A message arrived just after Ezra and Shane discovered Evie had vanished.
They had only looked away for a moment, and she disappeared like smoke, as if she'd never been there at all. Ezra couldn't shake the growing worry, despite his attempts to push it aside. Then the message came in, sending a chill through him.
*You took what's mine. Now let's see how fast you can get her back* Ezra read, and it dawned on him that it involved that obsessive ex who refused to let her go. Evie had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him, yet here was Derek, escalating matters. Ezra's fists clenched in anger.
This arrangement between him and Evie might be fake, but it was binding. He had an obligation to protect her until she fulfilled their contract and they parted ways.
Now, someone had the audacity to take her from him. And was even planning to hurt her.
"Derek," he seethed, the name a curse on his lips.
"Who's that?" Shane asked, his face contorting in concern, mirroring Ezra's urgency now that one of them had gone missing.
"Call her," Ezra commanded, as he began dialing the police to report Derek. He had hesitated before—Evie insisted Derek wouldn't come after her— she was stupid to think so, but now it was time for action.
"Her phone is switched off. She's not answering," Shane reported, frustration etched on his face.
Ezra tightened his jaw. As if the universe was mocking him, another message arrived, accompanied by a picture. There was Evie, seemingly unconscious, bound and silenced in a dark room.
Rage surged through him. He was meant to protect her, and she had gone missing right under his nose because of that bastard.
"Time's ticking," the message ominously stated.
"Go find help. I'm going to look for her," Ezra said to Shane. Without wasting another second, Ezra charged back toward the last place he had seen Evie—the merry-go-round. The music blared, lights flashed, and people carried on like nothing was wrong, but underneath the surface, panic gripped their hearts for Evie's safety.
"Have you seen this woman?" Ezra demanded, approaching the people nearby.
Each shake of their heads only fueled his urgency as he pushed through the crowd.
He combed through every corner, bumping into people and offering quick apologies for disrupting their moments, especially a couple who had just been about to kiss. He sent the man sprawling to the ground, leaving the woman frozen in anticipation while the man shot him a furious glare. Ezra simply bowed his head in apology, refusing to let it distract him from his mission to find Evie.
Despite exhausting his search, she remained elusive. The fact that no one had seen her was baffling.
How could she disappear without anyone noticing? This kidnapper was truly skilled—though his talent was twisted and evil.
After emerging from yet another haunted house, a sense of despair washed over Ezra as he tried to regain control of his emotions. He'd scoured every possible location, but nothing had yielded results. Evie was missing, held captive by that monster, and he could only imagine the horrors she was facing.
*Would you like a tip on her location?* A new message chimed in, making Ezra clench his jaw in frustration.
"Keep it to yourself," he thought vehemently. Asking for help was not in his nature.
*Your pride won't save her. In mere moments, smoke will fill this area, and finding her will become a nightmare,* the message continued, igniting a fire of anger within him.
"If you lay a finger on her..." Ezra growled, then quickly typed, "Where is she?"
*The clock tower,* came the response, and he felt a surge of realization. He had passed by there multiple times, dismissing it, convinced she couldn't possibly be there. Instead, she was at the clock tower.
"Once it strikes 11:00, it won't just be her in danger; everyone around the clock tower will be at risk. The clock is ticking," the sender typed last before vanishing offline.
Ezra's gaze snapped to his watch: 10:53. He had seven minutes to reach the clock tower and save Evie—and to protect everyone else nearby from whatever threat was looming.
Ezra turned sharply on his heels and raced back. He then called Shane's number. "Thank goodness! I've been trying to reach you. What's the update on Evie?" Shane nearly shouted, urgency evident in his voice.
"She's in the clock tower, and we have a serious problem. Get help there immediately, and evacuate everyone nearby. I sense trouble," Ezra replied, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
"What do you mean?" Shane asked, confusion clear in his expression.
Ezra took a breath, focusing on relaying his message clearly. "Get help and head to the clock tower. We need to clear the area before 11:00. Time is running out," he asserted, gripping the phone tightly. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," Shane replied, and the call ended abruptly. Ezra glanced at the clock—four minutes had already passed. Cursing under his breath, he felt the time slip away like grains of sand. He pushed forward, urgency driving him until he reached the clock tower.
"Everyone needs to leave right now!" he commanded, but the people inside merely stared at him, as if they didn't comprehend a word he said.
"Did you hear me?" Ezra demanded, his tone sharp as he locked eyes with one individual. "You need to evacuate—now!" They finally nodded and began to make their way out. Still, Ezra scanned the area for Evie, frustration building as he realized she was nowhere in sight. He dashed up the spiraling stairs. She had to be up there somewhere. Time was slipping away—only two minutes left.
As he reached the upper level, darkness enveloped him. He coughed, trying to wave away the smoke that was starting to collect. Moonlight spilled in through the windows, offering a dim guide through the clock tower.
Then he spotted her, laying helplessly on the floor, her hair sprawled around her. "Evie!" he called, rushing to her side.
He quickly began untying the ropes binding her body and mouth. "Evie!" He shook her gently but firmly, calling out until her eyes fluttered open.
"Ezra?" she murmured, disoriented.
"Evie, we have to go!" he insisted, clearing the thick smoke.
"Where am I?" she asked, coughing heavily.
"There's no time to explain. We need to leave right now!" Ezra urged, but Evie was still lost in confusion. He could feel the seconds ticking away.
The clock chimed. It was 11:00.
"When the clock strikes 11:00 and you're not out of the clock tower..." The warning echoed in Ezra's mind, and he exchanged glances with Evie, though the latter still didn't know what was going on. It seemed bad, her heart raced.
Suddenly, a large flame erupted around them.