Page 62 of Cassidy

Rhy, Cassidy, and the others would be angry with him, but he needed to do this. His mother was right in that the situation was his fault. He needed to find Travis. The bad guys were armed and dangerous, and he feared a full-on gunfight would ensue if he couldn’t figure out a way to smooth things over. Besides, he had the malware as a bargaining chip.

Gabe still had the key fob to the rental. He slid in behind the wheel, started the engine, and shot out of the parking lot. In the rearview mirror, he caught a hint of movement and realized Cassidy and Rhy had come out of the building to stare after him in shock.

It was tempting to turn around, as he hated disappointing the two people who meant the most to him. Especially Cassidy.

But he didn’t. Instead, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel and pushed his foot down hard on the accelerator. They would likely follow him, he’d left the map up on his computer screen, so he didn’t have time to waste. He needed to get Travis out of the warehouse.

If that was where he was being held.

He felt certain that was where they were. The morning rush-hour traffic had thinned. He made good time heading out of the city.

As he drove, he tried to come up with a viable plan. This part of the job wasn’t his area of expertise. He didn’t think like a cop, but he was still wearing the tactical gear Cassidy had given him. He decided he could offer himself up in exchange for Travis.

He wondered how much it would hurt to be hit in the chest with a bullet at close range, then pushed the concern out of his mind.

It didn’t matter. Anything to get Travis out of there.

He took the exit that would lead to the warehouse. Instead of driving there, though, he pulled the rental off the road in the area where he’d woken up, dazed and concussed. No doubt Cassidy and the rest of the team would be able to track the car to this location.

Bailing out of the vehicle, he zipped his coat over the vest and made sure the USB drive was tucked deep into his pocket. He drew in a deep breath, glanced up at the overcast sky, then approached the warehouse from the back.

The way he should have that fateful night.

When the warehouse came into view, his gut clenched with dread. Logically, he knew he could be walking to his death.

He wished he’d told Cassidy how much he loved her. Then he reminded himself that God was watching over them.

Please, Lord, guide me to Travis! Grant me the strength to rescue him!

Again, the prayers brought a sense of calm washing over him. There was nothing to fear. Regret? Yes, especially concerning Cassidy. But he would not be afraid.

There was only a small rear door along the back of the warehouse. He glanced around, wondering if there were cameras hidden in the eaves. He didn’t see any, so he lightly ran to the door and tried the knob.

It wasn’t locked.

A trap? He felt certain the door must have been left open on purpose, but what choice did he have? Stand around out there or go inside.

He stood to the side, pressing his back against the wall of the building, and opened the door awkwardly with one hand. He made sure to only open it an inch, yet he fully expected the three men to rush him.

Nothing happened.

He moved closer, peering through the narrow opening. It wasn’t easy to see; there were no lights inside. His heart sank as he opened the door a little farther to see better. Was the warehouse empty? Had he picked the wrong location?

The back of the warehouse was full of boxes. He caught a glimpse of a wall stretching across the space and realized there was a front part to the warehouse as well.

The thud of footsteps made him freeze for a moment. Then without giving himself a chance to think it through, he slipped through the opening and quickly closed the door behind him, plunging the back portion of the warehouse into darkness.

“I heard something,” a voice said.

“You’re delirious,” another person responded. “No one knows we’re here.”

Two men for sure, but there was likely a third. What had Miles said? Turk, Lonny, and King.

Wishing he’d thought to snag a weapon, he moved as silently as possible through the boxes toward the opening that led to the front area of the warehouse. He desperately needed to see Travis was still alive and relatively unharmed before he made his next move.

“How long are you going to keep me here?” Gabe’s heart swelled with relief when he heard Travis’s voice. “I told you I don’t have the malware. Killing me will only set you up for being charged with murder.”

Gabe silently urged Travis to keep talking as he edged closer to the opening.

---