by Rachel Dylan
“Yes, I do.”
“I’m just telling you all of that so you can understand me a bit better.” They pulled into the parking lot at Wakefield. “Here we are. Back to work.”
Gabe was an intriguing man. She couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. Wanting to know more about him and his life. But for now they had to get to work.
“At least we’re not breaking into the building.”
He laughed. “No. I wouldn’t have made you an accessory to that.”
She stepped out of the car and looked up at the main building. Even though it was dark outside, the building was still illuminated. They probably kept lights on twenty-four seven because of security concerns.
“Are there security cameras?”
“Around the main building there are. But there aren’t any on that trail we went on or the manufacturing facility. The security threat is deemed to be to the technology in the main building, not the plant workers or the warehouses. All the sensitive technical components are stored in the safes inside. The Wakefield Chip is what has made the company hit the big time, but the other accessories they manufacture also bring in a lot of money. But that’s purely a volume product, there’s nothing sensitive about them. Hence why they could farm out production to various distributors like Cyber Future.”
“You’ve done a lot of homework,” she said.
“It’s my job. When I work a case, I don’t think any detail is too small. What if that small detail I decide to overlook becomes the eventual key to crack the case? Or worse, what if that piece of information ends up getting someone hurt or killed? I learned that lesson from day one at Quantico.”
“If Nola finds out about us snooping in his office, I don’t know what he will do.”
“I don’t plan on having him find out. Let’s go inside.”
If only she had the same amount of confidence that Gabe did. They walked into the building and the night guard was standing watch.
“She’s with me Baxter. Got approval from Lee. Should be in your notes.”
“Yes, sir. I personally spoke to Lee earlier. Let me know if you need anything at all. Our mothers have been knitting together a lot lately. I smell trouble. There was talk of us taking part in the play in the spring. You know how early they start practicing each year. Just wanted to warn you.”
Gabe laughed loudly. “Thanks for the warning.”
“You really do know everyone in this town.” She kept up a brisk pace to match his as they walked down the corridor to the elevator.
“Nola’s office is on the seventh floor with the rest of the executives.”
“And there’s no fear that he’s in there working?”
“No chance. It’s nine o’clock. Why would he be here now? No, he’s out trying to hide his tracks somewhere.”
They walked to his office and the light was off just as Gabe had predicted. “What are we looking for?”
“Anything that can tie him to the Cyber Future Chip or, frankly, anything illegal. This is a true fishing expedition.”
“You’re not used to having free reign like this.”
“Absolutely not. Having Lee’s support is huge. I’ll start in the tall filing cabinets, why don’t you do the desk, then go to the cabinets in the back and we’ll meet in the middle.”
“Depending on how much he has this could take a while.”
Hope opened the first desk drawer. Totally empty besides some hard candy and a few pens. She went to the next drawer. Totally empty. The final desk drawer had one plain envelope with nothing in it. What kind of person didn’t keep anything in their desk? The type of person who was hiding something.
“Gabe, the desk is completely empty.”
“Ditto on the file cabinets. He’s not stupid. He’s been spooked. Probably by what happened to you. I can guarantee he was in this office this afternoon shredding documents.”
Her head started to pound. “Document shredding. We’re still under a litigation hold. He shouldn’t be shredding anything.”
Gabe frowned. “Hope, I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think abiding by the litigation hold is even on Carlos Nola’s radar right now.”
“Well what do we do now? This was a useless exercise.”
He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. The lack of proof can sometimes be evidence. We know he probably had files in here before. He’s a board member. He wouldn’t have a completely empty office. That means he was worried about what happened and took some actions. It helps shore up our theory that he’s involved in this mess. From top to bottom.”
“Our theory?”
“Yeah. I think you were on board with it too.”
“Oh, yes, I just wasn’t expecting you to give me any credit.”
“Why not. You’re providing critical insight and information on this case. We’re in this together, Hope. Whether you like it or not.”
“So are we done here?”
“Inside the main building, but I want to do a swing through the trails and the plant.”
She did not want to go back on that trail. But what was she supposed to do? Say she was scared? No way. No. She was a strong, independent woman and she could handle the trail again. She’d have Gabe right there with his gun if anything happened. And nothing was going to.
“You ready?” he asked.
“Yes.”
They exited through the back of the building and started walking away from headquarters.
“I’ve got a flashlight if it gets too dark on the trail. I was hoping there’d be enough moonlight and artificial lighting to avoid that, though.”
“You think someone may be around and you don’t want them to see us.”
“Like I said, I think you missed your FBI career.”
She seemed to be earning his respect. Hope was used to having to prove herself time and time again. Working in a big New York City law firm, younger women were often the most underestimated. Being blonde didn’t help either. So many people assumed she wasn’t smart and had only gotten the job through personal connections. That couldn’t be further from the truth. She’d come from nothing and fought for everything she’d ever achieved.
“Gabe, there shouldn’t be any plant employees working at this hour. If someone is out there, I don’t think they would be friendly.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t think we’re going to see anyone. But if we do, let me handle it. Stay right behind me at all times.”
“Of course.” She had no intention of hanging out on those trails by herself in the middle of the night. “I’m also glad you told me to wear comfortable shoes.”
He led the way and they walked in silence away from the headquarters down to the beginning of the trail.
“You good?” he asked.
“Yes. Lead the way. I’ll be right behind.”
She could hear insects chirping and what she thought was an owl or some other animal. Were there owls in Georgia? She had no idea what she was dealing with. But the thought of random bugs crawling down her arms and falling from the trees really grossed her out. She freely admitted she was a city girl in that respect.
With each step on the narrow trail, she heard the twigs snap under her feet. Even though he was much taller and bigger than her, he somehow knew the trick to being a lot quieter. She sounded like an elephant stomping down the trail.
Being distracted by all the sounds, she didn’t focus on getting a firm footing and her ankle twisted. She didn’t want to yell out. So she just stopped for a second to shake it out. He couldn’t get too far in front of her.
She flexed and rotated her right foot a few times. Then she put weight on it to make sure she could walk. Yeah, she’d be fine. “Gabe,” she whispered.
No answer.
Not wanting to speak any louder, she just kept walking. He couldn’t be too much further in front of her. She tried to pick up her pace, but her right ankle started to ache with each additional step.
“Gabe,” she whispered again into the darkness.
She took another step and strong arms wrapped around her from behind. One around her neck and the other covering her mouth. Instantly, she started to struggle against him.
“You didn’t think you’d get away from me that easily did you, blondie?”
Even though he was behind her, she recognized the voice. It was the man from that morning. He had come back to finish the job. She tried to move but his arm was tight holding her in place. She wouldn’t give up though. Not after everything she’d survived in her lifetime.
“There’s no point in fighting back. I could snap your neck right now if I wanted to.” To make his point, he squeezed her already tender neck even tighter.
Instead of his words instilling fear, they motivated her to fight more. She wanted to live. And she most certainly didn’t want to die in these woods tonight at the hands of this evil man.
“Fine,” he huffed. “We’ll do it your way. But I can’t kill you yet. You’re coming with me.”
She tried to drop lower to the ground making it more difficult for him. He was practically dragging her now through the damp dirt. His one arm so tight across her waist she felt like her ribs were about to crack in two.
Then she heard a noise a bit further away. “Hope!” Gabe’s voice rang out.
Before she knew what was happening, her attacker threw her forward with so much force that she landed face down in the wet dirt banging her head against a big rock. Pain shot through her head and her ribs. Then the world went dark.
Chapter Six
Gabe ran as fast as he could. How could he have lost Hope out in the woods? One minute she was right there only a step behind him. The next he had turned around and she had vanished.
His heart pounded and a drop of sweat formed on his brow. He’d promised to protect her. And now she was gone.
“Hope.” He yelled. Not a sound in response. Please, Lord, let Hope be all right.
He pulled out his flashlight and started retracing his steps. And that’s when he saw her. Hope was crumpled up on the ground.
“Hope, oh please, God, help Hope.” He knelt down beside her and immediately checked for a pulse. Thankfully, he felt her pulse. A bit weak but still strong enough.
“Hope, can you hear me?”
He shined the flashlight onto her face and saw the trickle of blood sliding down her cheek. She must have hit her head. Did she trip and fall? Or did someone do this to her? How could he have let this happen?
There was no time for self-recriminations. She needed to get to the emergency room right away. He debated between calling 9-1-1 or taking her himself. He’d had basic medical training and he knew that it might be dangerous to move her without stabilizing her neck. So as much as he wanted to pick her up and carry her to his car, he couldn’t risk it.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
He recognized the older man’s voice. “Stan, this is Gabe Marino. I need an ambulance right away sent out to the Wakefield plant. We’re back in the trails.”
“Are you hurt, Gabe?”
“Not me. It’s one of the Wakefield attorneys from out of town. Head injury. Please dispatch them right away.”
“They’ll be there in no time. I can stay on the line and wait.”
“No, I need to tend to her. Just make sure they know we’re on the trails, closer to the headquarters side.”
“Roger that.”
Gabe crouched back down by Hope and said another prayer. He didn’t know how bad the head injury was. And since she was unconscious, he had no way of knowing if anything else was hurt.
“Hope, help is on its way. Just stay with me.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. He let out a sigh of relief when he heard the loud sirens.
Within a few minutes, the EMTs were there. All people he knew. He briefed them on the situation. There was no way he was just putting Hope in that ambulance and going home.
He followed the ambulance to the hospital which was a few minutes away. It wasn’t a big Atlanta hospital but if the doctors couldn’t treat her, they’d send her to Atlanta for sure. He was still praying for a mild concussion and nothing more. But he’d have to wait.
He met Caleb in the hospital waiting room. He walked in frowning.
“What happened out there?” Caleb asked, his blue eyes filled with concern. “Or my first question should be, why were you on the trails in the middle of the night?”
“Keep your voice down, Chief.” Gabe figured now wasn’t the time to rely on his friendship with Caleb. So he kept things formal. “We were investigating. With Lee’s blessing.”
Caleb took a step closer to him so that no one could hear their conversation. “This is all tied back up into your Nola investigation, isn’t it?”
“This whole Cyber Future Chip thing was totally new to me. But Nola has his hands in it. We checked his office tonight, and it had been wiped clean. Literally no files left in there. He knows something about that Cyber Future Chip for sure. I haven’t figured out how that plays into his bigger agenda and other illegal business yet. You and I both know that it has to though.”
“I realize you have a job to do for the FBI. But I have a job to do here, too, man. I’ve got an innocent woman attacked in broad daylight. Now she’s in the Maxwell ER. This isn’t good for any of us. We need to get a handle on this situation pronto. I don’t want to make any more late night ER visits about this. And the trial hasn’t even started yet.”
“Hope’s in danger.”
“How did this happen to her anyway. I thought you were sticking close?”
Gabe ran a hand through his hair. “The guilt is eating away at me. She was there with me. One second she was and then the next she wasn’t.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. That won’t help anyone. When she regains consciousness, hopefully we’ll know a lot more about what happened. But I take it that you don’t think she fell?”
“No. It would’ve had to have been a very hard and awkward fall to knock her out like that. Do you have any local resources you can pull in to put on all the Cyber Future visitors we have in town?”
“You know we’re a small police force. Why don’t you pull in from the FBI?”
“Do we really want all of that attention? We’re so close to busting up Nola’s network. An official FBI presence would definitely drive Nola and his people underground.”
“What’s the alternative?”
“Do all you can with your people, and be strategic about where the resources are placed. Nola’s not going anywhere, and he’s already on high alert. I think we need to focus on the Cyber Future side for right now. See if we can gain any intel on exactly what they’re after.”
“If we get in a pinch, I can ask the county sheriff for some folks, too. He owes me from the last time when we lent him resources a missing child case.”
Gabe looked over and saw a doctor walking toward them.
“I’m Doctor Miles. You’re with the young woman who was brought in?”
“Yes.”
“No family here in town?”
“No, she’s from New York and in town working on the Wakefield case.”
The doctor’s eyes lit up with acknowledgment. “Ah, well I can give you the report then. She’s sustained a concussion. I’d estimate it to be on the mild side but she still sustained a pretty hard hit to the head. We’re in normal care mode for a concussion right now. She’ll be kept overnight and re-evaluated in the morning. The other injuries are all minor scrapes and bruises except for some more extensive bruising on the neck.”
“She was attacked this morning downtown,” Caleb said.
“Seems like this poor girl needs a bodyguard.”
“Can we see her?”
“Yes, she’s alert. But don’t stay too long. She needs to rest.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Gabe could barely contain himself as he walked with Caleb down to Hope’s hospital room. He stepped inside and took a deep b
reath. She looked so small and frail lying there in the bed hooked up to the IV. Once again regret ate at him as he couldn’t believe he got separated from her in the woods.
He walked over to her bedside and gently took her hand. Her eyes opened quickly.
“It’s okay, Hope. You’re safe now. It’s just Gabe and Chief Winters. Can you tell us what happened to you?”
“The man,” she whispered. Her eyes barely opening. “It was the same man from this morning.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he couldn’t kill me yet because they needed me. I tried to fight back. But he was so strong, there was only so much I could do.” She paused and closed her eyes for a second. Then she opened them and looked directly at him. “He heard you coming, Gabe. You saved my life. He was going to kidnap me.”
He squeezed her hand. “No, Hope. I should’ve never let you out of my sight. I don’t know what happened. I thought you were right behind me.”
“I twisted my ankle. I took a minute to make sure it was okay and that’s when you got ahead of me. I didn’t call out to you because I didn’t want anyone to hear.”
“You were very smart and very brave. We’re going to catch this guy.”
“Let me echo that, Hope. I’m so sorry again that all of this has happened to you. Gabe isn’t going to take his eyes off of you again, are you, Gabe?”
“No, sir. You’re stuck with me, Hope. Until this gets sorted out.”
“My head hurts,” she said weakly.
“You need to rest. You have a concussion.”
“Don’t leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Hope. You can count on that.” And he meant it.
***
Hope’s head ached and her neck burned. But she felt cold all over. Then it hit her. As the sunlight burst through the window, she remembered what an awful day yesterday was. She definitely wasn’t in her bed in New York. Not even in her bed at the inn. No, she was in the hospital.
Straining her neck she tried to lift up a little. That’s when she saw him. Gabe was hunched over in the chair. His hair slightly tussled. He’d stayed the night right by her side. Just like he said he would. She felt a bit guilty for him having to sleep in the chair, but given what she’d been through she also couldn’t stand the thought of being alone.