Gabe

by Ruth Cardello

  He hasn’t done a single suspicious thing.

  Except attach himself to me instantly and not leave. He says it’s because he enjoys being with me that much, but what if it’s because he wants to watch me?

  He has money of his own. He wouldn’t be on Raymean’s payroll. Would he?

  What if not all of his money is from his company? He has all kinds of connections. If he told anyone about what I’m working on they would have told him how much it was worth.

  Too good to be true . . .

  Which is more likely? That I met a man who instantly fell for me and will do anything for me?

  Or that my lonely state left me vulnerable to being manipulated by someone who wants to profit from my work?

  My father would have said I was being paranoid.

  You should have listened to me, Dad.

  Josephine moved to a corner of the room where she could watch Gabe. He was off the phone and talking to one of his men on the porch. She crawled over to the window next to where they were and listened.

  “While I’m gone you need to make sure she doesn’t leave the ranch.”

  “Understood.”

  Gabe sighed. “Is there any way we could cut off communication to the ranch and make it look like a power outage? It’ll need to happen in town so she’s not suspicious. Her cell phone relies on the Internet working. Once it goes down, she’s going to get antsy. She’s smart; you’ll have to be smarter. Make sure none of the vehicles work, but don’t give her a hint that anything is out of the ordinary.”

  “Copy that. To clarify, we shoot to kill.”

  “If necessary, yes.”

  Josephine gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Shoot to kill? Shoot. To. Kill? Of all the things she’d worried about, she’d never thought Gabe would be planning to kill her. She couldn’t imagine the man she’d given herself to so intimately would ever hurt her.

  But betray me? I guess I always knew he would.

  Everyone eventually does.

  She stood and caught her breath. This is what happens when you sleep with a man you hardly know.

  She laughed without humor.

  Actually, this doesn’t happen. This is worse than what happens. I wish I were only finding out that he’s married or jobless.

  She ran his plan over in her head and began to plot one of her own. By the time Gabe entered the house a cold calm had settled over her.

  “Sorry it took so long,” he said. “It ended up more complicated than I thought.”

  She forced a smile. “That’s okay. I’m fighting a raging headache. That latest test was a complete flop.”

  He frowned. “Was it? You were so hopeful.”

  “Yes, that’s how it goes. One leap forward, one slide back. Looks like I’m not as close as I thought.”

  He looped his hands around her waist and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry to hear that. You’ll figure it out.”

  “Yes, I will,” she said with more emotion than she meant to.

  “I need to leave for a couple of days. You’ll be fine, though. Julio and Dez will be here with you.”

  “What about the occupancy clause?”

  “I’m allowed to leave for a few days here and there. It’ll be fine.”

  “Where are you going?” She tried to sound casual.

  “There’s something I need to handle back at the office that can’t be done over the phone.” He wasn’t an accomplished liar like she was. He looked guilty, but she pretended not to notice.

  She wanted to push him for more, but that would increase the risk of him knowing that she’d heard his plan. Instead, she kept smiling and purred, “I’ll miss you.”

  His expression relaxed. “I’ll miss you, too. I was going to leave in the morning.”

  She made a show of rubbing her temples. “Go tonight if it’s urgent. I’ll be fine. Well, once I get rid of this headache.”

  He laid a hand across her temple. “You don’t feel feverish, but I’ll bring you some Tylenol. You’ve been working nonstop for two weeks. You’re probably exhausted. I can leave tomorrow. I’ll stay and make sure you’re okay.”

  She shook her head. “No, no. It’s just a simple headache. I’ll sleep in, relax tomorrow, and be better by the time you return.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  This is where I prove that I lie better than you do. “I’m sure, but knowing I have you to take care of me makes me feel a little better already.”

  Gabe left his car at the ranch and flew out on a private plane to Connecticut. He hated the idea of leaving Josephine, but he didn’t want to risk her getting hurt if things went south. Andre met him at the airport and drove him to the hotel room he’d rented for the next two days.

  The sun was high in the sky by the time Andre plugged a flash drive into Gabe’s laptop. “I’ll warn you, it’s pretty graphic.”

  Gabe took the computer and settled down onto the couch with it. For the first few minutes the only person on the video was Ashby. He typed on his computer, poured a glass of water from the water cooler, and returned to work at his computer. Gabe glanced across at Andre.

  “I didn’t edit any of it out. I wanted to make sure it was a clean copy.”

  Gabe looked back down at the video. Ashby took a phone call. “I’m still at the lab. Of course I’ll come. I’ll leave now.”

  The lights were turned off and the screen went black. A few minutes later the lights came back on and a man in his twenties, wearing a baseball cap that concealed his face from the camera, came in. He hunted around on the desk until he found a key. He put a flash drive in Ashby’s computer before walking out of view again. When he returned he was pushing a bike that looked identical to the one Josephine was working on. He looked up quickly and drew a gun.

  Ashby walked back into the view of the security camera. “Get off that bike.”

  “You shouldn’t have come back, old man. I wanted to do this without hurting anyone.”

  Ashby walked forward with his hands raised. “You still can. This is a mistake. Put the damn gun away and get off the bike. My daughter is older than you. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Don’t throw it away on something like this.”

  The young man waved his gun wildly at Ashby. “I can’t let you live. Why did you have to come back?” He started the bike.

  Ashby took another step forward. “Son, that bike is only a prototype. It’s not even the most advanced one. Killing me won’t get you what you want. Get off the bike. If you need money or something I could help you.”

  “I don’t need your help. I need you to shut up.” He waved the gun again and Ashby stepped closer.

  “Son, if you’re thinking of escaping on that bike the engine will overheat in less than ten miles and that battery will go up like a mini napalm. You won’t make it anywhere.”

  The man shot at something in what had probably been an attempt to scare him, but Ashby took the opening to grab the gun, locked it, and tossed it to the far corner of the room. “Get off the bike. I may be old, but you’re asking for a good old-fashioned ass kicking.”

  The young man revved the bike’s engine, but he looked scared. “I didn’t want to kill you, but I’m leaving with this bike. Let me go and you won’t get hurt.”

  He went to drive by Ashby, but the old man had more military than civilian in him. He lunged, grabbed the arm of the man, and sent both crashing to the floor. The young man tried to punch Ashby, but Ashby blocked it. Ashby gave him a punch to the face that sent the young man to his knees then hauled him to his feet. “Sometimes a man has to find his knees before he can change his life.” He punched him again and the man sank to the floor. “Consider this your rock bottom and pull your life together. I don’t know what brought you here, son, but everyone has a choice. Make your next one a good one.”

  Ashby went to the bike and turned it off. Gabe cringed when the young man scrambled to his feet and grabbed the gun again. He fumbled to unlock it and pointed it at Ashby. “This time I�
��ll do it. I will.”

  He shot and the bike exploded.

  The two men must have died instantly because there was no sound on the video, only smoke and flames, followed by an alarm going off and the sprinkler system going on.

  Several moments later, security guards were using fire extinguishers on the fire and not making much headway. Someone said the fire department was on its way. A bald man in a suit began barking questions. “No. That’s not how this will go down. Get that body and the gun out of here.”

  The security men shook their heads and that enraged the bald man. He threatened everything from their jobs to their families. An evil look twisted his expression, and he offered a bribe of a hundred thousand each, making it worth their while to hide the truth. By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire was out and the bald man was telling them a tale of how Ashby had been caught in the act of trying to steal the prototype.

  “Who is that?” Gabe asked Andre, who was standing beside the couch.

  “Felix Zainer, head of Product Development at Raymean. He’s been with the company since its early days and was pissed when the founder retired and handed the reins over to his son and not him. He’d brought Ashby on and invested loads of money into his program, although if you follow the money trail very little of it actually got to Ashby. My guess is Zainer was taking what he considered his due.”

  “Which is why he wanted it to look like Ashby was a fraud, so when the books were looked over he could claim Ashby stole it.”

  “That’s what I’m thinking.”

  “Do you think the cover-up goes higher than him?”

  Andre shook his head. “This weasel was planning to cut and run before the bike blew up. He was working alone. I doubt the new CEO, Don Theroux, knows. If he does, I haven’t seen him act to help or stop him. He looked sincerely shocked by how Ashby had died. He was as shocked as Zainer that his father gave him the company. I hear he is barely in control of his secretary. I don’t think he could pull anything like this off.”

  “Who was the younger guy with the gun?”

  “He was on Zainer’s payroll. Looks like the original plan was to frame Ashby and take off while the heat was on him.”

  “I need a shower, a fresh suit, and a car.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to pay Theroux a visit. If he’s smart he’ll let Zainer, and everyone who helped him, hang.”

  Andre whistled. “You missed your calling when you chose real estate. You have a knack for espionage.”

  Gabe flexed his shoulders. “Real estate is cutthroat. Did you forget that mobster in Detroit who tried to block us from selling that property in the south end?”

  “Vinnie Donlonnie? His family was in the mob a hundred years ago. That guy was barely eighteen and a two-bit, drug-dealing punk who didn’t want to lose his best heroin-selling corner. I had the police visit his grandmother and offered them enough money to relocate out of the city. She took him to live with her sister.”

  With a shrug, Gabe removed his tie. “Don’t kill my mojo before I take on Theroux.”

  Andre smiled, then did his best to look serious. “If you tell Theroux you’ve toppled mob kings, he’ll probably shit himself.”

  “Fresh suit and a car,” Gabe said. “Now.”

  Andre had worked for him long enough to hold off laughing until Gabe was mostly out of earshot.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Four armed security men with orders to shoot to kill. One working vehicle that hasn’t been tested. No access to my gun. Soon no access to my phone or Internet.

  Josephine didn’t attempt to sleep that night. She sat in her room and methodically went through each of her options. She could reach out to her online network for help, but they weren’t the heroic type. One was in his eighties. She could call the police, but what would she say?

  Hi. I’m being held here against my will. Why? Oh, I can’t tell you why. You’d arrest me if you knew what I’m working on. Did I call you? Never mind.

  All I have is the element of surprise.

  She’d wasted over an hour asking herself who Gabe was going to meet and why he would want her kept on the ranch. Each possible scenario was darker than the last until she’d been paralyzed with fear.

  It was then that she’d remembered what her father had always said about fear being the enemy’s greatest weapon. I won’t give them that power, Dad. I’ll fight.

  Each security man was wired with a radio. I’ll have to disable them. Or interfere with their transmissions. How do I do that without making them suspicious?

  A plan began to form in her head. I wait until they knock out the electricity. People don’t know how things work. If it happens simultaneously, they’ll think they’re responsible. All I have to do is find a receiver strong enough for their transmitters to lock on to. Radio silence is hardly ever noticed. My receiver will need to be battery operated so it runs when the power goes down. Luckily I have still have Internet access.

  What do I know about taking down four men? What had Gabe said, “What I can google tonight.”

  After doing a quick search and deciding she had all the necessary components, she looked up the best way to restrain someone. Zip ties or duct tape. Perfect. She had both in her lab. While she was searching she came across easy snare traps and was glad end-of-the-world preppers were generous with their advice. The lab made the most amount of sense as far as where to disable the men. They wouldn’t suspect anything she did in there and then all she had to do was lure them in.

  When she left tomorrow, there wouldn’t be time to pack up her lab. Her research and the bike would have to be enough.

  In the early morning hours, Josephine stripped her hair of color then dyed it blonde. It wasn’t her natural, richer honey color, but it would have to do. She packed what she could into a duffel bag and chose practical clothing for her escape: running shoes, shorts, and a tight-fitting tank top. The less anyone had to grab onto the better.

  She was on her way to the kitchen because keeping her routine the same would bring less attention to her. The men usually took shifts: Montee and Kyle slept during the day and swapped off in the evening with Julio and Dez. That morning, however, they all were gathered in the hallway of the house having a conversation that ended abruptly when she appeared. She smiled brightly at them. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning,” they answered in unison.

  “I hit a snag in my work yesterday, so I’ll probably be in the lab all day today trying to make up the time I lost. I hate to ask, but could one of you bring me lunch around noon? I’ll forget to eat if you don’t, and that always makes me lightheaded.” Sweet and helpless was the vibe she was trying for and it seemed to work. Dez said his girlfriend was the same way when she didn’t eat and promised to bring her some protein and a salad.

  “Thank you,” Josephine said and shook herself inwardly when she started to relax. Dez isn’t being kind; he’s probably going to use that time to check in on me. They have orders to shoot me if I try to leave. Just because they seem nice doesn’t mean they are. Being gullible will get you killed.

  Julio stepped forward. “One thing you should know.”

  Josephine froze. “Yes?”

  “When I was in town yesterday I heard the area is having sweeping power blackouts. They don’t last long, but you may want to backup whatever you’re working on. And have a flashlight ready in the lab so you’re not scared if the lights go out.”

  “I haven’t heard a thing about that, but thanks for the heads-up. I’ll definitely do that.” She blinked back tears. Gabe was exactly who she’d feared he was.

  Julio nodded and ducked his head. “You know where we are if you need us.”

  “Are all four of you up for the day?”

  Montee shot the other men a look Josephine interpreted as, “Go along with this.” He said, “Once a month some of us work double shifts so we have time to talk about how to work better together. Hey, nice hair. Blonde loo
ks good on you.”

  She shrugged. “Thanks. I like to mix things up.”

  Kyle nodded in an exaggerated manner. “Great. We’ll go back to work. We’re all here if anything unusual happens. Not that it will. We don’t expect anything to happen. It’s a normal day.”

  Dez rolled his eyes skyward. “Do you need anything, Josephine, or are you all set?”

  She rounded her eyes innocently. “I can’t imagine what I’d need. Thank you in advance for the salad. I’ll see the rest of you tonight when I finish for the day.”

  They each wished her a good or productive day and walked away. Josephine made herself a cup of coffee but her hands were shaking too much to hold it so she left it on the counter and headed to her lab.

  Zip ties. Duct tape. Strong, thin rope for the snare. I could make a Taser. Download and erase my research from what I’m leaving behind. Build the radio receiver. Hang the snare. Put gas in the bike. I don’t need to use the power cell. If all goes well, I won’t need to be quiet when I run. The regular motor will get me where I need to go just fine. Money. IDs. Change of clothes. Clean underwear.

  I can do this.

  The power cell is good enough to take to Raymean, so maybe all of this is for the best. I’d be scared if I had anything left to lose.

  I will clear your name, Dad, or die trying.

  Later that day, seated across from Theroux in the man’s enormous office at Raymean, Gabe felt a moment of pity for him. He was clearly overwhelmed by the responsibility of taking over his father’s company and looked a good ten years older than he should have. Nervous sweat beaded on his forehead as he watched the video. “That’s how Ashby died?”

  “Do you expect me to believe you didn’t know?”

  “I didn’t. I swear I didn’t.” He gulped visibly. “Why would Felix do it? Why cover up what happened? It was a robbery. Not our fault.”