Chapter 188
~ Octavia ~
The sleek black limo felt like a rolling coffin as I stepped inside. My new bodyguards, Locke and Holt, settled in with a practiced, heavy silence that did nothing to quell the roaring in my ears.
Just as the door hissed shut, my phone vibrated in my palm. The caller ID was a string of unfamiliar digits.
I answered with a breathy, cautious, "Hello?"
"Mrs. Flemington?" The voice was steady, professional, and devoid of the warmth one might hope for in a crisis.
"Yes, this is she."
"This is Officer Reynolds from Aviation Emergency Response."
My heart did a slow, agonizing roll in my chest. This was it. The update. "Yes, please…do you have news? Anything?"
There was a pause. In that silence, I built a thousand scenarios where Franklin was safe, being treated in a village, or walking toward a rescue team.
Then, Reynolds spoke.
"We conducted an extensive aerial search of the primary flight path this morning."
