Gabe (In the Company of Snipers, #8)(109)

Time stopped. He noticed everything. The factory black paint on the barely visible floor of the van. The scrapes at the tailgate where the explosives had been loaded. The darkened windows concealing the weapon of mass destruction from public view.

“One.”

A silent prayer is still a prayer. Gabe flung it heavenward, a simple please God. No other words. God sure knew what was going on tonight.

“Two.”

The simple mechanic’s tool rested deadly in his hand, jaws at the red wire, ready to make the biggest mistake of his life. Or save the world. Shit. How can I be sure?

“I trust you,” Shelby murmured.

It all came down to right there and then. That split second. That terrible pivot point in history. There’d be no wishing it away, only doing what thousands of leathernecks had done before him. Believe in America. This Republic. This innocent woman at my side.

“Three.”

Gabe held his breath and cut the red wire.





Chapter Thirty-Three


Shelby peeled one eye open to see the most glorious green eyes beaming down at her, the biggest grin cracking Gabe’s happy face.

“We did it,” he said, his body shuddering under the impact of Sam Becker’s hearty slaps to his back.

“No, you did it,” Becker corrected, blowing out breaths so big his cheeks expanded with every gulp of air. He brushed the back of his right hand over his brow, wiping the sweat away. “I can’t tell you how happy I was to see you and your girlfriends in that crowd tonight. I’d prayed for a miracle. Wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to stop Fallon. Only knew I was going to try my damnedest.”

Shelby giggled she was so relieved, but the moment didn’t last.

Becker’s eyes scanned the crowd behind them, most of them more interested in the loud explosion than the celebration taking place behind the FBI van. “Listen, guys. We’re not out of the woods yet. Do me a favor and fade to black before my guys and the Secret Service get here. They might not be so understanding, and I still need to find out what that explosion was. Sure as hell hope it wasn’t President Adams.”

“We’ll go with you,” Gabe declared, and Shelby would’ve gone, too. In a heartbeat. Oh yeah. She was beyond stoked. Shaking like a leaf maybe, but ready to take on anyone who got in her way. She might not have clipped the wires like these guys did, but saving the world? Nothing like it!

“No thanks.” Becker’s gaze darkened with concern. “This is my job. You ought to be safe at Stewart’s house, so get back there now. Take Miss Sullivan with you and kick back. Drink a tall one for me. Who knows? Maybe I’ll show up later and join you.”

“What’d you do to Mark and the guys?” Gabe asked. He had to know. “To David?”

“Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure.” Becker’s feet pointed in the direction he meant to go. “Agent Houston and the rest of his crew are home by now. Don’t worry. They’re safe. I promise.”

“If you didn’t shoot them, what’d you give them?” Shelby asked.

“A dose of VEC. That’s all. Just enough to get them out of our way. You guys are too damned good. Every time I turned around, there you were like a Wild West posse. Had to take your boss and his team out of circulation before they screwed the pooch on the whole operation.”

“What the hell’s VEC?” Gabe asked.

Shelby explained. “It’s a muscle relaxant used on organ donors to keep them from twitching while the surgeon removes harvestable organs. Mr. Becker’s right. Your friends will be mad, but they’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Where’s Alex then?” Gabe asked outright. “Did you use that stuff on him, too?”

Becker paused, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek, as if he didn’t yet want to admit to anything yet.

“I know he’s alive,” Gabe insisted. “Isn’t he?”

Shelby stilled to hear Becker’s answer, but the glint of excitement in his gaze faded. He thumped a hand to Gabe’s back and left it there. “I honestly don’t know, but I’m going to find out. Now get out of here before the rest of my guys show up and lock you in jail. Go on. Take care of Miss Sullivan. I’ll be in touch.”


He turned away from the van and ran off.

“Let’s follow him,” Shelby insisted, tugging Gabe’s wrist to do just that. She craned her neck to see above the crowd, wanting to be off on another adventure. “Come on. He’s getting away. I can’t see him anymore. There are too many people.”

He didn’t budge. Not an inch. Gabe bowed his head while he sucked in breath after breath. “Let him. Whatever he’s doing, wherever he’s going, I trust him now. He’s right. We need to get you back to safety before something else happens.”

“But I can help.” Now wasn’t the time to step back and let someone else take over. Heck, no. She had a gun. She might not know how to use it, but... but...

Gabe simply stood there drawing in deep breaths, his palms flat to the open tailgate and his head down.

“Let’s at least go find Mark and Ember and all your guys.” Shelby wished he’d snap out of it. At least, do something.

All he did was turn his face from her and spit to the other side of the van.