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Once he was gone, Gabriella said a female patient who’d encountered portador de la muerte, informed her that Esteban Moreno was the man she had been speaking with.
I held Gabriella tight as she cried. Attracting the attention of this man is not a good sign. I’ll be damned if I let this fucker come near my woman again.
* * *
February 20th, 1988
For the past week, our team has been set up on the outskirts of the clinic’s property, waiting for Esteban to make another appearance. Warren and I have been at each other’s throats, disagreeing with how to handle the situation. I want to get Gabriella out of the country and back home to the States. Warren is convinced Esteban will approach the site again if Gabriella stays put.
I’ve threatened Warren that I’ll retire from the Navy if she’s used as a pawn. Still, orders came through from above Warren, preventing us from moving her to safety. I argued she’s a civilian, but since she is with Doctors Without Borders, they see it as fair game to use her as bait. I’ve never been so livid in all my life. If it was in my power, I would be trailing Gabriella all over the clinic, using myself as a human shield to protect her.
We’re supposed to stay out of sight, but I’ve sneaked on-site at night to enter her tent, stealing whatever time I can with her. Last night, she let me make love to her…not gonna lie, it was everything and more.
Before I left Gabriella this morning, I took off the gold pinky ring, my mother’s wedding band, and slipped it on her right ring finger, as is the custom in Spain. I promised her my heart, my protection, and my life. I love this woman with every ounce of my soul.
I’ve decided to go above Warren’s and our superiors’ heads. Screw rank. This is my future wife in the crossfires. I’ve made arrangements with some locals to sneak Gabriella out of Colombia to Maracaibo, Venezuela. From there, I have a guy on standby to get her back home via boat through the Caribbean Sea and a back-up pilot if plan A falls through.
Gabriella leaves tonight. She’s scared and doesn’t want to leave without me, but I need to remain here with my team. When our mission is finished, she and I plan to go straight to the church to get married—enough of this bullshit with Esteban. My fiancée’s life is not a bargaining chip for the United States government.
* * *
My emotions are fuming; I have to set the journal down a moment. No one ever told me this part of the story—how my innocent mother was used as bait to drag Esteban out from hiding. I feel mypadre’sfrustration. I’ve made the exact same decision.
Josephine had volunteered herself to ensnare Jacob, her unhinged ex-boyfriend. I was never on board with the plan, but my woman is tenacious. The day Jacob came after her, was the worst day of my life. I nearly lost her in more ways than one. It’s not hard to pull parallels between mypapa’slife and my own.
With a deep sigh, I resume my reading.
* * *
February 21st, 1988
He took her. I don’t know how it happened, how he knew, but the escorts I had in place to smuggle her out were gunned down, their vehicle abandoned, and no sign of Gabriella.
A village boy had run from where the incident had occurred to inform our team. Warren went off on me, calling me an idiot for trying to move her when things were so heated with Esteban. He’s right. I was a fool for thinking I could sneak her off to safety. She would have been better off staying put with our team keeping watch. But how was I to know? I wanted her away from the danger—not smack in the middle of it.
Investigating the scene has given nothing away as to how this happened. Our best guess is that Esteban was watching and waiting for an opportunity to grab her. The escorts were casualties of the heist. And Gabriella is the victim.
I’ll get her back safely, back to Jacksonville where I live on base at Naval Station Mayport. Esteban wouldn’t have a chance of retrieving her there, surrounded by the United States Navy.
I just need to think positively, work with my team, track down Esteban’s location. And after that, I’ll make good on my promise to marry her. I’ll get her back if it’s the last thing I do.
* * *
February 28th, 1988
It’s been a week with no sign of Esteban or Gabriella. I’ve been going out of my mind with worry. I can’t help imagining all these morbid scenarios of what might have happened to her, what might be happening to her…
I can’t let my mind wander that way. I nearly got sent home when I couldn’t keep my emotions in check. Warren and the guys are worried about me—afraid of what I might do if I’m allowed to go after Esteban. If Warren sends me packing, I’ll go rogue, and I think he knows it too. It’s probably the only reason why he’s keeping me close to the situation.
Until we get a solid lead, I’ll stay focused on the task. Saving Gabriella is all I care about. I’ll do anything to get her back.
* * *
March 13th, 1988
My life has become a living hell. Something inside of me fractured the other day. Not sure what it was exactly, but I’m willing to bet it was my moral compass. Going by the book is giving us nothing. I believe it’s hindering our chances of success.
Warren has been watching me like a hawk. He knows I’m barely hanging on. He keeps trying to talk me back out of the shadows, but I think he sees I’m on a different path.
