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Accidentally Caught Between the Gangsters

KeyboardWarrior_25
7
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The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 7 chs / week.
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Synopsis
Ava thought her life was ordinary, juggling school, two jobs, and the fragile hope of a normal future. That is, until a single mistake pulls her into a world she doesn’t understand. Dragged into a room of dangerous men who call her by the wrong name, Ava discovers that the line between friend and enemy is razor-thin. Leo, cold, calculating, and terrifyingly magnetic, claims she’s going to live… with him. Every glance is a threat, every word a test, and every step she takes could change her life forever. With danger closing in and secrets unraveling, Ava must navigate a game she doesn’t know how to play , where trust is scarce, loyalty is deadly, and survival comes at a price.
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Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

A black van idled half hidden behind a dumpster. At first she thought it was an ordinary delivery vehicle, but the engine's faint heat felt wrong, like breath on the back of her neck.

Ava froze. Her heart pounded against her ribs. Her life had never been dangerous , not really ,but there was something about that van, about the way the street light caught its windows, that said danger was coming.

A shape detached from the vehicle and stepped into the light. The man's face was in shadow, his eyes were hard. Ava's stomach dropped. For the first time, the fear inside her wasn't a whisper. It was a roar.

A gloved hand clamped over her mouth. He dragged her toward the van with a practiced, merciless tug. She didn't get a scream out. Tires shrieked, metal groaned, and the van vanished into the crisscross of narrow alleys before anyone on the street could react. Chaos swallowed the fragment of night, a door slammed, a voice cried out, then only the echo remained.

_____________

Twenty‑four hours earlier

The alley reeked of petrol and adrenaline. Jack's fist connected with a thug's jaw, the man folded onto the concrete. Jack panted, cheeks flushed, fists still buzzing with the fight. Mason twirled a pistol between two fingers like it was a showpiece and whistled.

"Careful, rookie," Mason said, grinning. "You'll break your little fists before the real fun starts."

Jack shot him a look and moved to cover Leo, who crouched in the shadows, eyes calculating every exit, every window. Leo never wasted words; the set of his jaw said all anyone needed to know.

"Dylan , cameras?" Leo asked, voice low and precise.

Dylan's fingers flew over his tablet. "Two outside, one blind spot in back. Street map is synced to our route." He stumbled over his excitement, eyes darting across the feeds.

Luke's laugh came from the van's open side door. "Patch done. Fire alarm is ours , even the janitor's iPad can't stop me."

David lounged against the van, cigar smoke curling around his face. "Move fast. Don't babysit the small fry. We've got bigger plans tonight." His tone was lazy, but everyone listened.

John slipped through the trailing guards and reappeared, nodding. "Clear. Civilians safe. Security asleep." He glanced at Jack. "You okay?"

Jack kicked an empty trash can, frustration cracking through him. "Yeah… just---ugh."

Leo took in the group like a conductor measuring an orchestra. "Quick in, quick out. No mistakes."

Mason's grin broadened. "Simple is boring. I like a little chaos." He tossed a small explosive into a corner, it fizzed harmlessly. Dylan made an annoyed sound.

"Focus, Mason." Leo's voice cut sharp. "This is only phase one. We can't afford mistakes. We're here for her."

The van felt smaller, the night thinner, as the truth landed on everyone. A girl , a life that didn't know it would break, was the reason they were here.

They spilled into the building. Desks, computers, filing cabinets , the quiet had an almost domestic ordinariness that made the breach feel obscene. Jack smashed through doors, alarms were disarmed, cameras went dark. Mason moved with precise disruptive grace, Dylan and Luke turned systems against themselves, and sparks from a kicked cabinet hissed as paper caught.

They didn't shred blindly. Mason spread folders on a dusty table, handing them to Dylan like a dealer sliding cards. Dylan skimmed , not for full sentences, but for patterns, numbers, names. It was quick, clinical. "Got it," he said, voice steady. Pages went into the flames behind them, black curling into smoke. What burned was paper, what mattered lived inside Dylan's heads and Luke's devices.

"This is just the start," Leo said, low. "She's not here now, but we'll bring her to us."

They knew Jennie ran her brand from Singapore, kidnapping her there would be impossible. But LA was another matter. They were building bait , every hack, every burned file, every forged lead designed to make her travel where they needed her to be.

Mason tossed aside a scorched folder and grinned. "She won't see it coming."

The office behind them collapsed into a controlled mess, smoke curling toward the ceiling, guards unconscious or scattered. The gang paused, catching breath in the orange light.

"Rest up," Leo said finally, clapping once to cut through the haze. "Tomorrow, she will be at our house."

David yawned, stretching. "Finally," he muttered, voice rough. "I almost forgot what sitting feels like."

"I will send the real‑time intel about her straight to you, David," Luke said without looking up, fingers still dancing across his laptop.

Dylan pushed the tablet toward him. The map was annotated, timings and exits chalked out. "We split into teams. No loose ends. Timings, contingencies, if one group slips, the whole thing collapses."

Jack's jaw tightened. He was ready, not because he liked what they were doing, but because once the plan folded into motion, there would be no turning back. He nodded, the fight in him tempered by a cold, urgent focus.

Outside, the city moved on, oblivious. Inside the van, the plan that would pull a woman from her ordinary life into a night of terror had already begun.

The alarm didn't just ring, it attacked the silence at exactly 6:17 a.m., rattling through the stillness of Ava's small, worn-down room. She groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow, as if sheets alone could erase reality. If she had the strength, she would've thrown the clock against the wall and gone back to sleep without a second thought.

She was nineteen, a full-time student with no real sense of where she came from. Memories of parents were nonexistent, no voices, no names, not even blurred images to cling to. Just a hollow space where a family should have been, an unanswered question carved into her life.

She hated mornings. Almost as much as she hated school.

School wasn't a place she belonged. It was a sentence she endured. Friends were scarce, just one, really, and teachers treated her like trouble wrapped in skin. Each day felt like a cycle she hadn't chosen. Still, she dragged herself out of bed, a familiar reluctance clinging to her like a shadow.

After a rushed shower and the bare-minimum version of a morning routine, Ava threw on her worn uniform and slipped out, late again. She cut through a narrow backstreet full of torn posters and trash cans, moving like someone used to going unnotice

"Late again

Daisy stood behind her, one brow raise

"Sorry, miss," Ava said with exaggerated guilt. They both smothered a laugh. After five years of friendship, the routine was familiar and eas

They slipped into class just as the teacher began. The woman stopped mid-sentence and glare

"Ava," she said sharply, "may I start now

Ava forced a polite smile and sat. The teacher's eyes followed her, but she ignored i

A little later, Daisy whispered, "Let's hang out tomorrow

"Can't. No time," Ava muttere

Before Daisy could push, the teacher snapped, "Do you want me to throw you out, Ava

Ava clenched her jaw but stayed quiet. The period dragged until the bell finally ran

"Thank God," she exhale

As they left, Daisy asked, "Why do you hate her so much

"I don't. She just exists," Ava said, pulling out her notebook, night shifts left no time for homewor

"Let's go to the cafeteria," Daisy tugged her ar

"Why?" Ava asked flatl

"I'm starving

"Well, I'm not," Ava lied as her stomach twiste

Daisy stared at her. "I'll pay. And help with your homework

That got he

"Really?" Ava aske

"Really

Ava hugged her without thinking. Daisy wasn't just a friend, after Claire, she was the closest thing to family Ava had left.

School ended, but Ava didn't go home. She went to the only place that still grounded her, the orphanage she'd grown up in. The building was old, worn, and crowded with memories she couldn't escape and questions she still couldn't answer. Something in her chest tightened as she stepped inside.

"Hello~"

Claire turned at the sound of her voice, and her whole face lit up in a way Ava hadn't seen in a long time.

"Oh! My baby, welcome home!"

Ava smiled, really smiled, and rushed into her arms. "I missed you, Mom."

"I missed you too," Claire said, holding her like she might disappear. "Are you eating well?"

"I'm fine. And yeah, I've gained weight," Ava lied without blinking. "How is everyone? Did they miss me?"

"They all did. Especially Ma---" Claire started, but Ava cut in.

"Mom, I'm kind of in a hurry. I just came to give you this." She handed her an envelope.

Claire's expression tightened. "Ava, you don't have to send money every month. How are you managing?"

"Don't worry. I'm filthy rich," Ava deadpanned.

Claire's concern softened into something gentler. "Thank you… for letting me be your mother."

"You are my mother," Ava said quietly, hugging her again.

She checked her wrist. "I have to go."

"See everyone before you leave," Claire pleaded, fingers twisting anxiously.

"Next time. I'm late for work," Ava whispered, hugging her once more before stepping back.

"I'll miss you," Claire murmured, her voice fading into the noise of the hallway.

Outside, the autumn air bit at her cheeks. She pulled her jacket tighter, heading toward her second café. Multiple jobs weren't a choice, they were survival, and every coin mattered.

Ava exhaled, exhaustion heavy in her bones. Outside, the city waited, gray and indifferent. Her second job was a battlefield of cold stares and clipped words,every step a test, each interaction sharp. She gripped her bag tighter, carrying its warmth like armor.

At her second café, Ava plastered on cheer. "Good evening!"

Liam didn't look up. His pen scratched across the ledger, sharp as a knife.

"Why didn't you come yesterday?" he asked coldly.

"I was---"

"No excuses," he snapped. "I'll deduct your salary. Otherwise, I'll fire you."

"But I hav---"

"I don't want to hear it. You'll work two extra hours until I return."

Ava's shoulders slumped. "Okay, Sir. I'll wait," she whispered.

Left alone, she pressed her palms to the cool counter, steadying her trembling. No parents. No time. No money. No one who truly cared.

"Hey?"

A soft voice pulled her from her spiral.

"Hello! How can I help you?" Ava asked politely.

"I'd like a mocha latte," the girl said, her smile gentle, warm.

"Please, have a seat," Ava replied. The girl moved with confident care, settling in a corner.

As Ava prepared the drink, her mind wandered. Is this all life is? Endless work, endless disappointment?

Moments later, Ava placed the drink gently in front of the girl. "Here's your mocha latte."

"Thank you," the girl said, tilting her head as her dark eyes studied Ava with unsettling focus. "Hey… what's wrong? You look sad."

Ava froze for a second. She was young, overworked, and still juggling school. Anyone with eyes would worry, but she instinctively hid it. "I'm fine," she lied, voice steady but tired.

"You can talk to me," the girl insisted, her tone calm but firm, curious, caring, intentional. "I'm Jessica. I just moved to Los Angeles." It didn't sound casual. It sounded like an invitation.

"I'm Ava," she replied quietly. "I… I'm a student." A small, hesitant smile tugged at her lips.

"Sit," Jessica said, patting the chair across from her. "Tell me what's bothering you. Don't be scared. You can tell me anything, and I promise I'll help however I can."

For the first time in hours, Ava let her guard slip. Words tumbled out faster than she meant them to, about the long shifts, the rude boss, the exhaustion, the loneliness in a city that never looked her way. She spoke about the weight she carried and the humiliations she swallowed just to keep going.

Jessica listened quietly, her expression unreadable but attentive. Deep down, she was slightly amused. She's this affected by one bad day? she thought, hiding the smile that tried to form. Still… there was something disarmingly pure about Ava's honesty, something the world hadn't managed to break yet.

"I feel bad for you," Jessica said at last, voice soft. "Ava, will you be my friend? I don't have anyone here yet."

Ava's heart skipped, but she hid it, embarrassed by how good that sounded.

Jessica noticed and quickly clarified, leaning forward. "I'm serious. I don't know anyone here, I really do need a friend. Someone I can trust. And I'm not better off than you. I have problems too… ones I can't talk about with anyone."

Her expression softened. "Talking to you made me forget some of them for a while. And honestly… I'm a little jealous of you. You can talk about your problems. I haven't let myself do that in a long time."

Ava didn't push for details. She simply nodded, letting the warmth of the moment soak in. A genuine smile bloomed across her face, the kind she didn't have to fake. "Yeah. I'd like that," she said, bright and honest.

They talked for nearly an hour. The café noise faded into nothing. Laughter slipped into their conversation like light into a dark room. For the first time in a long while, Ava didn't feel invisible. She felt seen.

Eventually, reality crept back in. Jessica glanced at the clock, reluctant. "It's getting late. I should go."

Ava nodded, trying not to cling to the moment. As Jessica gathered her things, a small, cautious hope settled in Ava's chest. Maybe, not everyone was cold.

"Be safe," Ava said softly, watching her leave with a strange ache in her chest.

Later, the television near the counter flashed breaking news:

"There have been reports that 'The Eclipse Cartel' , a Mafia gang has shifted to Los Angeles."

Ava frowned, familiar whispers echoing in her mind. She dismissed it and focused on work.

Night fell. Exhausted, Ava stepped outside.

"Good night!" she said politely to the owner.

"Excuse me?"

A young woman stood there, expressionless, clutching a purple bag.

"Can you hold this? I need to go to the restroom," the stranger said flatly.

"Of course," Ava replied, taking the bag.

Across the street Jack saw a girl standing outside the cafe with a purple bag.

"Are you sure she has the purple bag?"

"Yes, Jack. David told me she just entered in that cafe with a purple bag. Just do your work, we don't have much time left." the voice on the other end commanded, clipped and precise, slicing through the night like a knife.

Jack moved forward, deliberate and silent, every motion calculated. The chloroform did its work almost instantly. Ava's eyes fluttered as darkness crept in, and within moments, she went limp. He caught her effortlessly, holding her close like a fragile porcelain doll. Her soft weight was a strange contrast to the violence of the act. He dragged her inside the van and closed the door seperating the world from her.

Inside the mansion, Jack's steps were silent on the marble floor. Leo leaned casually against the grand staircase, but the moment his eyes landed on a girl, everything shifted.

"Jack! Go, Jessica needs you on a mission!" he barked, urgency lacing his tone. Yet as soon as his gaze flicked to her, he froze.

Time seemed to stretch. His usual icy composure cracked, just a fraction, but enough. His pulse betrayed him. For a heartbeat, Leo looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"S-She's Jennie?" Leo stammered, glancing nervously at Jack.

To be continued