Chapter Sixteen
Abel
“So what are we going to do?” I ask when everyone falls silent.
“Well, I should be taking all three of you in. You’ve impeded a federal investigation, along with a laundry list of other crimes,” Ian says, but he doesn’t move to stand.
“But we can get you Vladimir. Then you’ll have Tom Hunt and Vladimir Mikhailov. Surely a boss in the Russian mafia has to be worth something to the FBI. We can still go to the exchange, and the Feds can swoop in and seize him. We’ll get Sophie back and you’ll get two high-value targets.” I can see the wheels turning in Ian’s brain.
“I think I can get you a deal if you can get me Vladimir. I’m not sure if I can get no prison time for Adam, considering he’s wanted for kidnapping, but I’m certain we can get a light sentence, considering the foster parents he fled from are in prison for abusing kids now. I’ll get a team ready to take down Vladimir and his men for the exchange. Adam, I’ll have to take you in right after. I might not have to arrest Rebecca and Abel if you take full responsibility for everything. It was all you, after all, wasn’t it?”
“It was,” Adam says without hesitation.
“That’s good. Abel, I’m going to write this all up as you gathering information for me. Rebecca, as far as I know, you just lived in the church with Adam. Rooming with an old friend. I have no evidence of your involvement in anything. If you ever want to fight the bad guys with the FBI, we have programs that rehabilitate people with your particular skills and turn them into information specialists,” Ian says.
“You mean you’re inviting me to hack for the U.S. Government,” she says and smiles slyly. Becks is trying to play it off, but I can tell Ian has piqued her interest.
“Yes, something like that. Let me know if you’re interested. I’d get a hefty bonus for recruiting someone like you. We could split it,” Ian says and smiles at her. If I’m not mistaken, I think I see a spark of something pass between the two of them. Imagine that story. The brilliant hacker going straight for the roguishly handsome FBI agent.
After we confirm the rest of the plan, and Ian calls it in, he goes back to his office to set up the team. The three of us have to wait a few hours for the exchange, so we start discussing lunch.
“Who wants pizza?” Becks asks and opens up her laptop to order.
“I don’t know if I can eat, but I’ll try,” Adam responds and goes to the fridge for a drink.
“I’m in. I like olives and mushrooms,” I say, and Becks goes back to clacking away at her keys.
“Coming up,” she says and smiles.
That’s about the time I hear a bang and swearing coming from the kitchen. It sounds like Adam dropped his can of soda and possibly on his foot.
“I... uh... I got a text,” Adam says and walks out of the kitchen, looking as white as a ghost.
“What is it?” I ask, but my blood is running cold and the ringing in my ears is so loud it’s almost painful. I’ve never seen Adam look so frightened, and it’s chilling me to the bone.
“It’s Vladimir. He says I have to meet him with the hard drive by the abandoned dam on the south side of town in fifteen minutes or Sophie dies,” he says and shoves his phone in his pocket while picking up the keys to his bike.
“Adam, wait. You can’t just go alone. We have a plan, and we should at least call Ian to see if he can do anything,” I plead.
“Dumpling, we can’t do that. It takes ten minutes to get to the dam and I’ve already wasted two. I have to go now. If I have to die to save Sophie, then so be it. If that happens, Becks can you look after her?” he asks and grabs me.
Adam pulls me into his arms and kisses me hard on the lips. It feels like he’s trying to fit a lifetime of kisses into that one moment. It feels desperate and heartbreaking. I can’t speak when he walks away, but I won’t just sit around and let him walk into this alone. It’s a trap. I can feel it.
“Call Ian and tell him what’s going down,” I say and bolt out of the church before Becks can protest.
Adam is speeding away on his motorcycle before I can get to my car but that’s okay. I’ve lived in this city for a long time and I know where the abandoned dam is. It’s a terrifying place to hold the exchange because there’s no way for Ian and his team to sneak up on the exchange. It’s also completely secluded and there won’t be any witnesses.
It doesn’t matter. I keep going. When I arrive, I send Becks a text with the location confirmation and ditch my car on the road so Ian can find us. It’s probably unnecessary, but I feel better leaving a trail of breadcrumbs.
Early growth woods are surrounding the abandoned dam and its buildings. I try to sneak through them as quietly as possible. It’s hard to move silently when there are sticks and leaves on the ground but I step on as few of them as I can. Once I get close enough to see and hear the exchange, I stop. There’s no reason to move any closer because I can’t help and getting caught will only complicate the matter. I’m not sure why I’m here, but I guess it will be good for there to be a witness if everything goes south.
“I’ve got the drive,” Adam says as he approaches Vladimir and the men who are holding Sophie. “Now give me my sister.”
“Change of plans, Adam the Savior. I’m taking the hard drive, but I’m throwing in a bonus for my boss back in Moscow. Your sister will fetch a high price from someone who likes young, cute virgins. And your little Omega is too old for Alphas who like them young, but he’ll make an excellent maid for the boss’s household,” Vladimir says and directs his people to put Sophie back in the SUV.
“You’ll never get Abel; now let my sister go,” Adam barks as he pulls out his gun.
“It’s a pity you brought that,” Vladimir says and shoots Adam before he even has time to aim. “And I will get your Omega. Come on out, baby, or I’ll have to kill you too.” He points at me and Adam’s eyes go wide with distress.
“Abel, no. You shouldn’t have come here.”
“I’m sorry,” I call out and start to walk towards Vladimir.
“No, Abel. Run.”
“If you run, I’ll shoot him in the head. I might shoot him in the head anyway if you don’t hurry up.”
I rush to Vladimir and he grabs me by the arm. Adam tries to get up, but he grabs his side and groans loudly. He can’t get up, and all I can do is look back and watch him bleed on the pavement while Vladimir shoves me in the van.