Chapter 10 - Snatched in the Rain—The Price on Shantel’s Head
The betrayal unfolded in a heartbeat.
Gabriel’s eyes flared with deadly fury. Without a moment's hesitation, Gabriel grabbed the barrel of Thomas’s weapon, deflecting the shot into the roof of the SUV as it fired. With his left hand, Gabriel drove a tactical combat knife straight into Thomas’s throat.
Thomas gasped, collapsing forward over the console as blood splattered across the dashboard.
“Out! Now!” Gabriel roared, kicking open the heavy, dented door of the SUV.
Rain poured from the gray sky, turning the cobblestone alley into a slick, bloody battleground. Mateo was already outside, returning suppressive fire against half a dozen syndicate operatives.
Gabriel pulled me toward the church’s heavy oak doors, firing his pistol with surgical precision, dropping two attackers as they advanced through the rain.
Suddenly, a high-caliber sniper round tore through the pavement at Gabriel’s feet, followed by another that struck his already-injured side.
Gabriel grunted, falling to one knee against the stone steps.
“Gabriel!” I screamed, dropping beside him, clutching his shoulder.
Three syndicate operatives rushed forward through the smoke, their weapons trained directly on us. Behind them walked Viktor Vane, holding a gold-plated revolver and wearing a wide, triumphant grin.
“Take the girl,” Vane commanded his men. “And leave the great Gabriel Costa to bleed out in the gutter like a stray dog.”
Two large men grabbed me by the arms, dragging me away from Gabriel. I fought with everything I had, kicking, screaming, and clawing at their faces.
“Gabriel! Let me go! Gabriel!”
Gabriel struggled to rise, his hand reaching out toward me, his dark eyes burning with agonizing fury. “Shantel! Don't you touch her!”
One of Vane’s men struck Gabriel across the temple with the butt of a rifle, sending him crashing onto the wet cobblestones.
“If you kill him, I’ll never tell you where the painting is!” I screamed at Vane, tears mixing with the freezing rain on my face. “I swear to God, Vane, I’ll destroy the access codes!”
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Vane paused, looking at me with a cruel chuckle. “Put her in the van. We’re heading to the harbor warehouse. Let’s see how long Julian Vance’s stubborn daughter lasts under a blowtorch.”
They threw me into the back of the black van, slamming the doors shut and plunging me into complete darkness as the vehicle sped away.
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