“Vitorio, come on! We have to go,” Mauritsio called from upstairs.
Giving her a last glance, he turned around and left the room, locking the door behind him. He gave the handle a hard jiggle to make sure it was locked. He now knew that this girl was going to try everything she could to escape out of there and he couldn’t allow that. He stared at the door panels thoughtfully. He couldn’t explain why this situation was becoming so personal and so bothersome. He had a job to do and he couldn’t afford to think about anything else. Turning slowly, he saw Mauritsio waiting at the top of the staircase, acting quite awkward. He closed the distance between them with a few short strides and climbed the stairs quickly.
“How are you feeling?” he asked Mauritsio.
He shrugged. “I’m fine,” he said in a dry tone, recognizing mockery in Vitorio’s question.
They left the house, making sure all the locks were securely in place, and headed for the airport. It was now after 3:45. The rain had let out a bit, but the sky was still dark and cloudy. A heavy mist in the air was making the pedestrian faces that moved quickly on the sidewalks appear slightly out of focus.
“This is not where I’d like to be during a rainy afternoon,” Vitorio muttered gloomily.
Mauritsio glanced his direction. “Me neither,” he added irritably, and turning, he stared out the window.
Vitorio pressed lightly on the gas and mumbled a few cuss words under his breath. “We’re never going to get there in this horrible traffic,” he said, utterly frustrated. The heavy rain had caused problems for the traffic as the afternoon commuters were heading home.
“This is a miserable day,” Vitorio hissed again and Mauritsio nodded in agreement as he watch the water rush into the storm drains.
Silence stretched and they both kept into their own thoughts. After a long, exasperating fifteen minutes, the traffic toward the airport thinned out, giving a little solace to their frustration, and Vitorio slammed the pedal to the floor.
Chapter 9
AT THE LGW international terminal, Sebastian and his friends chose to stand against the back wall of the huge waiting area. They were obscured by a vast number of travelers moving to and from the terminals and a huge crowd gathered to welcome their family members or friends.
Their immortal skills gave them the ability to watch effortlessly from a distance and hear people’s conversations clearly.
The arriving international flights had a designated exit area, making it a lot easier for the immortal group to have a clear view of each passenger that came into the waiting area.
The wall monitor showed the flight from Belarus being in route and landing on time. Sebastian glanced at his watch, noticing that there was twenty minutes left before landing.
Scanning carefully over the huge crowd, he picked out four men standing quite close to each other at the opposite end of the room, exchanging glances and whispering to each other. Their barely audible voices reached Sebastian’s ears clear as church bells on a Sunday morning.
They were Dylan’s detectives, observing the arrival flights on the huge wall monitor anxiously.
“I see Dylan’s detectives,” Sebastian murmured. Troy, Ian, and Christian turned simultaneously and followed the line of Sebastian’s gaze. Sebastian smiled thoughtfully and gave them a measured stare. He then skipped over them and continued to scan the people that were waiting for the arrivals. According to Dylan, Arielle’s abductors were picking up their co-conspirators upon arrival, so they had to be somewhere among this large crowd.
Sebastian glanced furtively around and, finally, his eyes rested on his friends’ expressionless faces and they read his anguish.
Suddenly, a low-key statement from one of the detectives reached them and grabbed their undivided attention.
“Marc, I see Mauritsio and Vitorio,” the young detective whispered to the guy standing next to him.
“Where?” Marc looked anxious.
“They’re standing over there by the information booth,” he said and motioned with his eyes.
Sebastian followed the detective’s gaze and zeroed on Vitorio and Mauritsio’s faces. A sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Rage seized his throat and his jaw muscles locked.
Troy noticed. “Sebastian,” he murmured, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Fortitude, ol’ chap.”
Sebastian’s mouth was set in a grim line. His eyes emanated pure anger, fury, and anguish. The blend of emotions was a deadly potion for anyone that would have to face an immortal.
“Don’t take your eyes off of them, Jonathan,” Marc ordered. He seemed to be the lead detective.
He then turned his glance at the other two detectives. “Scott, Daniel, did you place the tracking device under their car?” he asked enquiringly.
“Yes,” they both replied simultaneously.
“Good job,” Marc said again and thumped both of them spiritedly in the arm. “Dylan will have our ass if we mess this up.”
“Don’t worry; nothing is going to go wrong,” Jonathan added supportively.
“We’ll follow them to the house, set up surveillance, and make sure none of them leave the premises without us knowing.”
“That’s the entire plan?” Scott asked curiously.
“No, Dylan said to wait for his orders once we reach the place. When Jorrit contacts Gaulle to arrange for the meeting, we’ll raid the house and rescue the girl. We have to take away all the negotiation power in their possession right now and that means the girl,” he said confidently.
“Are we to make arrests or shoot to kill?” Daniel asked pointedly.
“Whatever it takes to bring the girl home safe,” Marc replied.
“Is that what Dylan said? Or…”
Marc holds up his hand in a firm gesture, to stop him from saying another word. “Those were Dylan’s last words,” Marc said categorically.
Silence dropped between the four friends and stretched while they turned their probing gaze toward the information booth.
“Their plan falls perfectly within our plans,” Troy murmured. “We’ll have plenty of time to take Arielle away from that house and finish our business with the goons before the detectives storm the house.”
“Yes, that’s a perfect scenario,” Ian said agreeably.
Sebastian stared across the room, as if seeing something that wasn’t visible to anyone else. “I need to find Arielle,” he insisted indignantly, his voice trembling. “I’m going out of my mind. I can’t envision my life without her.” He was now gasping anxiously. “What if she is hurt?”
“Sebastian, you can’t let your anger control you at this moment,” Christian said with unbelievable calm. “We are going to bring Arielle home and these guys have absolutely no chance in hell of surviving this encounter.”
Sebastian smiled ruefully and he nodded in agreement. His burning gaze turned back on Vitorio and Mauritsio. He noticed that one of them was glancing between the wall monitor, his wristwatch, and the people around them. The other was completely disengaged from his partner. He was on his mobile phone, chatting casually with someone and smiling cheerily.
Sebastian clenched his teeth once again and tightened his fits. He wanted to wipe that smile right off the guy’s face. He was going to bring them to their knees and make them feel fear like they never had before. If they had touched a hair on her head, he would shred them apart piece-by-piece. He would spread excruciating pain through every fiber of their body and torture them until they took their last breath. The thoughts made him scowl and stifled an explicit oath threatening to escape his lips.
He yanked his eyes away from the two goons and glanced at his friends. “Don’t let those two out of your sight.”
He didn’t have to ask that, because the guys were already watching them, waiting for the next phase of the plan. Pushing the sullen thoughts out of his head, Sebastian searched around quietly and winced at the sight of couples who were hugging lovingly, happy to be reunited. He watched the blissfuln
ess that spread across their faces, and he almost felt the eagerness of their kiss, the warm expression of their love. He was standing among hundreds of people, but he felt completely alone. He needed to set his eyes on Arielle’s beautiful face and the smile that made the sun rise in his universe each and every day. His arms ached for her. He needed her back where she belonged. With him.
Her image filled his thoughts, and a twinge of hurt ripped right through his already aching chest. He wanted to hear her soft voice and feel the joy her presence sent straight to his very core. He paled at the thought of the possibility that someone wanted to hurt her. “I wonder if they left Arielle alone in that house?” Sebastian muttered despondently, as though talking to himself.
“Maybe they sent more than two thugs to do the job and they have left someone behind to guard Arielle while they are here,” Troy replied.
Sebastian didn’t acknowledged Troy’s statement; he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. His friends could see his hands clenched into tight fists and his eyes burning with scorching fire. He appeared dangerous. Troy put his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder once again and gave him a friendly pad.
“She’s fine, Sebastian. They can’t afford to hurt her. They need to keep her for ransom. At this point, they know that you are to be contacted to meet them for the exchange. They need her safe and sound at least until then. Arielle will be back home way before the time is up. These guys will be all dead by then,” he said scoffing outwardly.
Sebastian nodded, but he didn’t relax. “I don’t trust them, Troy,” he said nervously. “I’m worried about her. I know she’s scared and alone, and it is all because of me,” he muttered and shuddered at the thought. “If anything happens to her, I will never forgive myself. She is my life, the air I breathe.” Anguish strained his beautiful face and he let out a long tremulous sigh. He glanced at his watch once again and inwardly cursed.
Time was creeping along in an agonizing slow pace. Fifteen more minutes for the flight to land, and getting closer to the moment he was to hold Arielle in his arms. Oh God! Why does it hurt so badly? he thought worriedly. The feeling was excruciating.
His life had been a wonderful dream since the first moment he had laid eyes on Arielle. She had become the love of his life, the air he breathed, the core of his universe. He didn’t want to be anywhere without her. He was now ready to give up everything to just set his eyes on her beautiful face once again, to get lost in her sapphire gaze, to bathe in the glow of her smile, and to hold her tightly in his arms for eternity. He was thirsty for her soft lips and starving for her company. He was deeply in love with her; there was never going to be another. She made him complete; she fulfilled his hopes and desires more than any person had ever done before. She brought out feelings in him that he never knew he had. He was lost in her thoughts and a smiled touched his lips. He yearned for her.
“Sebastian,” Troy’s voice broke him out of his reverie. He glanced over and gave Troy a quizzical look.
“The plane landed,” Troy stated, pointing to the large monitor.
Sebastian’s face grew paler and the smile faded. Reality crashed right back into his brain and the pain he was feeling was infinitely worse than any other hurt that he ever had over his long life on this earth. How was he going to find Arielle? Would she be all right? He pressed his lips together and shook his head, trying to shake the surreal thoughts invading his mind.
They locked their gaze on Mauritsio and Vitorio and listened carefully to their conversation.
Vitorio tapped Mauritsio on the shoulder. “Get off the phone; I see them,” he said. Mauritsio put his phone away, and they pushed their way ahead of the other people waiting, ignoring the dirty stares and obscenities thrown their way.
“Where?” Mauritsio asked, stretching and searching over the arriving passengers that were approaching the exit. “Oh, never mind, I see them,” he said and gave a wave in the direction of two tall, well-built, and blond haired men heading their way.
The newcomers were dressed in jeans and white shirts just as Dylan described them. They each carried a brown duffle bag over their shoulder and clasped a brown briefcase in their hands.
“There’s our guys,” Sebastian muttered.
The men moved toward Vitorio and Mauritsio and shook hands.
“We’re glad to see you,” Vitorio said. “I’m Vitorio, and this is Mauritsio,” he added pointing toward Mauritsio.
“I’m Aiden,” the taller guy said, “and this is Colton.”
“Where is the girl?” Colton asked.
“She’s locked up at the house we have rented.”
“Alone?” Colton asked again.
“Yeah…yeah…she’s locked in the basement and not in great shape right now. She doesn’t have a prayer of escaping.”
Not in great shape? Sebastian thought, clenching his teeth.
They strolled toward the airport exit. The guys noticed that Dylan’s agents also had them on their radar. They let the agents follow the four criminals, and they walked slowly behind the agents, keeping all of them in their scope. Aiden’s next question made Sebastian’s skin crawl.
“What do you mean she is not in great shape right now?”
“Well, there was a small accident before we left for the airport,” Vitorio mumbled.
Sebastian’s blood ran cold, and his lips pressed into a hard line. Troy, Ian, and Christian turned toward Sebastian. He appeared devastated. A shadow draped over his soul, and his world stopped for a long moment. Ian reached over and grabbed Sebastian’s arm in support.
“She’ll be all right, Sebastian; hang in there friend.” All three kept tuned to the goons’ conversation, listening to every word and trying to keep Sebastian from doing something irrational.
“She tried to escape,” Vitorio whispered, “and she fell down the stairs and was really hurt.”
Sebastian grew paler and shuddered inwardly, letting out a low growl.
“Vasily said the orders were—the girl is not to be touched. This is not going to sit well with Rainer,” Colton insisted harshly.
“It wasn’t our fault,” Vitorio hurried to explain. “She was running up the stairs, and I was at the top of the landing. She ran right into me and bounced back, losing her step and tumbling down the stairs.”
“I don’t like that,” Colton stated. “I don’t like it at all…” His voice trailed.
Sebastian swallowed hard and let out a low growl again. He could barely hold himself from vaulting at them and really hurting them, but that would jeopardize the reason they were here. He needed the goons to lead them to Arielle.
“Let’s go to the car,” Aiden roared gloomily.
Vitorio didn’t like his tone of voice but he decided to keep quiet. He led them to the parking deck, and they piled into the black Mercedes.
“That’s the car that they used to follow Arielle,” Sebastian said and scowled.
Dylan’s detectives followed discretely, walking along behind many other people heading for their cars. This was an easy place to blend among the crowd and follow someone without being detected. They climbed into a gray van and waited for the black Mercedes to pull out of the parking space.
Sebastian and his friends, moving with immortal speed, were already in their car and heading to the toll both before the other two cars had a chance to even start their engines. They handed their ticket and exact change to the parking attendant and drove out, keeping their eyes on the black Mercedes waiting in line to pay toll behind three other cars. They couldn’t see the van with the detectives, but they were sure they weren’t far behind. They drove slowly, letting the Mercedes catch up, drive by them, and get in front of them. Now they had them exactly where they wanted them to be.
Troy was driving and Sebastian’s gaze was glued to the back of the black car. His emotions were engaging a wild war and his body was in high alert. He could hardly wait to reach the final destination.
“I think we’ve lost the gray van,” Ian said from the back seat.
Troy looked in the rear view mirror and he couldn’t see the van either.
“It doesn’t matter,” Sebastian said slowly, intensely. “They placed a tracking device on the Mercedes, so they are not worried. We don’t need anyone right now. We will take care of this swiftly.” His mouth pressed again in a hard line.
Chapter 10
THE ROADS WERE BUSY and the traffic was moving at a painfully slow crawl. Sebastian drummed his fingers on the door panel peevishly. They were not driving any longer; they were creeping along the asphalt inch by inch, and Sebastian’s patience was fading away slowly but surely. After a very long, agonizing amount of time, the traffic thinned, and they started to move again. Troy hung back at a discreet distance and followed them as they took the on-ramp to the interstate. The assassins were absolutely clueless at the tail they had picked up at the airport.
Troy glanced at the rear view mirror and said gingerly, “Oh, here come the detectives!” Christian and Ian turned toward the back window, but Sebastian remained glued to the Mercedes in front of them. This was his major interest and the only thing in his horizon right now.
The van was a couple miles behind, but they were following the black Mercedes steadily.
Sebastian’s voice broke Troy’s thoughts. “When you see the car slowing down, pull into the closest side street and stop.”
Troy nodded in agreement.
“How are we going to do this?” Ian asked.
“We’ll move by foot using our speed. We’ll enter the premises and take Arielle out safe before we deal with the thugs.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Christian muttered.
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