Page 46 of Fearless Encounter
Meg took a breath. “I heard conversations. Daniel was confident his plan would work and wasn’t careful about what he said in my vicinity.”
Brooke waited for her to share more.
Meg looked to the front of the van, as if to be sure their captors couldn’t hear their conversation. “Daniel has to get me on a plane with Petrov. When we arrive at their headquarters—wherever that is—the software will be tested. I’ll be there to fix any bugs in the system.”
Brooke shook her head. “We can’t let that happen.”
“Because I won’t do it. And if I defy them…”
Meg didn’t need to finish the sentence. It was no mystery what men like Daniel and Petrov were capable of.
And Brooke had much to fear. As the only witness to their crime, she was expendable.
Meg recounted her ordeal. “The night I was taken, Daniel had one of his thugs escort me from a party.”
“Yes, I know.” Brooke didn’t want to waste precious time on explanations that could wait. “I’ll tell you more later, but the police and Gabriel Durand, a local PI, have been helping me. I was desperate to find you.”
“How did you know…?”
“I’ll tell you everything later,” Brooke said.
Meg didn’t press for more right then. “I left the party that night because I didn’t want to make a scene and involve my friends in Daniel’s dirty dealings. I had no idea what he was really up to, but I never liked him. My gut told me that something was off. I assumed it was work related. I was often called in on off-hours to handle a request from Daniel, although it was extreme to usher me away from a party. I figured that it had to be important.”
Brooke listened intently.
“I was just about to ream Daniel out for all the aggravation…” Meg said, “when all of this went down.”
Brooke’s stomach churned. “It’s all so terrible. How long did they keep you tied up to the chair?”
“Not long,” Meg said. “There were armed guards, day and night. But this morning, as soon as the guards began to leave, I suspected I’d be transported. I managed to use that one guard’s phone when he wasn’t paying attention. That was just before he tied me to the chair then went out.”
“I guess he didn’t see you as a threat. And you coded your message to me, which was smart.”
Meg sighed. “I’m so sorry I got you involved in all of this.”
“It’s not your fault,” Brooke said, willing Meg to believe it. “There must be a way out of this. We arenotgetting on that plane!”
A glimmer of hope sparked in Meg’s eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, I swear to you that Gabriel will come for us,” Brooke said, emotion welling inside her.
Meg widened her eyes. “Is he more than just a protector?”
“I’ve fallen in love with him.” Brooke pushed aside thoughts of being with Gabriel; that would have to wait. “And he is a man we can count on. But…” She took a deep breath. “When we get to the airport, we need to stall, create a diversion, anything to slow them down.”
Meg nodded. “I’m in… Whatever it takes.”
Chapter 16
As they neared the cemetery, Abe turned off the siren to avoid alerting the criminals and risking the lives of the women. Danger waited, but all that mattered was getting Brooke and Meg out safely.
Abe pulled into the parking lot at the cemetery, tires screeching as the vehicle skidded to a halt. Gabriel leapt from the car with him and rushed onto the grounds, scanning for any sign of the women. He spotted the massive structure in the distance. “There,” he said, pointing. “That’s the only place big enough to hold someone captive.”
Gabriel took off at a run, leading Abe, and slowed near the mausoleum. He spotted the open door and looked down the steps, but didn’t see or hear anyone. “Let’s check it out.”
Abe drew his gun and followed him down the concrete steps to an open door.
Leaning in, Gabriel said, “Jesus…” There was blood all over the floor. His heart plummeted.