Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Gabbi
Gabbi’s grip tightened around the strap of her bag as she and Bobby drove toward the police checkpoint.
The road stretched long and empty ahead of them, winding through the dense forest that led up into the mountains.
The sky was still dark, only the faintest streaks of blue hinting at dawn.
The air outside was cold, but inside the truck, the tension was suffocating.
Neither of them had spoken much since leaving the city.
Bobby sat behind the wheel, his hands tight on the steering wheel, his jaw locked, his expression unreadable.
He hadn’t looked at her once, hadn’t acknowledged her beyond the necessary questions about where they were going and what she had learned.
He was shutting her out again, burying himself in the mission ahead.
Gabbi swallowed, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. She had spent years chasing leads, searching for answers, refusing to give up on Liam. But Bobby—he had spent years blaming her. And maybe, deep down, she had spent just as long blaming herself.
She took a slow breath, steadying herself. "Bobby."
He didn’t respond.
She hesitated, then tried again. "Bobby, I need to say something."
His grip on the wheel tightened, but he still didn’t look at her. "Now’s not the time, Gabbi."
She ignored that. "I should have listened to you that day."
His fingers twitched, but he kept his eyes on the road.
She pushed forward, heart pounding. "You told me not to take him out. You told me it wasn’t safe. And I didn’t listen."
Bobby’s jaw clenched hard.
Gabbi exhaled, her voice quieter now. "I live with that every single day. I wake up thinking about it. I go to sleep thinking about it. I’ve spent six years chasing ghosts, trying to fix something I can’t undo.
And I know—" her throat tightened, but she forced herself to keep going, "I know that no matter what I do, it won’t bring him back. But if there’s even the smallest chance that he’s still out there, I need to try. "
The truck felt too small, too suffocating. The silence stretched thick between them.
Finally, Bobby spoke, his voice low and controlled.
"You think I don’t know that?" His knuckles were white against the steering wheel. "You think I don’t wake up every day wondering if he’s alive or dead?
If he’s suffering? If he’s waiting for me to find him?
" He exhaled sharply, his breath heavy in the tight space of the truck.
"I don’t need your apology, Gabbi. I need to find my brother. "
Her chest ached at his words, but she nodded. She wouldn’t push him further. Not now. They had bigger things to focus on.
The headlights cut through the early morning fog as they neared the checkpoint.
Black SUVs lined the dirt road leading up the mountain, red and blue lights flashing against the trees.
Officers in tactical gear moved in small groups, speaking in clipped tones, their movements sharp and efficient. The air buzzed with tension.
Gabbi’s stomach twisted. They were already here. The operation had started without them.
Bobby killed the engine and was out of the truck before she could say anything.
She rushed to follow, her boots crunching against the gravel as they approached the line of officers.
Detective Alvarez stood near the main group, his face grim as he spoke with a commanding officer.
The second he spotted them, his expression darkened.
"You shouldn’t be here," Alvarez said, shaking his head. "This is an active situation."
Bobby didn’t hesitate. "We’re coming."
Alvarez let out a sharp breath, clearly expecting this. "No, you’re not. This isn’t a damn rescue fantasy, Norman. This is a raid. We have a full tactical team in place. You two would only get in the way."
Gabbi stepped forward, crossing her arms. "That’s bullshit. We’ve been on this case for years. You wouldn’t even know where to look if it weren’t for us."
Alvarez’s eyes flashed with frustration, but beneath it, she saw something else—guilt. "I know how much this means to you," he said, his voice softer. "I do. But these people? They’re armed. Dangerous. If you go in there, you’ll be risking your lives."
Bobby’s expression hardened. "And what the hell do you think we’ve been doing for the past six years?"
Alvarez ran a hand over his face. "Look, I get it. But this isn’t some vigilante mission. We have trained professionals handling this. You both need to stand down."
Gabbi clenched her fists. "If Liam’s in there, I’m not waiting around to find out if he makes it out alive."
A muscle jumped in Alvarez’s jaw. "Gabbi?—"
"No," she snapped. "I lost him once. I’m not losing him again."
Bobby stepped closer, his presence solid beside her. "You either let us help, or we’re going in alone."
Alvarez cursed under his breath, rubbing his temples. "Goddamn it. You two are impossible."
Gabbi tilted her head. "And you love us for it."
Alvarez gave her a look before muttering, "Stay behind the main perimeter. You don’t do anything unless I say so. Understood?"
Neither of them answered.
Alvarez sighed. "Of course not."
Tension thickened in the air as officers prepped their gear. Guns were checked, radios crackled with movement updates, the weight of what was about to happen settling in Gabbi’s chest like lead. This wasn’t just another lead. This was it.
Bobby stood beside her, arms crossed, eyes locked on the mountains ahead. He was completely still, but she could feel it—the barely contained rage, the hope, the fear.
She swallowed hard. "Bobby…"
His eyes flicked to hers, sharp, unreadable.
"If he’s not in there—" She stopped, hating the way her voice wavered.
Bobby exhaled slowly, his hands flexing at his sides. "Then we keep looking."
Her throat tightened. She wanted to believe that was enough.
A voice crackled through the police radios. "Unit One, in position. Ready to move on your command."
Alvarez gave a sharp nod, speaking into his radio. "Hold your position. Do not engage until?—"
Gunfire exploded.
Gabbi’s breath caught in her throat.
Another shot.
Then chaos.
Shouts erupted. Officers scrambled, some diving for cover, others drawing their weapons. The radio exploded with voices overlapping, yelling orders, demanding updates.
"Shots fired! Shots fired!"
Bobby grabbed Gabbi’s wrist, pulling her down behind the nearest truck. "Stay down!"
Her pulse roared in her ears. Adrenaline crashed through her system, hot and suffocating. She tried to process what was happening, tried to breathe, but the world had just shifted.
This wasn’t just a raid anymore.
This was a goddamn war.