Page 60 of Forged in Peril

Her captor shifted his body forward until he was standing beside her, but the insistent press of the barrel of the gun kept her looking at her feet rather than up at his face.

She saw him raise the phone in the direction of the van, but she couldn’t see if anyone else was there.

She saw only the pavement beneath her feet, rushing past altogether too quickly.

Any second now, they’d reach the white van.

Her prison.

She risked a tilt of her head, her breaths quickening as she felt the snare closing around her, desperate for anything or anyone that could help her to break free.

She saw Cam, crouching between two parked cars. He caught her eye and placed a finger to his lips. She couldn’t even nod.

She could only stare as the sun glinted off of the sleek black gun in his hand.

CAMERON

Cameron felt the familiar weight of the Beretta as he rested against the front fender of a parked car, trying to catch his breath and to think of any way he could approach the man in the suit without getting Bristol shot.

For the first time in his private security career, he wished that one of his brothers was in his place, preferably Gabe. He wouldn’t be panicking, not after his years in war-torn, unpredictable Afghanistan. His own background in the family agriculture business just wasn’t cutting it.

Gabe would have had a plan by now. He would haveactedby now.

As Bristol came briefly into view, he gestured for her to remain quiet and calm, willing her to understand.

The haunted look in her eyes made his palms sweat, but he couldn’t let her see how terrified he was. No. Help was on the way. In the meantime, he’d just have–

Everything happened at once.

He heard the driver’s side door of the van slamming shut before he saw it, watching as a man fled across the street, toward an alleyway two buildings over from FBS.

The man holding Bristol shoved her toward the ground without warning, taking off after his friend at a run.

Cameron watched as her body crumpled against the solid concrete, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he got to his feet, gun raised.

He raced out from between the cars, fumbling for his phone with his free hand as he covered the distance, voice dialing Gabe for a second time.

“Gabe, they’re on foot. Two guys, white or possibly hispanic, cutting through the alleyway beside Hoffman Jewelry. They left their van.”

By the time he reached Bristol’s side, she was already getting to her feet. Relief flooded through him as he helped her up.

“I’m fine,” she insisted as he took her elbow, leading her gently toward the side door. Her legs were shaking beneath her, but she didn’t appear to be hurt.

He glanced off toward the alleyway, every nerve on high alert. All he wanted to do was to stay with her, but he couldn’t bear the thought of letting them get away.

He couldn’t afford to be indecisive.

“Go inside and get upstairs,” he commanded, releasing her and gesturing toward the door as he gave a final glance up the now-empty street. “I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears as she took off at a run.

By the time her fingers took hold of the door handle, he was already running, his muscles pumping as he ducked into the shadowy space between the two buildings.

He dodged trash bags and piles of cardboard, willing himself not to trip, until finally he emerged on the busy street in front of FBS.

His breath burned in his lungs as he came to a stop, shoving his gun into the back of his jeans, his eyes scanning the busy road for anything out of place. He hadn’t even asked for a roadblock here, and now he was kicking himself for it.

Leaning against the front of the building, he closed his eyes, pressing his fingertips against his temples as he tried to gather his memories of the men before their faces began to mingle with everyone else he saw.

---