“No thanks,” Gabe replied, his throat constricting. “I know where it is. Do you have the GPS coordinates on the cab now? Is it still there?”
There was a pause. Then, “No. It looks like it’s about five miles from there. No address is listed, but I can give you the location if you want to check it out. It’s not like Bobby to not check back in service. He’s the most dependable guy I’ve got.”
Gabe flipped on his lights and sirens and slammed down on the accelerator. Screw being on administrative leave. Right now, his only concern was getting to Elle. “Text me the information, Frank. I’m on my way.”
As soon as he hung up, his phone rang. “Yeah?”
“What the fuck is going on? Where are you?”
Gabe tried not to sigh. The last thing he was in the mood for at that moment was a lecture from Tom.
“On my way out to the Monroe farm,” Gabe informed him, his tone clipped. “I think Elle’s there.”
“What the hell is she doing there?”
Gabe slowed as he came to an intersection, checking to make sure the cross traffic was stopping before he blew through the red light. “I don’t know, Tom. But I swear to God, if Monroe has hurt her…”
“Joe and I are on our way,” Tom said, his voice sounding like he was already on the move. “Joey! Let’s go! Gabe, how close are you to Monroe’s?”
“I’m about fifteen minutes out,” he said, turning onto the rural route that led to Monroe’s farm. “There’s a cab about five miles from the farm that I’m going to check out on the way. The cabbie never checked back in. I need to make sure she’s not there first.”
There was a slight pause before Tom said, “We’ll be there as soon as we can. And Dad has alerted the local PD. Don’t take on Monroe by yourself, Gabe. Wait for backup.”
Gabe’s heart pounded in his ears, fear for Elle making his chest tight. “Can’t make any promises.”
“Gabe,” Tom said, his tone pleading, “I’m ordering you not to go in on your own.”
“I’m not letting you pull rank on me this time, Bro,” Gabe insisted. “I love her, Tommy. I’m not going to let that bastard hurt her. If I have to die protecting her, I will.”
“I understand that—”
Gabe hung up and tossed his phone into the passenger seat. It immediately started ringing again, but when he saw it was Tom calling back, he ignored it. He understood his brother’s concerns, especially in light of what Tom had confided in him about his fears of losing one of them in the line of duty. But Gabe wasn’t about to let Tom’s fear prevent him from protecting the woman he loved.
*
Elle could hear shouting behind her and knew she’d been spotted. She ran faster, pushing herself until her arms and legs turned to rubber, her breath ragged.
Almost there. Almost there…
She had no idea what the hell she was going to do once she made it to the cornfield. Hell, they knew the rows and orientation of the field better than she did. She didn’t even have any freaking clue where it ended. She could only pray that she’d end up near another house or the road where she could flag down a passing motorist.
The roar of an engine assaulted her ears, making her start. Her heart stuttered in panic and she threw a glance over her shoulder to see two men on one ATV and one on another racing in her direction.
Oh God…
She whimpered softly but kept running, not about to give up now that she was so close. A loud pop sounded behind her as one of them fired off a shot. She instinctively ducked at the sound, losing her footing and landing hard in the grass.
Cursing, she scrambled to her feet, barely registering the blood trickling down her arm from a skinned elbow. She could worry about it later. Right now she was more concerned about the damned ATVs that were right on top of her.
She sprinted forward, finally making the cornfield, and raced down the row, then zagged randomly, hoping to lose her pursuers, who were now crashing through the cornfield after her on foot. Her lungs began to burn, her breath loud in her ears as she continued to run, her adrenaline keeping her on her feet.
The heavy footfalls behind her were growing closer, gaining on her. In desperation, she made another random zag through the rows, but catching a glimpse of someone running parallel to her, she turned again and sprinted forward, praying the man hadn’t seen her too.
Another loud pop made her flinch, fully expecting to feel the impact of a bullet in her back. But when she felt no pain, she sent a glance over her shoulder to check for her pursuer.
No one was there. Thank God! Maybe she’d—
The sudden impact as she collided with another mass sent her sprawling on her back, knocking the air from her lungs. The next thing she knew, Jeremy Monroe was standing over her, a shotgun pointed at her chest.
“Don’t move,” he ordered.