftermath of the blast.

  Holts' guards were momentarily stunned, but Ava wasn’t. In an instant, she sprang into action.

  With a burst of speed, she closed the distance to the nearest guard, leaping into the air, her legs locking around his neck like a vice. The guard's eyes widened in shock as Ava spun mid-air, her pistols flashing out from her holsters. She fired two shots—quick, precise—both guards across the room crumpled before they even had a chance to react.

  Still airborne, she used her momentum to slam the guard beneath her into the ground with a bone-crushing impact. As they hit the floor, his knife flashed out, but Ava was faster. She trapped his arm between her legs, twisting until the blade clattered to the ground. In one fluid motion, she transitioned into a brutal sleeper hold, her arms tightening around his throat. He struggled, gasping for air, but it was over in seconds. His body went limp, unconscious.

  Meanwhile, Talon’s rage had erupted into a violent storm. Every punch he landed on Holts was fuelled by years of buried anger, betrayal, and pain. His fists slammed into his father’s face, over and over again, each strike more savage than the last. Blood splattered with each blow, painting the room in a gruesome portrait of his fury.

  "You should have never come back!" Talon screamed, his voice hoarse and broken with rage. His fists were relentless, pummeling Holts with all the force of his bottled-up grief.

  Holts tried to defend himself, weakly raising his arms to block the blows, but Talon’s fists broke through every attempt. Holts’ smirk had long vanished, replaced by fear as he realized the ferocity of his son’s anger.

  "You’re just like me, Talon!" Holts coughed, blood splattering from his mouth. "You can’t run from what you are!"

  Talon let out a guttural roar, his fist coming down like a hammer, again and again. His screams of rage filled the room, each strike a violent release of years of torment. Holts’ face was a bloody mess, barely recognizable, but Talon didn’t stop. His rage was blinding, unstoppable.

  Ava, having dispatched the last of the guards, turned just in time to see Talon looming over his father, fists stained red, his breath ragged and unsteady. "Talon, stop!" she called out, but he didn’t hear her—he was lost in his fury.

  Suddenly, the door burst open. Jess, clutching baby Talon tightly to her chest, rushed in, followed by Miko, Eli, and several ADF members. Jess froze at the sight before her—Talon, drenched in blood, still pounding his father’s broken body.

  "Talon, stop!" Jess’s voice cracked with desperation as she approached cautiously.

  But it was baby Talon’s innocent babbling that finally pierced through the storm of rage. The child, oblivious to the violence, reached out towards his uncle, cooing softly. The sound was like a beacon, pulling Talon back from the edge of madness. His fists stilled, trembling as he looked at the child.

  Talon’s shoulders slumped, the weight of his grief crashing down on him. He sank to his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps, tears streaming down his bloodied face. "I’m sorry... I’m sorry..." he whispered, his voice barely audible as he took baby Talon into his arms, holding the child close as if to ground himself in that moment.

  Holts, barely conscious, let out a weak, mocking laugh. "Weak son... so weak..." he muttered through broken teeth, his voice slurred.

  Ava stepped forward, her expression dark. "Jess, take Talon out of here," she ordered, her voice firm and unyielding. "I’ll handle this."

  Jess hesitated, her eyes full of concern for Talon, but she nodded. She gently pulled Talon to his feet, guiding him out of the room as he clung to baby Talon like a lifeline. Miko and the ADF members followed, their expressions grim.

  Eli, however, lingered at the door, his eyes locking with Ava’s. He didn’t want to leave her alone with the monster lying broken on the floor, but Ava’s gaze was unflinching. "Go, Eli," she said softly, but there was an edge to her voice, a warning that this was something she had to do alone.

  Eli hesitated, his jaw clenched in worry, but he trusted her. With one final glance, he stepped through the door, leaving Ava alone with Holts.

  The door clicked shut, and the room fell into a tense silence. Holts’ labored breathing was the only sound, each breath wheezing through blood and broken teeth. Ava stood over him, her eyes cold and calculating.

  Holts chuckled, his voice weak but still defiant. "I knew... I knew he didn’t have it in him," he rasped, trying to smile through the pain.

  Ava crouched down beside him, her face expressionless as she wiped the blood from her hands. "Wait outside," she had told Eli. The words echoed in the room, leaving only Ava and Holts in the suffocating quiet.

  The moment of reckoning had come.