Chapter 27 Enter The Trap

• Jackson's POV
• The war room felt colder than usual, and as I studied the map in front of me the low hum of tension permeated the area. My thoughts burned the coordinates we had discovered in the journal—a little clearing close to the southern boundary. Perfect for an ambush, it was secluded, far-off. This screamed trap, everything about it, yet we had no choice. We had nowhere to wait any more.
• I looked at Ava, standing next to me, her forehead wrinkled in focus as she worked over the specifics with Leo. She was keeping it together, but I could see the cracks—the anxiety that carved lines on her face, the concern for our kids chewing at the margins of her fortitude. I also experienced that. Every second that went without them seemed to last an eternity.