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
