Chapter Sixteen
Jonah stood beside Gabby’s bed. He had knocked and when she hadn’t answered, he’d eased the door open. Finding her asleep wasn’t unexpected. She’d played in the snow for hours. After yesterday’s debacle, he hadn’t dared joined her. Thankfully, that hadn’t seemed to mar her enjoyment. She had built her own snowwoman and had even created several smaller figures she’d described as snow pets. He had watched her from the window, mesmerized by the almost childlike pleasure she took in something so simple.
After dinner, she’d said she was going to her room to write in her notebook. Apparently, she had settled in to write after slipping into light blue flannel pajamas and fallen asleep in the process. The notebook lay by her side.
He re-evaluated his earlier decision. To wake her would be criminal. He would destroy what might possibly be her last peaceful sleep to relay information that would demolish that peace. Tomorrow would be soon enough to break her heart.
He bent down, intending to put the notebook on the nightstand so she wouldn’t inadvertently knock it onto the floor. Moonlight reflected into the room, revealing the words she’d written. Without the least amount of guilt, Jonah glanced over her notes. And as he read, the hard shell around his heart cracked even further.
It was a bucket list of sorts, but unlike any he’d ever seen. These were things most people did on a daily basis, many of them mundane. To Gabby, who’d rarely gotten the chance to do anything for herself or by herself, they were goals to achieve, new joys to experience.
He smiled at the first item on the list. She wanted a puppy. Why would Luis Mendoza not allow his granddaughter to have something that to him should be small and insignificant but to a young girl could mean the world? Was he that heartless?
Stupid question. After what Jonah had learned tonight, that went without saying. The man was a monster.
Continuing down her list, Jonah noted she’d listed things from the silly to the downright dangerous. Spitting off the top of the Empire State Building was right under climbing Mount Everest. Number twelve on her list was something he would make sure she got to do right away.
He placed the notebook on the nightstand, took one last look at the peacefully sleeping Gabby, and turned to leave.
The sound of an alarm from his phone halted his steps and his breath. They had visitors. The question of how they’d been found would have to be answered later. For right now, they needed to move.
Jonah shook Gabby’s shoulder hard. They had little time to waste. “Wake up.”
She blinked up at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s here. We’ve got to leave.”
Whether it was the fear that she kept inside her that never went away or the urgency of his voice, he didn’t know. Whatever it was, she didn’t waste time on questions. She jumped out of bed.
“Don’t turn on any lights. The moonlight should be bright enough for you to see. Dress in layers. Wear two pairs of socks. Meet me in the hallway in two minutes.”
He didn’t wait to see if she was surprised by the lack of time. They needed to get the hell out of here. The alarm that had gone off was three miles away. If the intruders were walking, it would take more time, but if they had snowmobiles or a truck with a snowplow attachment, then his and Gabby’s time to escape would be considerably less.
Jonah went to his room and dressed with quick efficiency. Prison life had been hell but had taught him some important lessons and skills. Getting dressed fast was one of them. It had taken only one beating from a sadistic guard to learn that lesson.
He unlocked the weapons closet and withdrew a couple more guns. He was already armed, but according to Kingston, Gabby had said she was an excellent shot. He hoped to hell that was true. She needed to be able to defend herself if something happened to him.
He pulled out a go bag from the closet. It was a little heavier than normal since he’d added a few additional items Gabby might need. If they got stranded, the contents should last them at least until they were able to arrange for pickup.
Hyperaware of time tick-ticking away, Jonah took the extra seconds to text Justice a brief message. His employer would begin the preparations. Just because they’d believed they couldn’t be found didn’t mean they didn’t have a contingency plan.
He strode out of the room and was relieved to see Gabby waiting for him in the hallway.
He handed her a pair of sturdy snow boots. “Put these on.”
She took the boots and quickly slid off the boots she’d worn earlier. Her face was as white as the snow outside, and her dark eyes were filled with worry. She was, however, calm. Almost too much so. Had she been anticipating this, too? Damned if he would let her down. She had gotten away. No way in hell was he letting her go back.
“You have your notebooks?”
“Yes. Beneath my sweater.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
“What about a coat?”
“I have a snowsuit for you in the garage.”
She followed him down the stairs and stood at the door of the office while he collected the laptop. He wouldn’t leave anything incriminating behind.
Turning back, he gave her a nod, and they headed to the basement. Parked beside the black SUV was a white, top-of-the-line snowmobile. While he’d prefer the SUV for warmth and safety, they wouldn’t get a hundred yards from the house. This vehicle could drive through snow better than anything he’d ever driven.
He handed Gabby a white snowsuit. While she slid into it, he pulled on a larger one. As soon as they were zipped up, he gave her a white ski mask. “This will protect your face. Keep your hood on and your head down as much as possible.”
He pulled on his own mask and then jumped on the leather seat.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Get behind me and hold on tight.”
Gabby climbed on behind Jonah and wrapped her arms around his waist. The engine roared to life just as the garage door slid open. She was surprised to see a narrow path enclosed within two solid white walls. He had obviously been preparing in case they were found. Gabby took comfort in that. Just because her grandfather’s men had found her didn’t mean this was the end of the line.
“Hold on!” Jonah shouted. And they were off.
Her heart pounding in a frenzy, Gabby tightened her hold around Jonah’s waist and prayed.
Jonah had sworn that no one knew about their location. Was there a leak in the organization Jonah and Kathleen worked for? What would happen if they were caught? She wouldn’t be hurt. She knew the only reason they’d come was to take her back, but they wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Jonah. They would either kill him outright or take him to her grandfather. She couldn’t let either of those things happen. Her grandfather would take pleasure in questioning Jonah and making him suffer.
“Hang on. We’re going over!”
She had barely registered Jonah’s words before they were airborne, soaring over a giant snowbank. Suspended in midair, Gabby lost all breath. Seconds later, they landed with a jolt, and she took in a breath of icy air. In another time, another situation, she would have been yelling and whooping with happiness, delirious at the exhilarating and exciting experience. The dark cloud of what would happen if they were caught squashed any enjoyment in the moment.
She glanced over her shoulder. It was still dark, but the full moon against the brightness of the snow made it look like it was almost daylight. She saw nothing but a stark-white landscape of gently rolling hills and trees.
“I don’t see anyone,” she shouted into his ear. “Are you sure—”
“Keep your head down.”
The terse warning was barely out of his mouth when the thump-thump of rotary blades roared overhead. Light exploded around them. The helicopter’s searchlight seemed brighter than the sun. There was no way to escape.
Gabby’s frantic mind began to create stories about how she’d come to be with Jonah. She had escaped her kidnappers and had been injured. Jonah had come along and found her. Maybe she had been knocked unconscious and suffered temporary amnesia. That’s why she hadn’t called her grandfather. She would make Jonah out to be her savior. She would still have to return, but at least Jonah would be safe.
“Okay. Hop off.”
Three things registered at once. They had moved into a thick grouping of giant evergreens. The snowmobile had stopped. And though the helicopter could still be heard above them, the light from the searchlight barely penetrated the dense coverage from the trees.
“What now?”
“We walk from here. It’s only about half a mile.”
“What’s only about half a mile?”
“Our ride.”
Stunned, Gabby watched Jonah grab the bag he’d stored beneath the seat. The instant he held out his hand to her, she took it and followed him deeper into the woods.
“You already had this planned out, didn’t you?”
“Contingency plans save asses.”
“I’m going to embroider that on a pillow for you.” When he didn’t smile or even acknowledge her joke, she knew they still weren’t out of danger. She shivered, more from nerves than cold. “How do you think they found us?”
“That’s something I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell going to find out.”
***
Valencia, Venezuela
Mendoza Estate
“We lost them.”
Despite his age, Luis jumped up from his chair. Gripping the phone in his hand with all his might, he ground out the words, “How is that possible?”
“They went into the forest for cover. Don’t worry. We’ve got the place surrounded. The minute they emerge, we’ll grab them.”
He released an easy breath. Once this was over, he’d talk with his head of security about his dramatic turn of phrase. His words we lost them had carved at least a year off Luis’s life.
“How many are there?”
“Just one man and the girl.”
Just one man? Either this was a small operation, or they hadn’t anticipated being found. One man to guard her? Yes, they should have no trouble getting to her. He could feel the tension in his body melting away. Gabriella’s recovery was only a matter of time now.
“Good. The priority is Gabriella. Her captor is secondary. Take him alive or dead. If he gets away, we’ll find him later.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll contact you as soon as we have her.”
The line went dead but rang again immediately. Luis answered, “What do you have?”
“The house is registered to the government of Mantoballah.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“There’s good reason for that. It doesn’t exist.”
He shook his head. This was getting more and more strange. First, Gabriella was taken, but no ransom was demanded. And now she was found in a mansion in the United States in the middle of the Colorado mountains.
“What about fingerprints?”
“We’re getting them analyzed. It may take some time, and if the man has no record, we may not be able to identify him.”
That was unacceptable. “A ten-thousand-dollar bonus will go to the first man who identifies the monster who has my granddaughter.”
“Yes, sir.”
Luis heard the surprise in the man’s voice. Mendozas weren’t known for their generosity. And though it galled to have made the concession, finding Gabriella and bringing her home would be more than worth the extra outlay of money.
“Call me when you have something.”
Luis ended the call and resumed pacing. It was only a matter of time until Gabriella would be returned. When she was back home safely, he would ensure this never happened again. He would have her brought to his home, where she would stay under lock and key until she had fulfilled her purpose. He had been careless with her care. Had allowed her the freedom of not only living on her own but also traveling around the world. Yes, he had made sure she had armed guards at all times, but what good had they been? She had been taken right under their noses.
His office door opened, and Luis stopped pacing. Already knowing the answer but asking anyway, he said, “Anything?”
His face barely flushed from his morning activities, Stephan shook his head. “Nothing, as we predicted. They’d already given all that they knew. There was no point in prolonging the inevitable.”
That was what he had figured, but he had needed to make sure. Traitors surrounded the most powerful. He had learned that lesson early in life and would never forget it. One of Gabriella’s guards could have been in cahoots with her captors. Now that they knew none of them were, the guards had been duly chastised.
“Everything is complete?”
“Yes. Their bodies are being disposed of as we speak.”
“And their families?”
Stephan’s face scrunched up into what looked like a grimace but was actually a smile of triumph. Luis had seen that smile many times over the years. “Properly compensated and warned.”
Luis whirled away and resumed pacing. At least that had been done to his specifications. But nothing was solved. Nothing would be right until Gabriella was found and brought back to where she would stay securely behind locked doors.
“I have other news.”
Luis stumbled to a stop. “What?”
“Rudolph Bianchi has left his estate.”
Bianchi was a recluse and had not left his home in years. If the old bastard was on the move, that could mean only one thing.
“Have the guest suite prepared.”
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’m not. Rudolph has always been a single-minded individual. This is the only thing he has to live for. He’s determined to see it through. As am I.”
Luis rubbed in chin reflectively. If he played this right… “Perhaps this is for the best.”
“How so?”
“He needs to see we’re in control of the situation. Besides, having him here in my home puts him in my territory. He believes he’s been calling the shots all these years. It’s time for Bianchi to see who is really in charge.”