CHAPTER 4: SURVIVE AND ESCAPE.

The campfire cast flickering shadows across the makeshift camp as the Sentinels were dragged in, battered and broken. Ava stumbled, her limbs heavy from the long hours of torture and interrogation, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The raiders had worked them over, trying to break their spirit, to pry information from them, but Ava had remained silent.

Now, as the raiders pulled her upright and tied her hands above her head, hoisting her up until her toes barely touched the ground, exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders. Her muscles screamed from the strain, her skin raw where the ropes dug into her wrists, but Ava’s mind remained sharp. She had been trained for this—trained to endure, to wait for the right moment. But even she was beginning to reach her limits.

The raid leader, Garrick, a towering man with a face weathered by years of violence, approached. His eyes were cold, assessing the captured Sentinels with the cruel detachment of a man used to breaking his enemies. He stopped in front of Ava, his mouth twisting into a mocking grin.

"Well, well," Garrick mused, his voice low and dangerous. "The infamous ‘Blonde Death,’ all tied up and helpless. Not so deadly now, are we?"

Ava lifted her head, glaring at him through strands of hair that had fallen into her eyes. "You’ll regret this," she spat, her voice low but laced with venom.

Garrick chuckled darkly, stepping closer to her. He reached out, grabbing her chin roughly and tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "Regret?" he echoed. "No, sweetheart. Regret is something for the weak. And you, my dear, are about to learn just how weak you are."

His fingers dug into her skin before he shoved her head back, letting her dangle helplessly from the branch. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the other Sentinels to be bound and tossed into the dirt. Talon was among them, barely conscious, blood staining his hair. Garrick glanced at him with disinterest. "That one’s a goner. We don’t need him."

"Leave him alone," Ava growled, but her voice was strained, the weight of her body pulling on her arms painfully.

Garrick only smirked. "We’ll see how long you last. Maybe you’ll beg before the night is over."

As the raid leader walked away, another raider stepped forward. He was smaller than Garrick, but what he lacked in size he made up for in cruelty. His eyes gleamed with a sick enjoyment as he approached Ava, licking his lips. He had watched her all day, his gaze lingering in ways that made her skin crawl.

"Well now, you’ve got some fight in you, don’t you?" he said, stepping closer to her, his voice dripping with lecherous intent. "You think you're better than us, huh? Untouchable?"

Ava glared at him, her chest heaving with exhaustion. "Touch me, and I will kill you," she snarled, her voice full of ice.

The raider laughed, running a filthy hand down her cheek, his touch lingering as he leaned in close to her face. "Big words from a woman strung up like a pig. But don’t worry. You’ll break just like the rest of them."

Ava spat in his face, her defiance unwavering. "I warned you."

The raider’s smile faltered for a moment before he struck her hard across the face. The force of the blow sent her head snapping to the side, but Ava refused to cry out. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "Feisty. I like that," the raider sneered, wiping the spit from his cheek.

He stepped back, eyeing her with a twisted grin. "I’ll be back for you later," he promised, his tone full of sickening promise. "And by then, you won’t be so tough."

Hours passed, each one more torturous than the last. Ava’s muscles ached, her wrists raw and bleeding from the ropes that held her. Her body screamed for rest, but her mind refused to give in. She needed to stay sharp, to be ready. Talon lay a few feet away, unconscious, his breathing shallow. She could only hope he’d survive long enough for her to act.

As the night deepened and the camp quieted, the raider returned, his footsteps deliberate as he made his way toward her. His grin was wider now, his eyes alight with anticipation. "I told you I’d be back," he said, his voice low and full of menace. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek. "You’re mine now."

Without hesitation, he leaned in close, his lips grazing her ear as he whispered, "No one’s coming to save you."

Ava’s heart pounded in her chest, but her mind remained clear. This was her moment. Her legs, aching and stiff, coiled beneath her. As he pressed his body against hers, licking her cheek with a revolting chuckle, Ava struck.

With a sharp, practiced movement, she wrapped her legs around his neck, squeezing with all her strength. The man gasped, his hands flailing as he tried to pry her legs away, but Ava held fast. His weight pulled on her, but she used it to her advantage. The branch above them creaked and groaned under the strain.

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"I told you," Ava hissed, her voice cold and dangerous. "Touch me, and I’ll fucking kill you."

The man gurgled, his face turning purple as Ava’s grip tightened. With a final, sickening crack, the branch above them snapped, sending them both crashing to the ground. Ava landed hard, the impact knocking the wind out of her, but she didn’t stop. She rolled over, snatched the knife from the dead raider’s belt, and cut through the ropes binding her wrists.

Pain surged through her body, but she pushed it aside. She crawled over to Talon, his face pale and covered in blood. "Talon," she whispered urgently, cutting through the ropes that bound him. "We’re getting out of here."

The firelight flickered in the distance, casting long shadows across the camp. She was free now, but the night was far from over.

The real fight was just beginning.

Ava crouched beside Talon, her hands working furiously to cut through his restraints, her fingers slick with sweat and trembling from the exhaustion gnawing at her body. Talon’s breathing was shallow, his once sharp eyes dull as he hovered on the edge of consciousness. Blood from his head wound had dried in streaks down his neck, his face pale and lifeless.

“Stay with me, Talon,” Ava whispered fiercely, her heart pounding in her chest. “I’m getting you out of here.”

She glanced around the camp. The night had settled deep and thick, and most of the raiders were lazily lounging by the fire, confident in their dominance. Ava’s eyes flicked to the bound Sentinels nearby, their faces bruised and bloodied, but their spirit unbroken.

Just as she cut the last of Talon’s bindings, she caught sight of a movement. A raider was making his rounds, dragging the end of his rifle through the dirt as he lazily checked on the prisoners. Ava's muscles tensed. She had no time to waste. Talon was still too weak to move on his own, but she needed to free the others if there was any chance of escape.

The raider drew closer, his eyes half-lidded with boredom, oblivious to the fact that one of the prisoners was no longer bound. Ava’s body tensed, calculating her next move. When the raider turned his back to check on another Sentinel, Ava struck.

With one swift motion, she grabbed the raider from behind, wrapping her arm around his neck and cutting off his air. His eyes bulged in shock as he clawed at her arm, but Ava’s grip was iron. She pulled him back behind a cluster of crates, away from the firelight, and silenced him with a sharp twist of her arm. His body slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Without hesitation, Ava swiped his knife and rifle, using the blade to cut through the bindings of a young female Sentinel whose eyes were wide with fear. “Stay with me,” Ava whispered urgently, her voice low but commanding. “We’re not dying here.”

The woman nodded, her hands trembling as she rubbed at her sore wrists. Ava could see the fear etched on her face, the horror of the day’s events still fresh in her mind. Ava handed her the rifle. “Help me free the others.”

As they moved quickly through the prisoners, cutting restraints and arming the freed Sentinels with whatever weapons they could scavenge, Ava’s mind raced. Time was running out, and they needed to act fast before the raiders noticed something was wrong.

“Once you’re all free, split up,” Ava whispered to the woman she had freed earlier. “I’m taking Talon. You lead the others in the opposite direction and create as much chaos as you can. We’ll meet back at the river, understood?”

The woman’s face was set with determination now, her fear tempered by the hope of survival. “We’ll make sure you have enough time,” she replied, her voice steadier than before.

Ava gave her a nod of appreciation and quickly returned to Talon, who was still barely conscious. She hoisted him up, draping his arm over her shoulder as she half-carried, half-dragged him toward a jeep parked near the edge of the camp. His weight was staggering, and every muscle in her body screamed with fatigue, but Ava pushed through the pain. Failure wasn’t an option.

Just as she reached the jeep, she heard the telltale click of a rifle being cocked behind her. Her heart seized. She whirled around to see another raider, his eyes gleaming with malice as he raised his weapon.

“You’re not going anywhere, darling,” he sneered, his finger tightening on the trigger.

Without thinking, Ava hurled the stolen knife with deadly precision, embedding it deep in the raider’s throat. He staggered backward, gurgling in shock as blood spilled from the wound, collapsing in a heap at her feet.

" that was to close ". She quickly climbed into the driver’s seat, her hands shaking as she fumbled with the ignition. The engine sputtered to life, a roar that cut through the eerie stillness of the night.

Shouts erupted from the camp as the raiders realized what was happening. Ava slammed her foot on the gas, the jeep lurching forward as bullets whizzed past, embedding themselves in the vehicle’s frame. Talon groaned in the back seat, barely coherent as Ava weaved through the underbrush.

Motorcycles revved to life behind them, their headlights slicing through the darkness. Ava’s pulse raced as she pushed the jeep harder, the vehicle bouncing and jolting over the rough terrain. The raiders were closing in, their shouts growing louder with each passing second.

Up ahead, the road narrowed, and Ava saw it—the cliffside overlooking the river, the water rushing far below. It was a dead end, but there was no other option. Ava let out a breathless laugh, her mind racing.

“Oh, why not?” she muttered, gripping the steering wheel tighter. She pressed the gas pedal to the floor, the jeep speeding toward the cliff’s edge.

The jeep launched into the air, soaring over the edge of the precipice as the motorcycles behind them skidded to a halt. Time seemed to slow as they plummeted toward the river below, the roar of the water filling Ava’s ears.

The impact was brutal, the jeep slamming into the water with a force that knocked the air from Ava’s lungs. Water rushed in around them, cold and unforgiving, but Ava fought against it, her limbs heavy with exhaustion as she dragged Talon from the sinking vehicle.

They reached the shore, gasping for breath as they collapsed on the riverbank, their bodies battered and bruised. Talon’s eyes fluttered open, his voice barely a whisper. “Why am I wet?”

Ava let out a breathless laugh, shaking her head. “You really don’t want to know, trust me ” she replied, catching her breath as she lay beside him, the first light of dawn creeping over the horizon.

They had survived the night, but Ava knew that the road ahead was still fraught with danger. For now, though, they had made it. They were alive, and that was all that mattered