“You should have done that for me.” Sin hung up.
BING!
Gabriel bolted to his laptop, eyed the screen. “I got a hit.” He zoomed in on the location, screenshot the image. “She’s in the middle of a wooded area in Ashburn.” He dropped a pin on the location, texted himself the screenshot before eyeing the team.
“I’m out,” Gabriel said. “Who’s with me?”
“We gotta weapon up,” Greystone said as he pushed to his feet.
Gabriel had on Kevlar. He was armed with his CANiK. His long rifle was cased in his truck.
“Do what you gotta do. I’m gone.”
“You gotta wait—” Greystone blurted.
No, I don’t.
Feeling the pressure bearing down on him, Gabriel bolted down the hallway. He had no idea how long Halston would be outside. Was she alone? Injured? He took off in a full-on run.
Please Lord, let her be alive.
He waited while the sliding glass door opened, then he flew into the oversized hangar. Someone was blocking him in, so he grabbed his long gun case from his truck, jumped behind the wheel of an ALPHA SUV, and started the engine. A full tank of gas, so he tapped the remote built into the rearview mirror and waited for clearance.
Out he drove. Another tap to close the door, then he pulled up her pinned location. Two buildings—a convenience store and gas station—stood two miles from her. He set his GPS, tapped the app for the ring tracker. Halston’s blip was still visible.
He floored it out of the parking lot, not bothering to slow as he drove down the street, onto the dirt road, then through the upscale neighborhood. Once on Route 7, he checked his arrival time.
Thirty fucking minutes.
I can make it in fifteen.
Failure was not an option. He would find her and get her out. No matter who was there, no matter the danger he was walking into. Determination had him driving faster, but when he got behind a slowpoke in the fast lane, he changed lanes, picked up speed. The miles ticked by, as did the minutes.
Eighteen minutes later he’d blown by the suburban neighborhoods, the foliage and landscape turning rural. His GPS alerted him that he was approaching the convenience store. The building was dark, so he continued on, trying his best to figure out where to turn.
He took a hard right on a road, but it dead-ended within fifty yards.
Dammit.
He drove out, then took the next right. A single lane country rode. After two minutes, the paved road ended and he drove on a road of dirt. The area grew thick with forest. His gut said he was on the right path… until the path ended with nothing… again.
“Dammit!” he shouted. “Halston, where are you?”
He tapped on the app.
She was gone.
HALSTON
Halston wantedto pull out her hair.
“What do you mean, you don’t want to leave?” she asked one of the scientists. “You areprisonersbeing tasked with doing something horrific. If we don’t leave now, you won’t get a chance later. That insane woman is coming back. She’s bringing a power-hungry Russian who shot his own ambassador. I can assure you, he won’t hesitate killing all of you.”
“I’m not leaving,” repeated the soft-spoken scientist. “I think we’re safer here doing what they want.”
“Who’s coming with me?” Halston asked, her patience depleted.
Everyone, but the one, raised their hands.
