by Rachel Dylan
But there was no way she was running. She heard loud noises and grunts. Peering out from behind the island she saw that Gabe was fighting the gunman. She should use this chance to get away, but Gabe was in danger. Two against one was always better odds even if she didn’t really have any fighting skill. What she did have was her brain and the element of surprise.
The gunman was gaining the upper hand, but he was facing away from her. She looked around the kitchen for something heavy she could use. Quickly, she grabbed the crock pot and scurried into the living room where the men were fighting.
Saying a quick prayer, she made her move. The gunman was so focused on Gabe, he had no idea she had come up right behind him. With all the strength she could muster, she swung the crock pot using two hands and slammed it into the gunman’s head. He dropped to the floor with a thud.
“Hope! You could’ve gotten killed,” Gabe said. “I told you to run.”
“We’re a team remember?” She paused, looking down at the man. “Is he alive?”
Gabe crouched down and checked for a pulse. “Yes. I’ll cuff him and have the police come and pick him up. But it doesn’t change the plan. We’ve got to get out of here.” Gabe grabbed the man and threw him over his shoulder. “Get the keys from the counter. Go to the car, lock the doors. I’ll be right out.”
Hope nodded and took the keys from the kitchen counter. She’d almost killed a man. But thankfully she hadn’t. She’d done what was necessary to protect Gabe and herself.
Sitting in the car in the dark, she took a few deep breaths steadying herself. Could she really expect to feel calm right now?
A knock on the window broke her out of those thoughts with a start. It was Gabe. She unlocked the door, and he threw a bag in the backseat. Then he slid behind the wheel.
“So much for them waiting,” she said.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean anything. They still may assume that you’ll be back in court. But they wanted to get to you since Candice didn’t get the job done.”
“And we’re back to the nebulous they.”
“The crime syndicate connected to Cyber Future. At this point, that’s the best description I can give it.”
“And we still don’t know why. Why would they be willing to go to such great lengths to capture or kill me for?” She asked more to herself.
“I’m glad you brought that up again. My boss has been working with an outside security consultant that the FBI uses. He specializes in organized crime. He’s been digging into the groups in California trying to see if there’s been word on the streets there about any trouble brewing. That way it’s outside the FBI, but we can still get the information. Hopefully, we’ll hear back from him soon.”
“That was very smart.”
“But figuring that out isn’t my top priority. Keeping you safe is.”
“Where are we headed?”
“How do you feel about the beach?”
She smiled. “You know, believe it or not. I’ve only been to the beach once. And I loved it.” She paused. “It’s actually one of the only good memories I have of my entire childhood. I don’t know how we afforded it. Dad probably won a bet or something. He was as addicted to gambling as mom was to the alcohol. But we rented a car and drove to the beach for a week one summer when I was in elementary school. I remember thinking that I wanted those moments to last forever. If only I could just live there, then everything would be better.”
“But it never got any better.”
“Far from it. Although that week was the highlight of my childhood. Mom drank as usual, but she didn’t get violently drunk. We played out by the ocean, built sandcastles, and I dipped my feet in the water because I couldn’t swim. Still can’t swim.” Her mind trailed back to those days. Her heart ached for those moments that she would never experience again.
“Sounds like it was a fun week.”
“It was. But then once we got back home, the fights between my parents started again. Some were violent. I hid in my room. Trying to pretend like I was still at the beach, that I could hear the ocean waves and feel the sand beneath my feet. I brought back a seashell, and I’d hold onto it for comfort. I know that seems silly and childish, but it provided me with a small measure of peace. I just wanted to block out the world and be taken back to the sunny beach. To feel the warm breeze tickle my nose. And just for a moment to pretend that I was a normal little girl with a family that loved her.”
He reached over and grabbed her hand. “I’m so sorry that your childhood was so difficult. But you’ve come through it, Hope. Like I said, you’re a fighter. And just like you made it through those difficult times, you’re going to make it through these too.”
“I know,” she said softly. “But when times get trying, those old wounds open.”
“You have your faith now though, Hope. Something you didn’t have then.”
“I know. And getting to know you and even this entire experience has made me want to seek out God again. There’s simply no other explanation for why I’m still alive, other than to say that it was God’s will. And I’m at peace with that.”
“Hope, we’re all at the mercy of God’s will.”
“I know that now.”
“Try to get some rest. I’ll be fine driving.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
“No reason for us both to be awake all night. And I promise if I get too tired, I’ll wake you up.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
***
Gabe heard her soft breathing as he kept his eyes on the road. He was so amped up. There was no way he could sleep even if he weren’t driving. Running on pure adrenaline and desire to keep the woman he loved safe, he kept driving.
Love. That’s really what it was. There was no running from it. He loved Hope Finch. And while he was perfectly comfortable with those feelings, he had a sneaking suspicion that she would not be. At least not yet. For now he would keep those thoughts to himself.
He looked over at her sleeping peacefully and felt a strong surge of protection running through his body. He would not let anything happen to this woman. The only woman he had ever really loved in any romantic way.
Her exhaustion was evident by the fact that the sun was beginning to rise and she still slept. The good news was that they were in Florida. About to roll into the beach town of Summer Breeze. It was a touristy mid-sized city that would fit their needs perfectly. Not a big city, but not so small as to be noticed.
He pulled into a large beachfront hotel where he’d already reserved two adjoining rooms on the drive down. He hated to wake her but it was time.
Gently he nudged her shoulder. “Hope, we’re here.”
She mumbled something and then awoke with eyes wide.
“It’s okay, Hope. It’s Gabe. We’re in Florida. At a hotel right on the beach.”
“Wow. That seemed like no time at all.”
He laughed. “About six hours.”
“I slept like a log.” She looked out the window. “So this is it.”
“Welcome to Summer Breeze, Florida.”
He opened the car door and was met by a nice breeze and the sound of crashing waves. He watched as she exited the car and stood facing the ocean. Her long blonde hair had fallen out of its bun and blew in the wind.
“A lot different than Maxwell,” she said.
“And no one knows we’re here. Literally just you and me. At least for the time being.”
“Not even your boss?”
“Not yet. I’ll decide when and if it makes sense. For now we decided it best to have complete secrecy. We’re going to feed false information about our whereabouts into the system though. Then we’ll have an FBI team follow up to see if we can smoke out the mole.” He paused and looked at her. “Stay in the lobby where I can see you. But I’m going to get our rooms. And I also brought you a hat to wear.”
“Great,” she said, eyeing the cap warily. “Next you’ll want me to become a redhead an
d chop my hair off. No wait, we’ll save that for when you put me into witness protection.”
He pulled her close. “Don’t talk like that, okay. Let’s stay positive. Take a deep breath. Smell the ocean. We’re going to be fine.”
She smiled. “All right.”
“Let me get the rooms.”
By the time they were settled in, it was midmorning and he was ready for a big breakfast or a nap. Or both. He grabbed Hope from her room and walked down the beach. He’d gotten a great recommendation for a breakfast spot right on the ocean.
“You need to eat and then sleep,” she said. “You won’t be good to anyone if you’re sleep deprived.”
“I’ll take a nap after we eat.”
“That brings up a good point, you know. What are we supposed to do with our time? It’s not like I can do any legal work right now considering my main case is in trial. What will I do?’
“Let’s just take it one day at a time. For today, just try to get some rest and get adjusted. Tomorrow will be another day and probably another challenge.”
She nodded, seemingly accepting his point.
“This is it, Breezy Beach Restaurant.”
“Oh, this is cute,” she said.
They stood in front of the restaurant that had a huge wrap around porch.
“Don’t worry. I’ll ask that we sit outside.”
“Do you think that’s safe?”
“For now, yes. I was very careful on the way down. There was no one following, and I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary.”
“But still.”
“Remember, Hope. Absolutely no one knows that we’re here. I used a cover identity to check into our rooms. One that’s never been used before. There is no tracing us to this hotel. It’s just you and me right now.”
She smiled. “That isn’t so bad, is it?”
“It’s not bad at all.” He grabbed her hand and they walked up the steps to Breezy Beach Restaurant. The best breakfast on the beach, or so he’d been told.
“A table for two, outside please,” he told he hostess.
“Right this way.” The smiling young woman led them to a table on the porch at the corner. It couldn’t have been more perfect. He could see his future with Hope clear as day. A future different than what he thought he wanted, but now everything he knew he was truly looking for.
They ordered and then looked at each other, neither one of them saying a word.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“Too much.”
“Me too.” She paused. “It’s just so strange. Not too long ago I was sitting in my office at Rice and Taylor doing my work, and now I’m here. On the run. Fearing for my life. And then there’s you.”
“I hope I’m not a negative in all of this.”
“One of the only positives.” She reached out and touched his hand. “I know I’ve been a bit difficult at times. But I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done. We haven’t always agreed on the same strategy but in the end, I understand that you’ve had my best interest in mind.”
They finished eating and Hope smiled at him. “How about a walk down the beach?”
“Sounds perfect.”
They exited the restaurant and walked down the soft sand until they got closer to the water.
“This does bring back a lot of memories.” She stared out at the ocean.
His phone rang, and he looked at the screen. “It’s the consultant that my boss hired. I need to take this.”
“Marino,” he answered.
“This is Steve. I’ve got some answers for you.”
“Give it to me.”
“I’m not sure you’re going to want to hear it.”
“Let me put you on speaker so Hope can hear this too.”
“Okay.”
He pushed the speaker button. “We’re here, Steve.”
“Thanks. So I started working my sources and here’s what I’ve been able to find out.” He paused. “This chip everyone is talking about actually contains a list.”
“What kind of list?” Hope asked.
“That’s the sticking point. I don’t have exact rock solid intel on that, but I have enough. That list contains the names of corporate executives with ties to organized crime. So Cyber Future execs are on it, but there are others on it as well. It was supposed to be used almost as a rolodex for corporate America contacts that can be used to further illegal enterprise. This list is not only highly valuable but considered top secret given how that knowledge would impact those executives if it was ever made known.”
“Because whoever has it,” Gabe said, “would hold a lot of power. Think about all the blackmail opportunity there.”
“Yeah, no doubt,” Steve said. “So it appears that Nola, being the enterprising man he is, was able to steal the chip. He probably recognized the value and what he could do to advance his own businesses. And this is where it gets bad for Hope. The prevailing knowledge on the street was that Hope was helping facilitate all of this through her law firm. People believe that Hope not only has seen the list, but is actually serving as the keeper of the list, too. No one believes Nola has it. They all think it’s Hope.”
“Wow,” she said.
“Yeah, so the endgame was to capture you, find out where the list is, destroy it and then…”
“Then kill me,” she said.
Silence.
“Is Nola the one responsible for making Hope a target?” Gabe asked.
“I don’t know. It could be that the Cyber Future cronies saw them together and make the jump themselves. Or Nola could’ve fed them the false information trying to divert attention away from himself.”
“But the bottom line is that I’m still not safe. As long as they think I have access to the list, they’ll be coming after me.”
“Sorry I don’t have better news,” Steve said. “I’m going to keep working and see if I can come up with anything else that could be helpful. I’ll check in later.”
The call ended and he stood there looking at Hope. “What are you thinking?”
She turned to face him, her brown eyes wide. “How could this have happened to me? Is God punishing me?”
He pulled her to him and hugged her close. Then after a moment he stepped back. “God is not punishing you, Hope. Don’t even think like that.”
“But for those two years I spent with Barry. And Barry was so openly hostile to faith, and I didn’t do anything. I didn’t speak up.”
“God is good, Hope. He’s also forgiving and understanding. It doesn’t matter about your past. All that matters is where you’re at now. And now that we know what the issues are, we are better able to address it.”
“What, by hiding me away?”
“At this exact moment, yes. But if I have anything to do with it, not forever.”
“Gabe, I’m tired of running. I want to go back.”
“That’s just not going to happen.”
“Face it head on. End this.”
“How so?”
“Taking it head on. Going back into that courtroom.”
“Even if we were to use you as bait, which is what I think you’re suggesting, catching a random hit man or woman isn’t going to solve your problem. We need to get to the source.”
“What better source than the Cyber Future execs who are currently sitting in that courtroom?”
“Hope, these people may be corporate executives, but they’re also criminals. You can’t just stroll in there and reason with them.”
“Why not? Why can’t I tell them I don’t know anything?”
“And you and I both know they won’t believe a word of that.”
“Why can’t I try?”
“It’s too dangerous.”
She nodded. “I think I’d like to go take a nap.”
“Sure. This is stressful. I could use a little rest myself.” He had to come up with a plan, before it was too late.
Chapter Twelve
Hope realiz
ed that Gabe would be furious with her, but she had no choice. She knew what she had to do. She couldn’t stay here hidden on this beach waiting for them to find her.
She grabbed her small bag and looked around outside the hotel room. Not seeing anyone, she made her way down to the lobby. She caught a plane back to Atlanta, and then arrived back in Maxwell in time for the afternoon session at court.
When she walked into the courtroom and sat at counsel’s table, Sam’s eyes widened.
“What in the world are you doing here?”
“Handling things my way, sir.”
Sam couldn’t exactly make a scene, so he nodded and prepared for his cross examination of the next Cyber Future witness.
Hope eyed the other side of the courtroom cautiously. Just as she’d expected, the key Cyber Future executives were sitting there right behind the counsel table. At the three thirty p.m. break, she followed them out of the courtroom.
“Excuse me,” she said.
The taller of the two men, turned around. “Yes?”
“I think you know who I am.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. Do we know you?”
“Don’t play stupid with me. I know about the list, I know about you, I know about everything.”
The man who spoke narrowed his dark eyes at her. “Why don’t we take this conversation outside?”
“What so you can call in one of your shooters to try to take me out? Again? No. I’ve had enough. You either talk now or I publish the list live on every news and social media outlet there is.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” The other man said.
“I would.”
The taller man grabbed her arm.
“Let go of her,” Gabe’s voice commanded.
She was really in trouble now. She didn’t know if she was more afraid of Gabe’s reaction or the Cyber Future execs. But listening to Gabe, the man dropped her arm.
“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” he said, first looking at Gabe and then back to Hope.
“I think I have a pretty clear idea. So this is how it’s going to go. You’re going to stop your attempts on my life. If something happens to me I have it set up so the list goes live. It’s that simple.” She saw the flash of surprise go through Gabe’s eyes.