Chapter 5 - Northward Bound
Thirty-six hours later, a Gulfstream jet cut through the turbulent winter clouds above the Canadian wilderness. Below them, endless expanses of dark pine forest stretched out toward the horizon, blanketed in thick, pristine snow.
Inside the luxury cabin, Piper was fast asleep on a plush leather sofa, bundled under a cashmere blanket, holding a stuffed bear Gabriel had ordered his assistant to buy during their brief stop in Detroit. Molly sat across from Gabriel, sipping hot tea, watching the mafia king pore over blueprints of the Pine Ridge Estate—the secluded facility where Audrey was being held.
""You haven't slept in two days,"" Molly said gently.
Gabriel rubbed his tired eyes, tracing the layout of the compound. ""I’ve slept enough over the last three years, Molly. I was asleep while my wife was locked away in a gilded cage, and I was asleep while your husband was risking his life to expose the truth.""
Molly set her mug down on the mahogany table. ""Gabriel, you couldn't have known. Evan was brilliant with numbers, but even he didn't realize how deep the rot went until the very end. The day before his crash, he left me a safety deposit box key hidden inside Piper’s baby book. He told me that if anything happened, the contents would either save our lives or get us killed. When Walter’s men started stalking our apartment, I was too terrified to open it. I thought... I thought running to you was my only shield.""
""Do you still have the key?"" Gabriel asked.
Molly unclasped a thin silver chain around her neck. Hanging beside Audrey’s heart charm was a small brass key stamped with the insignia of a downtown Chicago vault.
""The evidence Evan collected isn't just about freight manipulation,"" Molly explained. ""Evan discovered that Walter had compromised state judges, port directors, and federal regulators. Walter was preparing a hostile takeover of your entire enterprise, backed by an overseas syndicate. If you had died or gone to prison, Walter would have inherited control of the Rourke Trust automatically.""
Gabriel stared at the small key, feeling a surge of profound gratitude toward a man he had never met. ""Evan Bennett was braver than any soldier I ever employed. When this is over, Molly, Chicago will know his name. Not as an accountant who died in a tragic wreck, but as a hero who stood against corruption.""
Samuel approached from the cockpit, holding a encrypted radio headset. ""Boss, Canadian tactical team is in position three miles out from Pine Ridge. The facility is disguised as an exclusive, private wellness retreat for wealthy patrons suffering from severe burnout. Security is tight—eight armed guards, perimeter laser tripwires, and biometric gate locks. But here’s the catch: the facility administrator just received an automated alert that Walter’s daily check-in failed.""
Gabriel stood up instantly, his presence commanding and lethal. ""They know something is wrong.""
""Yes, sir,"" Samuel nodded. ""According to our wiretaps, a private medical transport chopper was just dispatched from Montreal. They're preparing to move Audrey within the hour.""
Gabriel checked his watch. ""We land in ten minutes. Samuel, instruct the ground team to breach the perimeter immediately. Cut the power to the helipad. Nobody leaves that facility. If a single rotor turns, shoot the engine block.""
Molly stood up as well, her jaw set. ""Gabriel, let me go in with the first medical unit.""
Gabriel frowned. ""It's too dangerous, Molly. There could be an active shootout.""
""Audrey hasn't seen a friendly face in three years,"" Molly argued passionately. ""She has been told you were either dead or that you abandoned her. If four heavily armed men kick down her door, she’ll be terrified. But if I walk in wearing this bracelet—the bracelet she gave to the shelter volunteers—she’ll know help has finally arrived.""
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Gabriel looked at Molly, then down at Piper sleeping peacefully on the sofa. The courage of this woman, who had lost her husband and spent months living in terror, humbled him.
""Alright,"" Gabriel agreed softly. ""You stay behind the shield team until the room is secured. Then you bring her to me.""
