Zoe’s emotions churned as she waited, her faith in Gabriel wavering amidst the uncertainty.The air inside the bank became thick with tension and frustration. The head robber paced back and forth, his irritation growing with each passing minute. Finally, unable to contain his anger any longer, he marched over to Zoe, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her to her feet."Where is he?" he snarled, his face inches from hers. "Why has your partner taken over an hour to come back?"Zoe, her eyes blazing with defiance, glared at him. "I don't know. Maybe he's negotiating for your lives right now. Maybe he's making sure you don't get yourselves killed."The head robber’s face contorted with rage. "Don’t play smart with me." He slapped her hard across the face, causing her to stumble but she quickly regained her footing and he grabbed her by the hair again. Around them, the hostages started to murmur anxiously. Fear and frustration bubbled to the surface as their hopes of rescue seemed to b
Their heated argument drew the attention of everyone around them. The inspector and other officers watched in surprise as the situation grew more volatile. "You don't understand what's at stake," Gabriel snapped."And you think you do?" Dan shot back, his voice rising.Suddenly, in a burst of anger, Dan lurched forward, his fist swinging towards Gabriel. The officers gasped in shock as the conflict spiraled out of control, adding another layer of chaos to an already dire situation.Gabriel blocked Dan's initial punch with a swift, practiced movement, his hand meeting Dan’s fist with a resounding smack. Dan's face turned pale as he stumbled back, shocked by the unexpected resistance. Gabriel stood firm, his stance calm and unyielding. Dan, refusing to back down, launched a series of reckless punches. Gabriel dodged each one effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise. Finally, with a quick maneuver, he pinned Dan to the ground, his grip firm but not injurious."Enough!" the inspe
Inside one of the vehicles, the head robber, now driving, glanced back and barked, "Tie them up properly."The robber sitting beside Gabriel and Zoe obliged, tying Gabriel's hands tightly. When he moved on to Zoe, he took his time, looping the rope around her upper body in an effort to grope her. He ogled her ample chest, leaning closer to peer down her shirt. Zoe, seething with rage, gave him a hard headbutt, sending him sprawling back against the seat.Gabriel snarled at the groper but was helpless, his hands bound. The robber attempted to retaliate, raising his hand to strike Zoe, but the head robber roared, "Enough! One more stunt like that, and you're dead!"The car jerked to a stop at a dilapidated villa, the robbers' hideout. As they approached the entrance, they were greeted by the sight of two men arguing heatedly. Suddenly, one of them pulled a knife and stabbed the other, who fell lifelessly to the ground. The robbers were momentarily distracted, providing Gabriel, who ha
Gabriel ducked behind the wall, reloading his new weapon which he had seized again. "Stay close," he instructed Zoe, his voice steady despite the tension.Zoe nodded, her eyes focused and determined. "I’ve got your back," she replied, ready to face whatever came next.As one of the three robbers fell, Gabriel and Zoe took a moment to catch their breath, the realization setting in that the worst was not over yet. They were now in control of the battlefield, but the head robber and the other two robbers still loomed ahead.Zoe’s gun clicked empty. “Damn it,” she groaned. The robber who had been lusting over her saw his chance and aimed for her heart. Gabriel, observing quickly, shielded Zoe and pushed her away, taking the bullet in his arm for her.“Gabriel!” Zoe screamed, grabbing his gun as she pulled him back to the wall they hid behind earlier. Blood was seeping from his arm, and Zoe ripped a piece of her shirt to tie around the wound, applying pressure to stem the bleeding.“You
As she pulled him to the surface, Zoe’s mind raced with a single thought: saving Gabriel. She couldn’t lose him, not after everything they’d been through. The weight of the situation pressed down on her, but her determination was unwavering.Breaking through the surface, she gasped for air, her grip on Gabriel tight. With all her strength, she swam to the edge of the pool, dragging him out of the water and laying him on the ground. The sight of his pale face and the blood seeping from his chest filled her with dread, but she refused to give in to despair.“Stay with me, Gabriel,” she whispered fiercely, beginning CPR. “You can’t leave me now.”As she worked to revive him, the world around her faded into a blur. Her entire focus was on Gabriel, willing him to breathe, to fight, to survive.Zoe bent forward, her hands trembling as she covered Gabriel’s mouth with hers, trying to get him to breathe while performing CPR. She interlaced her fingers and pressed down on his chest rhythmica
The inspector appeared, his face a mask of concern. “What’s the current state of things?” he asked, looking between Dan and Zoe.Dan explained what the doctor had said about Gabriel. “The doctor said he's stable now, but he's still unconscious.”The manager, not appeased, pointed at Zoe. “You didn’t do your job well. You ought to have protected him.”The inspector apologized for the situation and walked out with the manager, trying to calm him down. “We did everything we could under the circumstances, Mr. Harris. Gabriel's actions were his own choice.”Zoe sat down on an available bench, sighing deeply, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion.Again, Dan persisted, “Zoe, you need to change. You don't look appropriate in this wet uniform.”She shook her head, her tone final. “I don't care. I'm not leaving until he's awake.”Dan sighed, seeing there was no way he could persuade her. He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “I will stay with you…”But the inspector’s voic
Anna's eyes widened, and she let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God you’re okay, Gabriel. That sounds terrifying."Zoe took out Gabriel’s phone from her pocket. "I had your car found and I took your phone."Gabriel gasped. "Goodness, Camella must have called me." He glanced worriedly at Anna and took the phone from Zoe.Zoe started to talk, "Gabriel, you shouldn't stress yourself. Just—"He cut in, agitated, "She must be so worried about me."Zoe got curious. "She is… uh…?"He interjected, "My wife."A flicker of surprise crossed Zoe's eyes, mingled with a bit of disappointment that Anna noticed before it disappeared. Zoe then nodded, feeling a bit lost. She didn't know he was married.Gabriel started talking worriedly as he went through his call log with one hand. "Goodness. It's past 8 PM. She has called me over a hundred times."Anna assured him, "Don't worry, she will understand."He shook his head. "I don't want her to be deeply worried about me. I don’t want her to know what happe
Gabriel couldn't restrain joking. “I guess you could say that. Comes in handy sometimes.”Zoe chuckled, “I can see that. Rest now, Gabriel. You deserve all the rest you can get.”Gabriel smiled, “Thanks, Zoe. But if you're staying over to watch me, it’s not necessary.”She dismissed his words. “It’s absolutely necessary, and that’s why I’m staying over.”He was about to respond when Dan walked in. Noticing Gabriel was awake, he gave him a stern expression as he walked and stood next to Zoe.“I see you’re awake. You’re lucky. You survived two bullets,” Dan said, then added sarcastically, “Must have a guardian angel or something.”Gabriel replied with equal sarcasm, “Yeah, maybe you can borrow my angel sometime. Could use the help with your aim.”Dan bluffed, “You got a taste of what you shouldn’t have, and that’s why you’re alive.”Gabriel was dazed, arching a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”Dan muttered indirectly, “If it wasn’t for her trying to bring you to consciousness earli