But there was one thought overpowering his feelings and he clung to it, forcing himself to focus on it, protecting Antonia. She gave him strength with her bravery and her belief in him. She hadn’t said anything but it was in her eyes and in her body language. She had been through so much and trusted in him alone. He’d seen the way she had looked at the other male agents. She was afraid of them but with him she relaxed as much as she could. Antonia had placed her fragile trust in him and was relying on him to help stop Aalam and find the girls she had symbolically adopted as her own children. He would be damned if he would let her down. There was a connection forming between them and he wasn’t going to let it go.
He moved his body over her, hoping they would both make it out of the building alive. Her body was soft and delicate in his arms. He couldn’t bear seeing her hurt again. He heard her whimper.
“Shhh. I’ve got you. You’re safe. I will get you out of here and help you get the girls back. I promise, Antonia.”
“I know,” she said in a shaky voice.
There was a loud bang and the world went black. A minute later everything was still around them. When Gabriel blinked back the dust from his eyes and looked up, he found the table broken in two around them. Thank God, they were still alive. He stood up, still hearing gunfire and the sound of someone coming towards them. He wasted no time in pulling Antonia to her feet to propel her forward through the large hole the rocket had blasted through the dining room wall, careful to avoid the glass continuing to smash and fall from the patio doors and windows.
Holding her hand tight he marched Antonia outside scanning for assailants as they went. He had memorized his escape route from the Palazzo and knew he had to get Antonia to the boat at the back of the small island.
He aimed his Glock 17 at two black clad men with balaclavas and Kalashnikov rifles coming around the side of the house towards the large swimming pool and straight at them. They had to be Aalam El Hashem’s men.
Swinging Antonia behind him Gabriel shot one and then the second before they could aim their weapons and continued towards the boat. She was moving too slowly because she was still weak from malnutrition and exhaustion. He stopped, bent and pulled her over his shoulder. He would make better time that way before another terrorist could try and stop him.
Gabriel started to run towards the boat carrying a startled Antonia when another terrorist emerged in front of him. He didn’t have time to raise his weapon and shoot and wondered if this was the end. But a shot rang out and the terrorist fell dead at his feet. It was Kareef, one of the agents. Gabriel nodded his thanks and they ran towards the boat.
“They are killing them at the front of the house. Most of the agents have been taken out. It is the worst attack any of us have faced,” Kareef informed in a breathless voice jumping into the motorboat after he had covered Gabriel getting into the boat with Antonia. He started the engine.
“We aren’t even sure how they got close to the island. They started their assault as soon as the bombs exploded in Venice. We were sitting ducks out front. They used an anti-tank rocket launcher from a boat and stormed the island in the chaos that followed.”
“Take us around the front and we can help,” Malinov instructed as he pushed Antonia towards the small cabin and made her get in it.
“No, Botelli is dead. Her last orders were to help you get Antonia off the island and to Paris. She is far too valuable. Aalam El Hashem’s phone was sent here overnight and it was destroyed in the laboratory downstairs. Antonia is the only person who can identify the bombers,” he fiercely told the young agent indicating he wouldn’t argue with him about it.
Kareef handed him the G36 he had used and jumped out to untie the rope holding the boat to the jetty. Two terrorists emerged from the house and started to run towards the boat one of them started spraying bullets as Kareef jumped back in. Bullets from an Uzi riddled the cabin windows smashing them. Antonia cried out. Gabriel aimed the G36 at the one with the Uzi quickly glancing at the cabin to make sure Antonia hadn’t been shot.
“I’m okay,” she urged raising her head from the floor.
“Keep down,” he ordered dropping to the floor of the deck with Kareef. He balanced the G36 on the rail of the boat and aimed it at the terrorist. Gabriel executed a perfect shot to his head cleanly taking the terrorist out.
The motorboat started to move and when a second man ran along the jetty and tried to board the boat lunging at it. The agent dropped the rifle as the terrorist landed in the boat and started to attack him.
“Where is the woman?” the man in the balaclava demanded throwing a punch.
But Gabriel was too quick for him ducking to avoid the blow. His fist struck the assailant’s solar plexus then to the pressure point on the side of his head. The man was severely disorientated and fell to his knees. Gabriel wound his arm around the man’s neck and dragged him backwards to the edge of the boat that was picking up speed. He snapped the man’s neck and let him fall over the side into the choppy water.
Malinov moved towards the cabin concerned for Antonia. She was bent on the floor trying to pick glass out of her hair. She was shaking and her face was bleeding. He stepped on top of the glass to get to her crushing it as he did so. She looked up when she heard the noise.
Antonia had several small cuts to her forehead and one to her hand. He picked the last of the glass from her hair and stood her up. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
“Are you, okay?” he asked anxiously looking for any other signs of injury. He glanced down at her stomach worried the knife wound might have reopened but there was no sign of blood.
He wanted to hold her but after this morning he was afraid to push things. But he was to receive a surprise. Antonia must have read his eyes because she suddenly thrust herself into his arms and held on to him tight. He smiled with triumph and wrapped his arms around her.
“Thank you for getting me out of there. Are you okay?” she asked timidly.
“I’m fine. All in a day’s work,” he smiled gently and kissed the top of her head.
She nodded against him as he fought to keep his balance and hold her up as the boat buffeted over the waves on its way to the airport outside of the city of Venice.
“What about the rest of the people on the island?”
Gabriel glanced out of the hole that once housed a window and was now allowing wind to blow in around them and chill the small cabin. He could see smoke and still hear gunfire coming from the island. Behind them three large police boats filled with armed forces raced towards it.
“I don’t know,” he told her quietly thinking of Botelli. She wouldn’t have gone down without a fight.
Antonia lifted her head from his chest and looked back at the island and then followed his eyes to Venice. Thick black billowing plumes of smoke were rising from the city from the explosions. Two helicopters raced overhead towards the city.
“Will this ever end?” Antonia said tearfully resting her head against his chest once more.
He loved feeling her so close. In this dirty business, she was a breath of fresh air and so delicate and warm in his arms. He held her once more smoothing his fingers along her back to try and calm her shaking.
“We are going to United Global Defence’s Paris office to co-ordinate from there. Come on up front out of this glass.”
Gabriel led Antonia up to the front with an arm around her just as a police boat came alongside. Kareef waved to them. This was their escort to the airport. The situation was getting out of control and it was getting harder and harder to keep Antonia safe. Now he was developing more than a professional interest in protecting Antonia and it made him all the more determined to kill anyone who tried to take her from him.
Chapter 11
The airport was in chaos when they arrived. People were being evacuated. Holding Antonia’s hand, Gabriel moved as fast as her injuries would permit through the crowds. Kareef followed close behind with two Italian police officers ready to assist Mali
nov in protecting Antonia should the need arise.
They were in the middle of the terminal building. It was full of tourists at one of the busiest times in the summer when they heard frightened shrieks from the men and women around them. The crowd separated. Hysteria filled the air. Malinov turned to have his suspicions confirmed. Behind them a young Syrian stood taking his mid-length battered black leather coat off to reveal a suicide vest.
The vest was packed with enough explosives to blow the Terminal building up. There was nowhere for anyone to go. The jetties were already crammed with tourists trying to pile onto the water taxis for the evacuation and everyone was pushing and shoving past each other in mass panic.
People screamed and ran for their lives. They ran in front of Gabriel and Antonia threatening to separate them. Gabriel pulled her closer when they were forced to stand still. Kareef closed in at her rear to protect her from behind.
Their police escort left them and fought their way to the young man. The Russian felt Antonia tug on his arm.
“I know him. He is one of the brothers from the family who was living next to me in the refugee camp,” she said breathless. “You have to let me talk to him. Help me. I can stop this.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Gabriel snapped extremely reluctant to let her.
She tried to remove his hand prompting him to intensify his hold on her. A huge circle had widened around the young man who was slowly dropping his coat to the floor. The holidaymakers were running with trolleys laden with suitcases using them to batter their way through people, knocking down the poles that encouraged orderly queue forming on the way to check-in.
“You have to let me try. Please. There are too many people who will die in this airport if you don’t. Let me go.”
Antonia jostled her hand and wriggled so much she managed to slip her hand free.
Kareef did nothing to stop her as she made her way to the armed police who now surrounded the young man, their weapons trained on him. But Malinov reached for her arm and tugged her back sharply. Kareef put his hand against Gabriel’s chest. Gabriel narrowed his eyes and looked down at Kareef’s hand as though it was poison.
“We have to let her try,” Kareef urged.
To Gabriel the objective was clear – get Antonia King out of the situation, well away from the bombers and not put her in the thick of it. She was the only one who could fully identify the others and provide a link to Aalam El Hashem. Besides, she wasn’t just a witness to him, she was becoming a lot more than that. Someone had to look out for the woman. It was clear she was unable to and someone like him had to take control before she got herself killed.
Gabriel was becoming too close to Antonia and he knew it. This was going to make him lose his focus. He didn’t like it but she knew the young man and had every chance of talking him down and persuade him not to explode himself and kill hundreds of people in the process. Like it or not Kareef was right, he had to let her try.
Inwardly growling with his resistance, he nodded and let go of Antonia and followed them towards the armed police. Both men showed their United Global Defence ID and were promptly allowed to approach with Antonia. Kareef spoke fluent Italian explaining the situation in a low voice. The woman in charge was reluctant at first but when Kareef persisted and when he invoked his authority over her, she was forced to relent.
The young man was sweating and pale. Malinov couldn’t understand why he hadn’t just set off the explosives on his vest straightaway but he appeared to be having trouble pressing the detonator in his hand and had allowed himself to become hemmed in by police. It appeared as though he might want to be stopped. He looked terrified. Maybe Antonia did have a chance to convince him not to do it.
The suicide bomber couldn’t have been more than twenty at a push. His entire body was trembling as was his hand holding the detonator. The grip he’d placed on it was unstable and his trigger finger could slip at any moment.
Nervously, Antonia stepped in front of the police taking her life in her hands. It made Gabriel sweat. He stepped forward to be at her side, aiming his Glock 17 at the young man. Kareef flanked the other. Antonia made the mistake of trying to get close to him and not adhering to the safe distance Gabriel wanted her to maintain. He placed a restraining hand on her arm and forced her to stop her movement. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it his way. They were taking a risk standing six meters away from the bomber. Malinov had never killed anyone so young before but if the time came to stop him setting off the vest, then he would do it. Too many lives, including Antonia’s, were at risk.
“Laraib, do you remember me?” Gabriel heard Antonia speak tentatively. He could detect the fear lining her voice but he could also distinguish the strength she was using to contain it.
The whole place fell into silence as the young man turned to look at her. The only sound that could be heard was a child crying.
Laraib looked at her quizzically but did not say anything as he tried to place her in his mind.
“I recognize your voice. But I do not know you,” he challenged in perfect English.
“Laraib, I lived in the tent next to you in the refugee camp in Marzello,” she continued trying to help him make the connection. “I am Jamila.”
“Jamila? But…”
“Yes, it is me. I am an English journalist. I wore a Burqa and went undercover to the camp to report on the conditions everyone was being forced to live in.”
“You lied to us,” he said with contempt looking at her with disgust.
It made Gabriel uneasy and he tightened his grip on the Glock. He prayed Antonia would bring Laraib back from the edge with the right words and exploit her connection to him. Words were her job and he knew already how well she used them.
“I do not want to talk to you.”
Antonia started to move forward again and Gabriel was forced to make his point about staying still stronger than before. He removed one of his hands from the Glock and thrust it against the top of her chest bringing her to a stop. He shook his head at her and only let go when she nodded and obeyed his ruling.
“You have to listen to me. I want you to stop what you are doing. This isn’t you. Laraib, you are an intelligent young man. Your mother used to boast about how you wanted to become a doctor and care for people. I know you don’t want to kill anyone or yourself. You had so many plans for your future. I don’t believe you want to throw all of that away.” There was genuine disbelief in her tone.
She continued when the young man didn’t respond and his eyes lowered to the floor in what could have been perceived as shame and despair.
“I know how caring and loving you can be. Look how you protected little Nazila and Qaifa. You played games with them… now you want to kill yourself and all of these innocent people. I refuse to believe it. I won’t,” she finished angrily.
Laraib raised his head and revealed the tears swelling in his eyes. They started to stream down his face.
“Those were silly naïve dreams. I have to do it. I was born for this.” His eyes suddenly narrowed with hatred. “They all deserve to die and so do you.”
Laraib turned to look at the detonator he was holding in his raised hand. Breathing hard he appeared to be attempting to summon the courage to press it and end his life. Malinov started to press on the trigger on his Glock.
Antonia put up her hands and screamed at him.
“Stop. Please stop,” she begged him.
Her shrill tone appeared to wake him from his reverie. He turned to stare at her and lifted his finger away from the button. Gabriel eased back, along with the rest of the armed team and Kareef.
“I need to know. How can someone who wanted to be a doctor get to this point? I thought you wanted to save people. Now you want to kill them. Why?”
Antonia was refusing to give up.
The twenty-year-old began to pace back and forth in the small enclosed space he had been confined in, inducing frightened murmurs between the people around them.
“I want to save my own people, those who are being oppressed by the West. This is how I am to do it. This is my life mission not being a doctor.”
He thrust a digit at his chest with his free hand.
Trying to negotiate with him and appeal to his sense of humanity wasn’t working and he was becoming more agitated. Malinov’s heart began to thud. Any time now, Laraib was going to press the detonator. In preparation the agent took hold of Antonia’s arm and started to pull her backwards ready to swing her around behind him and propel her away from the blast.
“Where are Nazila and Qaifa?” Laraib suddenly asked surprising them all.
“That man, Aalam El Hashem who told you to do this took them,” she said with disgust. “I don’t know where they are but I won’t stop looking for them. It’s not just them. He has killed people in the camp who have tried to stop him and have disagreed with his beliefs. I saw one of them.”
The young man stared at her with wide horrified eyes.
“No, no. He wouldn’t do that. You lie.” Laraib shook his head. “He is a cleric, a holy man.”
She’d hit a nerve. Gabriel couldn’t help feeling more hopeful.
Leverage the girls, Antonia. You just might have him here. He is thinking about it now. Keep forcing him to doubt Aalam and his motives.
“I am not lying to you. I am telling you the truth. Will you really sacrifice your life for a man like him? A man who lies to you and kills your own people?”
“I don’t do this for him. I am sacrificing my life for Allah and to free my oppressed people,” he shouted. “I have to… I liked Nazila. No, I must do this. I will not let you distract me. I have to be strong. They said if I was caught this is what would happen and I must not let you trick me and win.”
“I don’t think you want to die, Laraib. You are arguing with yourself over it and you should…”
The Masterful Russian (The Masterful Series) Page 8
