Fearless Encounter

Chapter 16

As they neared the cemetery, Abe turned off the siren to avoid alerting the criminals and risking the lives of the women. Danger waited, but all that mattered was getting Brooke and Meg out safely.

Abe pulled into the parking lot at the cemetery, tires screeching as the vehicle skidded to a halt. Gabriel leapt from the car with him and rushed onto the grounds, scanning for any sign of the women. He spotted the massive structure in the distance. “There,” he said, pointing. “That’s the only place big enough to hold someone captive.”

Gabriel took off at a run, leading Abe, and slowed near the mausoleum. He spotted the open door and looked down the steps, but didn’t see or hear anyone. “Let’s check it out.”

Abe drew his gun and followed him down the concrete steps to an open door.

Leaning in, Gabriel said, “Jesus…” There was blood all over the floor. His heart plummeted.

Abe walked over to the chair, looking down at the rope next to it. If Meg had been tied there, she had been freed, and it didn’t take much to figure out that Brooke was involved.

Gabriel’s quick search of the building proved fruitless. There was no sign of the women, and no other activity in the mausoleum. He sprinted back up the stairs and spotted Abe holding a small item in his hand. It was the tracker bracelet dangling from his fingers.

“Recognize this?” he said.

Gabriel snatched the bracelet. “Not good,” he said. “I gave that to Brooke.”

He looked around, desperate for any sign of where the women were. A glint of metal on the grass caught his eye, and he reached down to pick up the cell phone.

Gabriel stared at the broken phone, at the tracker bracelet clutched in his fist. Brooke and Meg were out there somewhere, in the hands of a madman, and he had no idea where to look next. The cemetery had been their best lead.

Abe answered a call on his cell. “We missed them,” he said grimly. “Brooke and Meg aren’t here, but there’s evidence of violence.” After the short call, Abe slipped his phone back into his pocket. “That was FBI, the guy I’ve been coordinating with. He got a tip from one of his sources.”

Gabriel raised his brows, hoping for direction.

Abe’s jaw tightened. “Let’s get to Lakeside Airport fast. Word is that Yakov Petrov will be there on his private plane, if we haven’t already missed him.”

“He’s taking them to Russia…if they are still alive?”

Abe’s look confirmed the situation.

Gabriel sprinted back to the car, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Abe was right behind him. They hopped into the car and peeled out of the cemetery.

Gabriel’s mind raced ahead, trying to calculate how much time they had. Daniel and his guards would have to get the women on the plane, and there was no way to know what condition they were in. But even as he ran through the scenarios, a small, insistent part of him whispered that it might already be too late.

*****

After Brooke felt the van come to a stop, Daniel came around to open the door. His guard motioned Meg to get out. She slowly complied, clearly not anxious about what was to come.

Brooke glanced over at her friend, then stepped out. Without warning, she spun around and kicked Daniel hard in the groin. That was one thing she didn’t need self-defense training to know about. She knew the effective technique. With a grunt of pain, he doubled over, unable to catch his breath.

The guard reached for his gun and moved to grab Brooke.

But Meg was faster. She leapt in front of Brooke and spread her arms, shielding her friend. With a defiant look, she said, “You can’t hurt me. Petrov needs me.”

The guard hesitated and glanced toward the stairs leading to the plane, as if weighing his options.

Brooke used the opportunity to put some distance between herself and Daniel, who was still writhing on the ground.

“She’s right,” she said, her voice steady. “Without Meg, your boss gets nothing. No software, no payday. Is that what you want?”

The guard’s jaw clenched, and his eyes darted between the two women.

Meg stood firm, her gaze locked on the guard. “I won’t cooperate if you hurt her,” she said. “I mean it. I’ll die before I help you.”

For a long, tense moment, no one moved. The only sound was the hum of the plane’s engines. Finally, the guard lowered his hand.

“Get them on the plane,” Daniel said, when he was able to breathe again. “Petrov will deal with them.” He slowly rose to his feet, and the guard gestured to Brooke and Meg to move toward the stairs.

*****

Gabriel had to believe they would make it before takeoff. That he would see Brooke’s face again, hold her in his arms.

Abe raced toward the airport. “My FBI contact found out that Petrov was using the private airport to expedite picking up Daniel Fontenot and his captive, bypassing the scrutiny of a commercial hub. By now, he realizes that he has another unexpected guest .”

Gabriel’s mind whirred with the implications. A private airport meant fewer witnesses, less security—and a much higher chance of Daniel slipping away undetected. “We can’t let him take Brooke,” he said. “Petrov has no use for her…except dead.”

Abe glanced at the GPS. “About five minutes out.”

Five minutes felt like an eternity. Gabriel forced himself to take a breath. They were close. They had a chance.

Abe’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. “Backup is en route,” he said. “But they’re at least ten minutes behind us.”

“We can’t wait for them.”

Abe took the exit for the airport, the car screeching around the turn. He shut off the siren. “We don’t want to alert airport security. That will only make things more complicated.”

In the distance, Gabriel could see the small airfield with private jets and helicopters. Then Abe brought the car to a halt, the brakes squealing. They leapt out.

Gabriel scanned the tarmac, then he saw it and pointed. A sleek black jet on the far runway, its door open—and there, on the steps, Brooke and Meg.

Abe ran beside him to the plane, intent on delaying takeoff. Gabriel swore he wouldn’t let Petrov escape with his captives—if he had to tear the wheels off the damn plane to stop it.

As they got closer, Gabriel saw Daniel Fontenot standing by the stairs. He looked over as they approached, unable to hide his surprise.

Then the Russian guard turned and leveled his gun at Abe’s chest. Gabriel reacted without thinking. He lunged sideways, tackled Abe to the ground, and hit the tarmac hard, the breath rushing from his lungs.

With a surge of adrenaline, Gabriel immediately leapt to his feet. He closed the gap on Daniel, who didn’t have time to react before he was tackled to the ground.

They hit the ground in a tangle of limbs. Gabriel’s weight pushed the air from Daniel’s lungs. He pinned the man to the ground, his hands around Daniel’s wrists.

When Gabriel looked up, he saw Abe standing behind the Russian guard, pointing his gun at his head.

“Drop your gun!” he said, his voice ringing with authority.

The Russian hesitated, glancing at the plane. For a moment, Gabriel feared he might try something desperate. But then, miraculously, the man’s fingers loosened. His gun clattered to the tarmac.

Gabriel turned to Meg and Brooke, who were at the top of the stairs. He shouted, “Run to the car!”

Brooke’s gaze locked with his, and a thousand emotions passed between them in that instant—relief, gratitude, love. Then she moved, grabbing Meg’s hand and racing down the stairs.

Gabriel watched them go, then turned his attention back to Daniel, still pinned beneath him. With a grunt, Gabriel hauled the other man to his knees, twisting his arms behind his back.

“You’re starting to realize your rightful place,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Daniel stared at Gabriel, hatred in his expression. “Let me go,” he said. “You can’t win this. There are plenty more Russians on that plane with Petrov.”

To Gabriel’s surprise, the Russian guard spoke up. “You can have him,” he said, his voice flat and emotionless.

Daniel’s head snapped around, his eyes wide with shock. “You idiot!” he spat. “Tell Petrov to get more guards down here!”

The Russian pressed his finger to his earpiece, as if straining to hear his instructions. For a moment, he was silent. Then a slow smile spread across his face.

“Petrov says you’ve made a mess of this,” he said. “He wants nothing more to do with you.”

Without another word, the Russian turned and started up the stairs to the plane. Abe lowered his gun and made no move to stop him.

Gabriel hauled Daniel to his feet. “You can kiss all that money goodbye.”

Abe stepped forward, his gun at the ready. “Daniel Fontenot,” he said, his voice ringing with authority, “you’re under arrest for kidnapping, assault, and a whole host of other charges.”

Daniel said nothing, but Gabriel could see defeat in his eyes, the realization that his grand plans had turned to dust.

As Abe began to read Daniel his rights, Gabriel looked over to where Brooke and Meg were waiting by the car. The sound of sirens signaled that backup had arrived, just as the plane carrying Petrov and his men taxied down the short runway and lifted into the air. That was of no concern to Gabriel. Daniel Fontenot would answer for his crimes, and the FBI would deal with the Russians, whose escape was only a temporary reprieve.

As Gabriel approached the car, Brooke leapt into his open arms.

He caught her, holding her tight against his chest. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her. In that moment, nothing else mattered—not Daniel, not Petrov, not the chaos that had brought them to this point. All that mattered was Brooke, safe in his arms.

“I knew you’d come,” she said. “I never doubted it for a second.”

Gabriel didn’t let go of Brooke. He couldn’t. Not after coming so close to losing her forever.

Instead, he reached out with one hand, seeking Meg. He grasped her hand tightly, squeezing it with all the reassurance and comfort he could muster.

Meg’s eyes filled with tears. She looked up at Gabriel and mouthed, Thank you.

As police swarmed the tarmac, taking Daniel into custody and securing the scene, Gabriel felt a sense of peace wash over him.