“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 Malinov 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
