Gabriel stood at the edge of the old warehouse, staring at the ground like it held all the answers.
The call from Vincent Julian still echoed in his head.
"If you want to see your daughter alive and end this mess… deliver 500 pounds of cocaine to Brazil. Bring back my money. That will pay your debt, for killing my brother. If you tell anyone, even your wife, the deal is off."
Gabriel had faced many dangerous things before. But this… this was different.
It wasn't about business anymore.
This was about his daughter.
And he would do anything to bring her home.
He pulled out his phone, stared at the screen for a moment. His wife's picture was still on his lock screen, smiling, full of life. He felt guilty that he was going to leave her behind without a word and even if he did, she'd never agree to it.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Then he powered the phone off.
And the screen went dark.
No more messages. No calls. No one could reach him now. Not even her.
He was going ghost.
Right on time, a black SUV pulled up to the warehouse. Vincent's men stepped out, three of them, faces hard, eyes cold.
They didn't speak much. They opened the back of the vehicle and popped the trunk.
Inside were the packages. Neatly wrapped, sealed tight. The product was pure. Exactly what Vincent wanted.
500 pounds of cocaine.
Gabriel helped them carry it inside. Box after box, stacking them into crates for transport.
The warehouse smelled of old wood and dust, but the tension in the air was evident.
No police. No leaks. This was a private operation.
Gabriel kept his face hard pretending to be a tough guy, but deep down, he was afraid, he knew the danger was in. He hated every second of this. But he had no choice.
"You sure this is enough?" one of the men asked him.
Gabriel nodded. "It's what Vincent asked for."
The man didn't reply. He simply handed Gabriel a sealed envelope.
Inside was a contact number, an address in Brazil, and a time. Everything had to happen exactly as planned.
Gabriel tucked the paper into his jacket.
Once the loading was done, he turned to the men. "I'll handle the delivery."
They left without a word.
Gabriel locked up the warehouse and drove straight to the old airstrip on the edge of town. It hadn't been used publicly in years, but he knew someone, an old friend from darker days.
He made a call from a burner phone. "It's me. I need a plane. Tonight."
The voice on the other end paused, then replied, "Brazil?"
"Yeah. Private. No questions."
"Same hangar. Midnight. Don't be late."
Gabriel drove fast, his thoughts spinning the whole time. The moment he stepped into that plane, he was in enemy territory.
But he wasn't exactly a stranger to Brazil.
He had grown up there. He knew the streets, the hidden alleys, the safe houses. He knew the local gangs, the corrupt cops, and the back doors that people forgot existed.
If things went sideways, he had places to run.
But the price of failure… he didn't want to think about it.
By midnight, the crates were loaded onto the small private jet. No security checks. No airport lights. Just silence, moonlight, and risk.
The pilot glanced at Gabriel. "It's a heavy load."
"It's worth a fortune," Gabriel replied.
And it was. If this deal went through, Vincent Julian would become insanely rich. Richer than his brother had ever been.
Gabriel sat down in the jet, looking out of the small window as the engines fired up.
He didn't sleep.
His mind was with Bella, imagining her alone, scared, hoping for a miracle.
And with his wife, probably pacing around the house, calling his number over and over again.
He felt the guilt like a weight on his chest. But he couldn't stop now.
He had made his choice.
As the plane took off into the dark sky, Gabriel whispered to himself.
"Please hold on, Bella. I'm coming for you."
He didn't know what would happen in Brazil.
But one thing was clear.
He wasn't doing it for money.
He wasn't doing it for power.
He was doing it to save his daughter.
And if anyone tried to stop him, they'd regret it.