CHAPTER 18

AFTER HER

Javyn got to the university faster than anyone could fathom. The police at the scene where Savannah’s kidnapping had occurred were already interrogating people and searching the scene for clues.

Javyn could not help but feel disgusted watching them act as though they were doing something. He was certain his men would find her before they did.

“Which direction did the car go?!” He was demanding an answer. No one dared disappoint the enraged billionaire.

“That way, Mr. Andrew,” One of the officers pointed at the far-stretched road.

The road led up to multiple more paths. How would he find her in this way?

He made another quick phone call telling his men the new route they should all follow. He was joining in the search.

Javyn had just gotten back inside his car when she tapped on his window. It was Celia frantically trying to talk to him. He rolled down his window.

“Go back home, Ma, I got this.” He was driving off before she even uttered another word.

The thought of Mr. Grant having Savannah on a flight within the next few hours haunted him. It gave him the motivation he needed to continue speeding.

The hours he spent driving were apprehensive ones. They stretched into what felt like a whole day, the roads had no clear end, and each turn he took required keen contemplation.

He could tell his eyes were slowly failing him. He was just about to contemplate a break when something caught his eye.

A freshly burnt car was randomly parked at the roadside. He quickly called for backup before walking towards it to inspect if his speculations were true.

Even when turned into ashes, the number plate stood out to him. It was the missing car, and it was burnt beyond recognition. Was this a sick joke?

His attention slowly shifted from the car itself to the items that had somehow survived. He knew the shoe the moment he laid his eyes on it. The shoe she was in when he dropped her off earlier that morning.

“No way.” That was all he could say.

Could they have gotten rid of her? He found it hard to believe a father would do that to his daughter. This must be his way of throwing them off.

He knew this meant he was on the right path. They were onto something.

“Everyone to shift your attention to my route. I think we’ve got leads.”

Javyn got off the phone just as two of his many accomplices joined him; they were going to analyze the car.

Darkness was looming by the time they established that no remains were in the car. The weariness Javyn had felt was short-lived. They were going to find her.

“Let’s join the rest of the search then.” The short rest had rejuvenated him.

One of the men received a call that they were needed at the Sheriff’s office.

“There is a new witness, sir. The Sheriff would like us to meet him.” What an unexpected discovery, he thought.

“I’ll send Zayn over to meet him. We have a lady to find.”

****

Savannah tried her best to hide within the wild. She had come so far and was certain no one could get to her. She was famished and knew a little rest could save her from the mishap of passing out mid-run.

She was going to shut her eyes for a little while. It would be hard for anyone to fall asleep soundly with the sounds of nature that surrounded her.

With the kind of tiredness she felt, however, it was simple. She shut her eyes and lost herself in the warmth of her dreams.

A little further from where she found warmth were the restless men in pursuit of her. They were yet to give up hope that she was within reach.

Failure to find her meant enduring the Angel of Death’s fury. That was as good as a death sentence; anyone who knew him well knew that.

“Where on earth is she?” One of the men had stopped to catch his breath.

“No time for breaks or questions. She could be getting further from us.”

They continued silently for a long while. Almost losing all faith that they would find her. That was when they spotted it, some toes sticking out of a bush.

They opened the leaves, meticulously revealing the girl they were after. She was sleeping so peacefully that they were certain she was unaware of her surroundings.

None of them expected it when the soil poisoned their eyes. She had been holding onto a pile of soil in her clenched fists.

They were scrambling to gather themselves when she broke into a sprint. Running in every direction in unfamiliar woods. How was she so bold in that darkness?

Savannah had heard their heavy breathing and heavy footsteps, which woke her up. Her anxiety of being all alone in the woods was heightened by their noises, prompting her to take the nearest weapon, soil.

“Urgh!! My eyes!”

“How dare she!”

The pain they felt in their eyes was unbearable, but not as intolerable as whatever their employer would do to them. They had to keep on chasing and chase they did.

Their eyes stung even more as the cold breeze hit their eyes. The pain they felt in their eyes was the pain she felt at the sole of her feet, which repeatedly gained friction from the hard ground.

She was running away from more than just a tyrant father; she was escaping the years of torment, the repeated manipulation from the man she had trusted. Savannah was running away from her past.

Javyn had given her a new reason to fight for what she wanted. They knew what they shared was special and cherished each other.

The thought of Javyn finding out she was taken away by her father broke her. Was he okay? Did he know where she was?

Savannah was only sure of one thing as she ran: she was not going to leave the life they had behind. Her father would have to accept her new decision.

Hot tears seeped from her swollen eyes, which required a rest. She was running out of breath and felt a pang in her chest. Would she make it?

The sound of the familiar pacing of feet followed by heavy breathing left her heart in her chest. There was no way they had caught up already.

Judging from the ruffling of leaves, she knew they were closing in. She wished on the stars above that there would be light at the end of the tunnel.

Savannah came to an abrupt halt as she laid her eyes on something she thought was a miracle. She quickly looked behind to see the two men emerge from the woods right behind her.

She knew she had to get out of there. She got on the road just as a truck’s headlights illuminated onto her, blinding her weak eyes.

It was too late to stop, as even the retreating men noticed as they cursed in their breath.

“We can’t get caught, run!” They were on their heels as soon as one of them commanded.

All Savannah saw was darkness. She was certain it was her end.