Chapter 98: A Fraying Edge

The transport van rumbled through the lonely roads of the Jordanian desert, the low hum of the engine the only sound that cut through the thick, tense silence between Ava and Lucas. The mission had been a success—technically. They had disrupted one of Meridian’s key supply hubs, and the data they had gathered would give them a clearer picture of the enemy’s logistics network. But Ava didn’t feel like they had won anything. Her mind was still racing with thoughts of Lucas, of the reckless and angry way he had charged into the fight, driven by a fury beginning to consume him. She had tried to reach and pull him back from the edge, but every time she got close, he pushed her away. Ava glanced at him now, his face shadowed by the dashboard lights' soft radiance. His jaw was set, his expression hard. He hadn’t said a word since they had escaped the facility, and the silence between them was suffocating. “We made it out,” Ava said softly, breaking the silence. Her voice was steady, but s