“You stay here.”
“No way. If you try to stop me I will just find another way.”
“Fine. Michael, get Mr James Bond here a vest. We are going in,” he said with a grin watching Gabriel undo his bow tie and toss it to the floor.
The team of nine moved fast clambering up onto the small deck just across and behind the Crow’s Nest. They stood on top of a long thin white viewing gallery comprising mostly of large windows that hung across the length of the ship at the front and a small way out over the sides. The team fixed long ropes to the deck rail in front of them and in perfect timing stepped backwards and dropped over the edge of the long narrow strip. They lowered themselves on the rope in front of the windows kicking them in with the bottom of their feet to break into the Crow’s Nest.
The windows smashed loudly on the floor making people scream. Malinov’s body swung in through the window at the same time as the others. Landing powerfully on his feet and standing, he aimed the Uzi and took out two of the terrorists. The SAS stormed the room taking down every terrorist in sight careful to avoid the passengers. Gabriel ran towards Aalam. He was about to dig the tip of a dagger into the back of Antonia’s neck. Malinov dived at him knocking him away from Antonia as the two men holding her dropped to the floor dead.
Aalam tried to stab the knife into Gabriel’s throat. Lying on top of the terrorist he banged his arm against the floor until the knife fell out of his hand. He wanted the bastard to live and pay for his crimes. He was going to deny him the privilege of dying as a martyr for his cause.
Gabriel punched him hard and found he couldn’t stop. He wanted to tear the man apart for raping Antonia and trying to kill her. He beat the man to a bloody pulp and had to be dragged away by a SAS soldier.
“We’ve got him. He isn’t going anywhere,” one of them shouted at him. “The area is under control.”
Malinov shrugged the soldier off and nodded looking at his sore bleeding fists then at Aalam lying dazed on the floor. He wasn’t going anywhere. Two fragile bare arms wound around his waist and held on from behind. Antonia.
Gabriel turned around wanting to take her in his arms and make sure she was safe. He kissed her quickly wiping at the tears running down her pale cheeks with his thumb.
“I thought I’d lost you,” was all he could say.
“I am sorry. I just couldn’t sit in that bathroom when he threatened the girls and all of those people.”
“I know, kotyonok. I know,” he said trembling against her.
“But I knew you would come for me,” she smiled through her tears. “I had no doubt.”
He grinned.
“I am not going to let you out of my sight again.”
“Please don’t ever let me go again. I just want to be with you. You can spank me if you want. I don’t care.”
He smiled and kissed her.
“Don’t worry. I am tying you to my side and there is no escape.” He grinned. “We will discuss your spanking for disobeying me and leaving the cabin later.”
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
Antonia smiled pressing her soft cheek against his face and clung to him. The SAS and the United Global Defence team secured the area. While they were standing there Nazila and Qaifa ran towards Antonia. She removed one of her arms and placed it around the eldest. Gabriel bent down and brought the small five-year-old up into his arms squeezing Antonia’s hand when tears sprang to her eyes seeing bruising on the little girl’s face.
“It’s over,” he said. “It’s all over,” he reassured kissing her. “I will keep you all safe now,” he pledged.
Chapter 16
Gabriel Malinov sat down in front of the Mafia boss’s ornate desk in Rome.
“What is it that you want, Mr Malinov?” the middle-aged man asked him.
Gabriel smiled and pulled his suit jacket sleeve down just above his cufflink to correct his attire.
“You know exactly what I want or rather who I want you to give up,” he answered in a relaxed manner.
The man laughed.
“Adalina Morelli.”
“Yes. You will know by now that we have found that Adalina Morelli has assisted terrorists in committing mass murder in your country and others. The operation you were running in the refugee camp is now at an end and she is no longer able to facilitate it or those in the other camps. We have retrieved many of the women you enslaved and the operation continues. We have also arrested the mayor of Marzello, the police on your payroll and more importantly the government minister who assisted you in an effort to rid the country of as many refugees as he could. I doubt even your organization wants a connection to a terrorist when many of the families have vowed to protect the country from them. There is nothing to trace you to the crime as always but we know you headed it and you won’t exactly be popular for protecting someone who helped a terrorist. Hand her over.”
Salvatore Filidoro leaned over his desk.
“That is very disappointing. I understand your success is due to the initial investigation by the English journalist, Antonia King. I also understand she is an incredibly beautiful, intelligent lady and you have a vested interest in the woman.”
Malinov narrowed his eyes but made sure he did not take the bait and allow the man to see him riled. He softened his eyes.
“Morelli is no longer valuable to you.”
“That is true but I like to deal with matters my own way.”
“Killing her is a waste. She will have information on IS we can use.”
“I will tell you what I will do. Out of respect to your uncle who heads his own Russian family in London, I will give you the woman.”
Gabriel
