Chapter 4 - The Betrayal
The red laser dots danced terrifyingly across Gabrielle's chest, mere inches from the sleeping twins.
Theodore did not hesitate for a fraction of a second.
He hurled the heavy steel crowbar with all his strength directly at the closest mercenary.
The metal bar struck the man in the face with a sickening crunch, sending him crashing into the dark water below.
The sudden violence startled the other two gunmen, ruining their aim.
Theodore lunged forward, placing his own body entirely between the loaded guns and his terrified family.
"Shoot him, you idiots!" Brianna shrieked, backing away toward a sleek black speedboat idling at the dock.
Before the mercenaries could pull their triggers, a deafening gunshot rang out from the top of the shipping containers.
One of the gunmen dropped his weapon and collapsed onto the concrete, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
Victor Delgado stepped out of the shadows high above them, holding a smoking sniper rifle.
He had promised to keep the police away, but he had never promised to stay away himself.
The last standing mercenary panicked and fired a wild burst of bullets into the air before running away into the darkness.
Brianna screamed in frustration and sprinted toward the waiting speedboat.
She leaped into the boat and slammed the throttle forward, speeding away into the black waters of the gulf.
Theodore ignored her escape and dropped to his knees beside Gabrielle.
He pulled a pocket knife from his jacket and frantically sliced through the thick plastic zip ties binding her wrists.
Gabrielle gasped in pain as the blood rushed back into her numb hands.
She immediately wrapped her arms protectively around the two babies strapped to her chest.
"Are they hurt?" Theodore asked, his hands hovering over the tiny infants, terrified to even touch them.
"They are fine, Theo," Gabrielle whispered, her voice incredibly weak from exhaustion.
Theodore pulled off his expensive suit jacket and wrapped it warmly around her shivering shoulders.
"I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, Gabrielle, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to earn it," he swore.
Gabrielle looked up at him, her beautiful eyes filled with a complicated mixture of deep pain and lingering love.
She gently reached out and touched his cheek with her dirty, trembling fingers.
"We have a much bigger problem than forgiveness right now," Gabrielle said, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper.
"Brianna was never the one orchestrating this nightmare, Theo."
Theodore frowned in deep confusion, helping her slowly to her feet.
"What are you talking about?" Theodore asked.
May you like
Gabrielle looked nervously over her shoulder at the dark, empty shipping yard.
"Brianna was taking direct orders from someone inside your own family," Gabrielle revealed.
