Page 78 of Isabelle’s Forbidden Love

Arriving at the passenger door to the van, Orlando saw Patrick returning. He was carrying Isabelle’s handbag. “Just like we thought. He dumped it in a trashcan outside.”

“Patrick, get in the back,” Samson ordered. “The rest of you, take the other van and follow us.”

When Samson wanted to get into the driver’s seat, Patrick stopped him. “Dad, I’m driving.”

It looked as if Samson wanted to protest, but then he relented and hopped in the back with Orlando instead, while Thomas took the passenger seat to navigate.

Moments later, they were on the street, heading south toward Hunter’s Point. From the passenger seat, Thomas tapped on an app on the tablet. It rang once, before the call was accepted.

“Hey, babe, what do you need?” It was Eddie’s voice.

“Get a heat-seeking drone up in the air. I’m sending you the coordinates. We need to know where in the building Nelson is keeping Isabelle.”

“I’m on it.”

In the back, Orlando sat opposite Samson. They looked at each other. He could see in Samson’s face that he was beside himself with fear for his daughter. Most likely that was the reason he was letting Patrick drive.

Orlando tuned out Patrick and Thomas and concentrated on the live stream on his cell phone. Samson motioned to him that he wanted to see what was going on, so Orlando left his seat and sat down next to Samson on the bench.

LaRuson stood next to Isabelle now. Deliberately slowly, he let his claws emerge. The tips of his fingers were now topped with sharp barbs. He drew his claws over Isabelle’s chest in one slow motion, slicing into her top as if he was savoring the moment. Blood started oozing from the wounds, and Orlando flinched. He clenched his jaw.

“I will rip that bastard from limb to limb,” Orlando swore. Then he looked up toward the front. “Don’t drive like an old lady, Patrick. Get a move on!”

Next to him, Samson stared at the cell phone screen, his hands trembling. He wanted to comfort his boss, but Samson wouldn’t appreciate it.

“Samson,” he said in a lower voice. “LaRuson wants me. I’ll go in alone. I’ll offer myself in exchange for Isabelle”

“You know that’s suicide.” Samson pointed at the video feed. “He has a gun. Loaded with silver bullets. He’ll shoot you on sight.”

“I’ll lure him far enough away from Isabelle so you guys can untie her and get her out of there. I’ll be the diversion.”

“You won’t survive it.”

“It doesn’t matter what happens to me. As long as Isabelle is safe.”

“You would die for her?”

“No matter what you may think of me, Samson, I love Isabelle. And if she doesn’t survive this, I’m dead anyway, because without her, I can’t go on.” He felt tears rise up, but pushed them down. “You know why I came to you eighteen months ago? Because I was sick of running. I was sick of the loneliness. I loved my wife. I truly did. But my love for Isabelle is eclipsing that love. A world without Isabelle, even if I’m dead, isn’t right. She has to live, no matter what.”

For a few long seconds, Samson didn’t say anything. Then he nodded.

42

By the time the two Scanguards vans reached the building in Hunter’s Point, where the bug Cooper had planted on Isabelle had led them, Orlando wanted to jump out of his skin. His impatience was growing bigger with every second he was watching the live video feed where LaRuson was now delivering painful cut after cut to Isabelle’s arms and chest. Although Isabelle tried to be brave, she moaned in pain, and the sound made his heart ache and his fangs itch for vengeance.

“Is the drone in the air?” Samson now asked Thomas.

Thomas shook his head. “Another five minutes. Eddie had to mount the heat-seeking camera first.”

“We can’t wait any longer,” Orlando decided. “He’s hurting her. I have to go in now.”

He opened the side door of the van and jumped out into the darkness. He looked at the cell phone again, this time not to look at Isabelle, but to look at the space where she was chained. Perhaps he could see something that would give him an indication as to where in the large building LaRuson was holding her prisoner.

He zoomed in on an area to the left of the screen and squinted. “I think that’s an old chimney.” He looked over his shoulder and saw that Samson and Thomas had also gotten out of the van. “Thomas, you have the blueprints?”

Thomas nodded and tapped on his tablet. “Got it.”

“How many chimneys?”