She was getting no help from the man huddled in the corner with his family as he tried to protect his two small children and wife from the scene. Gabriel frowned and leaned out of the helicopter feeling the wind blow at his face to get a closer look at the wheel as Antonia knocked the gun from the man’s hand when his grip relaxed after she’d kneed him. He waved at the pilot to move as close as he dared. The capsule moved up into its next position making it third from the top. He leaned forward ready to risk his life and jump onto the top of the glass capsule.
His heart beating fast and his breath ragged, Gabriel put his trust in his capability leaving no question in his mind that he would make the jump and then executed it without hesitation. He grimaced as the weight of his body fell flat across the top and started to slide down the glass covered side making him quickly reach out and hold on to the lever on top of the trap door to stop himself sliding over the edge.
“Gabriel,” the pilot shouted in his mic with concern noticing he couldn’t move for a moment.
“I’m fine. Just getting my breath back,” he said with a trace of humour in his voice. He grinned at the pilot and waved at him before heaving himself up to a standing position and trying to open the trap door on top of Antonia’s capsule. Once more his heart thudded like an express train careering down the track as his body swayed in the wind that threatened to push him off the side. He loved the power surge it created in his body allowing him to operate at optimum strength. It made him feel alive as the morning sun beat down on him and the London city landscape hovered below. He glanced down, hearing the sound of police sirens scream and echo down below.
As he twisted the door lever and the safety mechanism he could hear the muffled sounds of fighting and angry shouts. He wondered how much longer Antonia could last and hurried to get the damn door open. Every thought in his mind was clear, every movement made with precision and expert calculation to maintain his balance yet lose none of his speed. This was how he functioned on a mission just as he had been trained previously by the Russian secret service, the GRU. And later by United Global Defence when they had asked him to work for them as an operative after he’d shown excellent leadership and skill on an army exercise that went terribly wrong. The trap door opened and he jumped inside to join the fight.
Chapter 5
Gabriel landed on his feet on top of the seating in the middle of the capsule and noticed the man’s gun, Antonia had obviously managed to knock from his hand in their struggle, on the floor. When he jumped down into the capsule Antonia was losing the fight. The assailant had her pressed up against the glass at one end of the capsule and now held a flick knife. His hand was around her throat and her face was turning blue as he tried to stab the knife just below her ribs. But she quickly jerked her body to the side to avoid it. Gabriel could hear her choking and her agitated movements begin to slow. Her hands clawed at the assailant’s hand desperately trying to remove the obstruction from her throat but the task was impossible because the man’s strength far outweighed her own. The suit prepared to stab her again just as Malinov jumped down from the seating.
The man glanced to the side but it was too late. The Global Defence agent took hold of his arm and twisted it backwards cleanly breaking it. The knife clattered to the floor as the man groaned loudly in pain. Immediately he let go of Antonia’s throat to turn to defend himself.. Gabriel drew the assassin away from Antonia, pulling him backwards against his chest, before the assassin could turn to fight back, and put him in a headlock. It only took one clean forceful pull of the assassin’s head to the side to break the man’s neck.
The sounds of coughing and spluttering he’d heard from Antonia were still echoing around the small space amid the cries of horror from the family. Gabriel lowered himself onto his haunches in front of Antonia who’d sunk to the floor clutching at her throat as she tried to draw air back in. She stared at him with panic in her eyes. Something made him reach out to gently cup the side of her face with his hand. He tilted her face upwards noticing her eyes were flicking from him to the dead man on the floor as she gulped in air as though she might be deprived of it if she didn’t. She stared at the dead man and began to shake uncontrollably while still trying to catch her breath. Her eyes flicked wildly around the capsule. She was clearly in shock.
“Look at me,” he said softly tucking his fingers under her chin to raise her face up towards him. “Look only at me,” he repeated a little more firmly when she continued to look at the dead man.
She stared up at him and he held her gaze.
“Slow your breathing. In, out. Not so fast. Watch me,” he tried not to speak to her as though he were soothing a child and made sure he held her eyes as he breathed slowly with her to help her gain a calm rhythm once more.
As the wheel lowered the capsule to the ground, her breathing regained its equilibrium. But then the shaking and reaction
