Learning to Love You

8. Vanished

Ava sat in the cockpit of the plane, her hands gripped tightly around the controls as she focused on her duties as the first officer. Beside her, Marcus sat in the captain's seat, his attention fixed on the instrument panel as he guided the aircraft through the skies with practiced ease.

As they flew through the air, Ava tried to make casual conversation with Marcus, her heart racing with anxiety as she struggled to keep her composure. She asked him about her evaluation report, feigning interest in her progress toward becoming a captain.

Marcus glanced over at her, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Don't worry, Ava," he said, his voice smooth and reassuring. "You'll be promoted sooner than you know."

Ava's heart skipped a beat at Marcus' words, a surge of excitement coursing through her veins despite the unease that gnawed at the back of her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, that Marcus' words held a deeper meaning than he let on.

But before Ava could dwell on her suspicions any longer, the flight was over, and they landed safely at their destination. Ava breathed a sigh of relief as she disembarked from the plane, her thoughts consumed by the events of the day and the uncertainty that loomed on the horizon.

As Ava made her way back to her base after her hours had been completed for the day, she felt a sense of unease settle in the pit of her stomach. But before she could make sense of her apprehension, a car pulled up beside her, its occupants grabbing her and dragging her inside before she could even scream. Her head was struck with an object that made her lose consciousness. When she woke up, she could not see anything.

Ava's head throbbed with pain as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. Blindfolded and disoriented, she could feel the rough texture of the floor beneath her and the cold chill of the air against her skin. Her hands were bound behind her back, the tightness of the restraints cutting off circulation to her fingers.

Fear clenched at her chest as she strained to listen to the voices of her captors, her heart pounding with a mixture of dread and anticipation. And then, she heard it—the sound of a man's voice, smooth and confident, as he conversed with another in hushed tones.

"So, what's the plan?" the other man asked, his voice low and menacing.

One of them chuckled darkly, the sound sending shivers down Ava's spine. "Simple. We'll keep her here until the heat dies down. By the time anyone realizes she's missing, it'll be too late."

Ava's breath caught in her throat at the words, her mind racing with fear and uncertainty. She was still processing the environment, hearing the voices confirming her worst fears. She knew that she was in grave danger.

Her head throbbed with pain as she struggled to remain conscious, her muscles tense with the effort of trying to break free from her restraints. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape the binds that held her captive, leaving her at the mercy of her captors.

As she listened to the guys conversing, Ava felt a surge of panic wash over her, the reality of her situation sinking in with terrifying clarity. She was alone, trapped in a huge building where every sound echoed with no hope of escape, her fate hanging in the balance as her abductors plotted against her.

But despite the fear that consumed her, Ava refused to give up hope. She knew that she had to stay strong, to fight against the darkness that threatened to engulf her if she had any hope of surviving the ordeal that lay ahead. As she closed her eyes and prayed for rescue, she vowed to never give up, no matter what obstacles stood in her way. It was time to plan an escape but first, she needed to untie her hands and remove the blindfold.