Page 60 of Love Under Siege

His breath hitches, and for the first time, I see real fear in his eyes. He knows I’m serious now.

"Okay, okay!" he cries out, his voice cracking. "I’ll talk! Just—just don’t kill me!"

I loosen my grip slightly but keep the knife at his throat. "Start talking. Now."

He swallows hard, his body shaking. "They’re… they’re being kept in a cabin. I-I don’t know the exact location, but it’s isolated. Adam—he’s the one who’s got them."

I freeze, the name hitting me like a punch to the gut. "Adam?" I ask, my voice low and dangerous. "Who the FUCK is Adam?"

The man shakes his head frantically. "He—he used to run with Paul, but he’s different. Obsessed with Anya. Paul was just a distraction… Adam’s the one in charge."

My blood runs cold. All this time, I’d thought it was Paul. And now, this Adam… he’s been in the shadows, pulling the strings.

"Where’s the cabin?" I demand, pressing the knife harder against his skin.

"I—I don’t know the exact address! I swear!" he pleads. "But there’s a tracker—Adam’s car, it has a GPS! You can trace it!"

I step back, letting go of him, my mind racing, every nerve on fire. Then I’m back on him, pressing the point of my Kabar against his neck, my voice low and dangerous. “Do you think I’m stupid?! This guy has been terrorizing Anya for months—maybe even years. He killed my mom, and no one’s even looking for him! And you expect me to believe he’s dumb enough to leave a goddamn GPS in his *fucking* car?!”

He starts stammering, panic twisting his features. “N-no, no! He didn’t put it there. W-we did! Paul—he didn’t trust Adam, so he had us install one. I swear!” His voice is shrill, pleading, and I can feel him trembling beneath my grip.

Then I hear it—a faint trickle. My eyes flick down, and I see the dark stain spreading across his pants. I smirk, the surge of power making my pulse race faster. The bastard pissed himself.

This changes everything. If what this guy is saying is true, I’m running out of time. I glance at the door, knowing Connor is waiting outside.

I grab the guy’s shirt, yanking him forward one last time. "If you’re lying to me, I’ll come back. And next time, I won’t stop."

He nods frantically, tears streaming down his face. "I’m not lying, I swear!"

I drop him back into the chair and turn toward the door. I need to find that GPS. And I need to find Adam before it’s too late.

Connor just nods and we head toward the car. I’ve been trying to stay calm, to trust the process. But I’m done waiting. I glance at my phone, half-expecting another message from Detective Collins, another so-called "lead" that would send us in the wrong direction. It’s been happening too often to be a coincidence, but I haven’t had time to process it. My gut tells me something’s off with him, but right now, finding Anya and Lana is all that matters.

I can feel the weight of Connor’s stare on me as I grip the steering wheel tighter. “What are you thinking, man?” he asks, his tone cautious but steady.

"I don’t know," I mutter. "I’ve been following this trail, going off Collins’ intel, and every time it’s nothing. I don’t trust him. He’s either the most incompetent detective on the planet or he’s feeding us bullshit."

Connor nods, looking thoughtful. “You think he’s in on it?”

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” I admit. “But I do know one thing: We need to be careful who we trust.”

I can feel the frustration boiling inside me. Every second we waste could be another second closer to losing Anya and Lana for good.

I pull out my phone and dial Morrison, my patience worn thin. “We’ve got a new lead," I say the second he picks up. "A cabin, remote, out of the city. We’re going to check it out. But listen—Collins has been sending us in circles. I don’t trust him. Be careful."

Morrison's voice is tense on the other end. "I had my suspicions too. I’ll look into it, but you be careful out there, Jacob. These people… if they’ve been holding Anya and Lana, they’re not going to go down without a fight.”

I hang up, feeling the pressure mount even more. Connor’s already pulling out the map, pinpointing the cabin the guy talked about.

“Do you believe him?” Connor asks, not looking up.

“I don’t have a choice,” I say flatly. “But if he’s lying, I’ll deal with him later.”

Connor glances at me. "And what about this Collins thing? You really think he’s dirty?"

"Either that, or he’s the biggest idiot I’ve ever met," I say, my voice tight with anger. "But right now, I don't care. We're running out of time."

As the car speeds along the back roads, I feel the knot in my chest tighten. Images of Anya flash in my mind—her smile, her laugh, the way she’d always tell me everything would be okay, even when things felt impossible. I clench my jaw. I have to find her. I won’t stop until I do.

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