Chapter 6 - BLOOD ON THE WATERThe gunshot was deafening in the enclosed brick tunnel.
The heavy bullet struck Gavin in the shoulder, throwing him backward into the cold sewer water with a massive splash. The two mercenaries behind him drew their weapons, but before they could fire, a flash of fire erupted from the darkness behind us.
BANG! BANG!
Both mercenaries collapsed onto the concrete ledge.
I whirled around, my gun raised, ready to fire again.
Stepping out of the darkness, bleeding from his side and limping heavily, was Gabriel.
His jacket was gone, his dark shirt soaked with blood, but his eyes were steady. He lowered his gun and staggered toward us.
“Maya...” he rasped.
Maya broke away from me and threw herself into his arms. Gabriel collapsed onto his knees, pulling her close, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he let out a long, shuddering breath.
“I thought... I thought he killed you,” I said, lowering my weapon, my hands trembling uncontrollably.
“Richard is sloppy,” Gabriel grunted, standing up with difficulty, using the wall for support. “He wanted to watch me suffer before finishing it. He gave me enough time to drop his guard.”
He looked down at Gavin, who was groaning in the shallow water, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
Gabriel stepped over to him, picking up the heavy steel crowbar Gavin had dropped. He looked down at his former employee with absolute coldness.
“Please... please, Mr. Vance!” Gavin sobbed, scrambling backward against the wet brick. “It was Richard! He forced me! He threatened my family!”
“You called my daughter a freak,” Gabriel said softly.
He raised the crowbar.
“No!” I shouted, stepping between Gabriel and Gavin. “Gabriel, stop!”
Gabriel froze, his eyes dark with rage. “He betrayed my family. He tried to sell my child.”
“If you kill him like this, you’re no different than your uncle,” I said, staring directly into his eyes. “We need him alive anyway. He’s the only one who can prove Richard hired him!”
Gabriel stared at me for three long seconds. The silence in the sewer was broken only by Gavin’s terrified whimpering and the sound of dripping water.
Slowly, Gabriel lowered the bar.
“You’re right,” Gabriel said quietly. He looked at Gavin. “Get up.”
Ten minutes later, we forced Gavin through the storm grate and out onto the concrete bank of the Chicago River. The cool night air hit my face, smelling of oxygen and lake breeze, wiping away the stench of the sewer.
Parked on the lower riverwalk was a sleek, grey cigarette boat, its dark twin engines idling silently in the water.
A man in a dark suit stepped out from the steering console, waving us over.
“That’s Marcus,” Gabriel said, sighing with relief. “He has your mother, Cassidy. She’s safe onboard.”
My heart soared. “Mom?”
I ran down the dock. Inside the cabin of the boat, sitting on a soft leather bench with a thick blanket around her shoulders, was my mother. She looked pale, but her eyes were wide and filled with tears as she saw me.
“Cassidy!” she cried, reaching out her arms.
I threw myself into the cabin, sobbing as I wrapped my arms around her. “Mom... oh God, Mom, I’m so sorry...”
“They told me you were safe,” she whispered, rubbing my back with her soft, bruised hands. “They said you saved a little girl.”
I pulled back, looking at her face. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“No, sweetie. These men... they brought my medicine. They were very polite,” she said, looking past me toward Gabriel, who was stepping onto the boat with Maya.
Gabriel walked into the cabin, taking off his wet suit jacket. He looked at my mother, then bowed his head slightly.
“Mrs. Tate,” Gabriel said respectfully. “My name is Gabriel Vance. Your daughter is the bravest woman I have ever met.”
My mother looked between Gabriel and me, then down at Maya, who was standing quietly behind her father.
Maya looked at my mother. Then she stepped forward, sat on the bench beside her, and gently rested her small head against my mother’s arm.
My mother smiled softly, wrapping the blanket around Maya’s shoulders as well.
“Where are we going now, Gabriel?” I asked, looking out at the dark waters of Lake Michigan stretching ahead of us.
May you like
Gabriel turned his eyes toward the illuminated skyline of downtown Chicago.
“We’re going to end this,” he said, his voice dropping into steel. “My uncle is holding an emergency board meeting at Vance Tower in two hours to declare me dead and take control of the empire. We’re going to crash his party.”
