Page 25 of Gabe

Another bullet struck the ground only a few inches away. Too close for comfort. Taking a diving roll, I threw myself behind the nearby tree.

Every exit was cut off. I didn’t even have to look to know. It was the first thing I would secure if I was running such a mission. To make sure my target had nowhere they could retreat. There would certainly be people guarding every path out of the park and even if I could get to my car, there would probably be people blocking the nearby streets.

In situations like this, my mind always wandered back to my days in the Army Rangers. We traveled through some tough terrain back then, and often had to get creative with the resources available to us.

I scanned my surroundings.

The lake took up most of the space. It provided open sightlines for those guarding the area, but also created a barrier that was impossible to traverse without a boat.

Almost impossible.

My gaze landed on a patch of hollow reeds growing out of the water near the edge of the lake and a plan began to form in my mind. It would be difficult, but it might be my only chance.

A bullet struck the tree near my face. I still couldn’t see who was shooting at me, but they must be getting closer since the angle of their bullets was changing.

I had looked at a map of the area before coming here. The lake was relatively small but connected to a river. Maybe I could swim my way to safety. Water would stop the bullets from reaching me. I could use one of the reeds like a snorkel to stay safe below the surface.

It was a terrible plan.

A messy plan.

I hated mess, but I hated the thought of dying even more.

What would happen to Frankie and the others if I never returned?

No, that wasn’t an option. I had to survive. There was no time left to come up with a better plan. I would have to make this one work.

After counting to three, I bolted for the lake.

My sudden movement must have startled my attackers. The bullets stopped for a moment, but then started up again even more frantically than before.

Fire ripped through my shoulder. One of the bullets had found its mark, but I didn’t stop running. Stopping would mean death.

I couldn’t die here. Not when there were people waiting for me.

At the edge of the lake, I grabbed the sturdiest reed I could see and snapped it off at the root.

Then I dove into the water.

CHAPTER 9

Frankie

“Frankie, sit down. You’re making me tired just watching you.”

Newt sat in a chair next to Sebastian’s bed, changing the bandages wrapped around the other man’s torso and arms.

Sebastian’s lacerations and burns were healing nicely, the skin around the edges a healthy pink of new growth. While it was impossible to tell without an x-ray, his leg also seemed to be doing well. The pain had lessened and there hadn’t been any more incidents after he fell out of bed the other day. Seeing Newt so worried must have humbled him, for he’d been a model patient ever since.

I wished I could be happy about his progress, but I was too stressed to feel anything but panic.

It had been two days since Gabe left to meet with the FBI director, and we hadn’t heard a word from him since.

“How can I sit down? I feel like I’m going to explode.” To emphasize the point, I swung my fists wildly as I paced back and forth across the small room. “A simple meeting shouldn’t have taken this long. What if they arrested him? Or worse, what if he’s...”

I couldn’t bear to finish that sentence, but it echoed in my brain anyway.

What if he’s dead?

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