Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) Read online

  “She’s…she’s…” Her mind was whirling wildly, unable to say much. She was standing unmoved, glancing around guardedly. She finally saw Eva and Ian crossing the walkway by the administrative building, and she called out frantically.

  “Eva!” she practically screamed. Allworth watched her, outright stunned. Eva and Ian followed the sound and saw Gabrielle across the way. They immediately knew something was amiss. They walked in a fast pace toward her and when they reached her, she fell in Eva’s arms.

  “Eva, something is terribly wrong. Arielle is nowhere to be found. I was to wait for her here,” she made a hand gesture pointing where she stood a few seconds ago. Her fear was intensified, and her voice came out in a soft whimper. “She never went to the lecture.”

  “But…but I watched her go inside,” Eva said astoundingly.

  “She did, for a very short moment, and then she left. She seemed to have forgotten something.” They all turned to follow the voice. Allworth was still standing there, watching them with an analyzing expression on his face.

  “Oh, no!” Eva murmured, pressing her index fingers against her lips. She shot a glance at Ian, unable to hide her agitation.

  “Is the car still in the parking lot?” Ian asked Gabrielle.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t check,” Gabrielle replied.

  “Let me go and check. She may have had to…” He didn’t finish his sentence; he just darted toward the parking lot. He found the car, but where the hell was Arielle? Ian frowned, trying to put his thoughts in order, and bit back an oath. He turned his head and took a quick glance around, scanning the surroundings cautiously. He then walked around the car slowly, and putting his face against the window, he peered inside, puzzled. Nothing seemed to be out of place. He pulled on the door handle and gaped in astonishment. The car was unlocked. Well, he thought to himself, that is a bit strange. He had had several conversations with Sebastian in the past about leaving expensive cars unlocked. Sebastian was adamant about locking his car and promoted his opinion to his friends. Ian winced at the thought and gave a last hopeful scan around the parking lot, wishing that he would catch sight of Arielle.

  He dug into his jean pocket and, pulling out his mobile, he pressed Arielle’s number. He listened very carefully, using his immortal ability, and caught an unusual faded sound coming from somewhere around him. Surprise shot right through him mixed with intensity. He opened the car door, but the noise was not coming from inside. He closed the door, and his body moved slightly toward the front of the car. By that time, the noise had stopped, and Arielle’s voice mail picked up.

  He ended the call and pressed her number again. This time, he followed the noise carefully, and his eyes focused on the ground right below the passenger side. He dropped down on one knee, placed one hand against the car with the other on the ground, and lowered the upper part of his body to peer underneath. His jaw dropped at the sight and cold fingers crawled down his spine. Arielle’s mobile was flashing with each vibration, and books were spread across the ground. He found himself in utter shock. It seemed like they had been pushed under the car purposely in an attempt to conceal them from clear view.

  Ian pressed his eyes shut in pure frustration. A loud explicit oath escaped his lips and a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He raked his fingers through his thick hair, and for the first time, the realization that Arielle was in danger slipped through his skin, saturating every part of his body. He examined the area in a puzzled haze one more time, but everything seemed peaceful, not a hint of a fight outside the car. But what about her books and her mobile? Who shoved them under the car? And why? Where in the world was she? It had been over an hour since the last time he saw her walking into the auditorium. Rising to his feet, he took another careful look around the parking lot and, releasing his strong immortal ability, he tried to sense the presence of another immortal. He was thinking that Annabel may have something to do with this, but nothing there indicated that that was the case.

  After a few more seconds had passed in absolute silence, he decided to head back. He reached underneath and scooped up her mobile. He then gathered her books one at a time. The blood froze in his veins when he lifted the last book. Arielle’s gold amulet and the car keys were obscured beneath it. He picked them up and couldn’t help shuddering at the thought that she was out there with no protection at all. Tons of questions clattered his brain. How did she lose it? Was she forced? But if she had it on and she was touched, she would have been protected. What happened to her? How did the amulet end up on the ground? Did the person that took her use a gun? Oh, my God! Where is she? He put her mobile and the keys in his pocket, clutching the amulet in one hand and her books in the other. With a few large strides, he crossed a couple of grassy quads and reached the front of the auditorium just as it started to drizzle. He saw that Paul and Loren had joined Eva and Gabrielle, and they were standing in a close huddle. Professor Allworth was still there, interested in Arielle and her whereabouts.

  “You do know that she couldn’t be harmed, right?” Allworth said emphatically. Every head snapped his way.

  “What?” Gabrielle muttered.

  Allworth raise an eyebrow. “The necklace…of course,” he added in a hopeful declaration, giving them a meaningful glance and gesturing at his own pendant that was exactly the same as Arielle’s.

  Gabrielle opened her mouth to say something, but she quickly changed her mind. She stared at him, letting his words resonate through her mind. He was right. Arielle was wearing her necklace. Hope sparked in her eyes and, silently, she nodded in a perceptive way until they heard Ian’s shattered voice.

  “Do you mean this necklace?” he asked as he reached the group, raising his hand and letting the chain dangle from his middle finger.

  They all paled at the sight of the pendant. Shocked gasps escaped the group and Allworth appeared mortified. Arielle was not just his student; she was a fellow member of his secret society. Protecting the safety of their fellow members was the number one law in the society book of governs.

  “Do you think that they used a gun?” Eva said uneasily. “They don’t have to touch her to hurt her.”

  “Let’s hope that this is not the case,” Allworth said calmly.

  “We need to call Sebastian,” Loren said. Shock spread across every face, as the thought of Sebastian had escaped the equation for a short while.

  A sick feeling settled in the bottom of Gabrielle’s stomach. “Oh, God,” she whimpered.

  “Where in the devil could she be?” Ian muttered, eyes drifting over his friend’s troubled faces. “It couldn’t be Annabel, because I didn’t smell the scent of an immortal around the car,” he furthered.

  “Oh, God…Oh, God…” Gabrielle’s voice trailed.

  Eva pressed Sebastian’s number on her mobile.

  Chapter 5

  SEBASTIAN AND TROY had left Arielle and Gabrielle right after Sebastian received Madeline’s call. They moved in an intense stillness. The silence did very little to cloak the severe alarm in their expressions. Troublesome matters were burning through their brains.

  “He must have something important in his hands,” Troy finally broke the quiet.

  Sebastian gave him a quizzical glance. “I can’t envision anything better than the photos we already have,” Sebastian said flatly.

  “I guess you’re right.” Troy flicked his glance back on the road. “There must be something important, though. He wouldn’t be asking you to meet him right away, otherwise,” he muttered.

  “You may have a point at that. I just don’t hold my breath when it comes to Dylan. He had ample time to deal with the lowlifes after Nathan and I handed them over,” he said thoughtfully. “But we’re not going to make the same mistake again. We’ll have to handle this our way,” he spurted.

  “What made you bring in the Interpol to begin with?’ Troy asked curiously.

  “I never did. The security team contacted them when the goons broke into the vault at the h
eadquarters building in London. They couldn’t contact me, because my phone was off. It was during the time Arielle was hospitalized after Savanna tried to kill her during her birthday party. You do remember that, don’t you?” he asked Troy, sending him a quick glance.

  “How can I ever forget something like that?” Troy snorted.

  “Well, I turned my mobile off, because I spent a lot of time by Arielle’s side in the hospital. When finally Nathan found me, it was too late. Interpol had already assigned two agents to the case. So we had to play along.”

  “Apparently,” Troy snorted again.

  Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Pulled into a visitor’s spot in front of the huge building. Walked through the glass front doors and crossed the lobby in large strides, taking the elevator to Dylan’s office. Exited into the receptionist area and the elevator doors closed behind them with a weak click.

  Immediately, they noticed Dylan standing in front of his secretary’s desk reaching out for a large brown envelope. He turned at the sound of the elevator doors and smiled courteously, acknowledging them politely.

  “Sebastian, Troy, thanks for coming.” He strolled toward them, holding an extended hand out to both of them. He then turned, gave his secretary a nod and a reassuring smile, and directed them into his office.

  “Please sit,” he said, gesturing at two large leather chairs, while he took a seat behind his enormous desk.

  “So what’s up, Dylan?” Sebastian asked evenly. Dylan seemed to twirl a pen between his fingers tensely, as he glanced between Sebastian and Troy, and dragged in a long breath.

  Sebastian raised an eyebrow, while Troy appeared cloaked in quiet anticipation.

  “Well?” Sebastian asked again, eyes narrowed.

  “Sebastian, I have information right here.” He lifted the brown envelope from his desk and shook it lightly. “The boys from Belarus are on the way to Brighton. They are what the Mafia calls the execution squad.”

  Sebastian read the significance in Dylan’s voice. He cocked his head to one side, and his eyes focused on it. Dylan followed his gaze and, leaning over his desk, he handed it to Sebastian.

  “Take a look at this,” he said blankly, and resting his elbows on his desk, he watched Sebastian vigilantly.

  Sebastian took it and stared at the name hand printed in black ink. Sebastian Gaulle

  “Where did you receive this?” he asked Dylan, still staring at down at the cover.

  “I had set up surveillance on a group of young criminals known to deliver extortion letters for money. A couple of my agents followed one of them carrying this,” he said, pointing to the envelope in Sebastian’s hands. “My agents had no idea who the thugs had targeted this time around. But they had strict orders from me to confiscate each and every package and bring it to me. They noticed the young lad creeping up to the front door of your building, acting completely out of place, and they apprehended him.” He took a deep breath and rose to his feet. He walked slowly around his desk, never taking his eyes off the envelope, and stood in front of Sebastian and Troy. He leaned against his desk, crossed his feet at the ankles, and pointed at the name on the top of it with his index finger.

  “As you can tell, he was on his way to your office.” Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he remained silent, waiting anxiously for Sebastian to lift the flap and inspect the contents.

  Sebastian broke the shield and pulled out a handful of photographs, along with a piece of paper folded in two. He scanned through the photos carefully. Most of the photos were taken while Arielle was alone at various locations and going about her daily routine around Brighton. He stared at each one of them for a very long time and then passed them on to Troy, pressing his lips into a thin line. Anger grew and grew, spreading across every muscle in his body while anxiety gripped him by the throat, making it difficult for him to breath. Photo after photo displayed Arielle at the store, at the cleaners, at the beauty salon, or walking on campus with her friends. He was astounded to see one photo taken while she was with her father in her parents’ garden. What in the world? he thought to himself.

  One thing was very clear. They were watching Arielle twenty-four hours a day every day. He was not surprised about the photos. What he was surprised about was that these photos didn’t include any of Arielle’s male friends or Sebastian. Why was that? He shook his head in frustration. He then flipped open the single piece of paper and groaned through clenched teeth. The note was typed in caps.

  “GAULLE, THIS IS OUR ONE AND FINAL DEMAND.

  YOU MUST RELINQUISH ALL THE DOCUMENTS AND DESIGNS OF THE NEW IIRL PRODUCTS.

  YOU HAVE FIVE HOURS TO ARRANGE AND COMPLY.

  WE WILL CONTACT YOU AT THE END OF THE FIVE HOURS WITH THE PLACE AND TIME TO MEET.

  YOU MUST COME ALONE AND UNARMED. DO NOT TRY TO BE A HERO IF YOU CARE ABOUT THIS GIRL.

  OUR INSTRUCTIONS ARE TO BE FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER. ANY DEVIATION WILL COST YOU DEARLY.

  THERE WILL BE NO EXTENTIONS TO THESE DEMANDS OR RENEGOTIATIONS.”

  “You have got to be kidding,” Sebastian breathed, setting his mouth in a hard line.

  “What is it?” Dylan and Troy ask simultaneously.

  “It’s an extortion note,” he replied shocked. He passed the note to Troy, who read it carefully and handed it to Dylan, utterly mortified.

  “Sebastian,” Dylan said quietly after reading the note. “This clearly tells me that the goons that are here already have their orders to move on with the abduction. The five hours are up. Arielle’s life is on the line!” he emphasized.

  Fury coursed through Sebastian’s body and settled deep into his bones. His eyes moved to Dylan, but his expression gave nothing away. He was determined to handle this problem the immortal way. He wanted it over and done with. He didn’t want to have to deal with this issue ever again. These people had absolutely no idea who they were messing with.

  His mind was now far away from Dylan’s office. He was already thinking about the immortal friends he needed to gather to end this mess. Troy’s friends from Italy, his friends from France, Ian and Eva, Loren and Troy, Christian, Isabella, and himself made a total of thirteen fearless, unbreakable immortals who could take down a whole army with no problem at all. He was ready to attack the goons and their bosses, and at that thought, he realized that his anger was fueling the fire burning deep in his gut.

  “I want to set up a security team around Arielle and your friends,” Dylan furthered, interrupting Sebastian’s runaway thoughts. Sebastian gazed up at him again and smiled politely.

  “You really don’t need to do that, Dylan. I already have private security providing the required protection,” he said stiffly.

  Dylan frowned and, pushing away from his desk, he interlaced his fingers on his back and started to pace across the floor thoughtfully. Silence stretched for an uncomfortably long moment, and finally, Dylan stopped in front of Sebastian, watching him cautiously. “I still think you’ll need police officers in case something happens,” Dylan insisted. Sebastian’s expression remained indecipherable.

  “If something happens, my security officers will call the police for assistance. However, right now we are okay,” Sebastian replied in a clipped tone.

  Dylan shook his head in disapproval. He opened his mouth, determined to insist on protection, but taking in Sebastian’s expression, he decided against it. “Okay, Sebastian, I don’t seem to be able to convince you. However, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

  Sebastian glanced at Troy, giving him a meaningful look, and they both stood up at the same time. Sebastian put all the photos inside the envelope and handed it back to Dylan, forcing a smile. “Thank you, Dylan. I promise to let you know if I need help.” Dylan smiled kindly and shook hands with both of them.

  “I want you, Arielle, and your friends safe,” he called out, as Sebastian and Troy walked out of his office, heading for the elevator.

  Arielle’s concerned face from this morning loome
d over Sebastian’s thoughts. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered. The thought of Arielle abducted and imprisoned made his muscles tremble, and he suddenly struggled to breathe.

  Troy turned to face him. “What is it?”

  “I wonder where Jorrit’s man are at this moment. Are they waiting for her to be alone? Will I be able to get to her before they do?”

  “Sebastian, we are going back. I am sure Arielle is fine.”

  He let out a deep sigh and nodded. There were so many things he wanted to tell her. He had to let her know that the bad guys were in Brighton and she was in danger.

  For over a week now, Jorrit’s shady goons had set up surveillance and monitored every move in Arielle’s daily routine. They had spent hours upon hours doing a mind-numbingly dull job successfully. They had taken hundreds of photos and surreptitiously determined her every move without being seen.

  They paid attention to each detail, such as which route she took to school, which places she frequented, who she talked with, and what she liked to do.

  Each morning, they began by following her while she drove to campus, interacted with her friends, and ran her daily errands after class. They ended their surveillance after Arielle went home for the day. They knew every little thing about her routine. They never allowed themselves to be distracted and never took unwarranted chances. This was an assignment that they couldn’t fail.

  They had been waiting for Jorrit to give them the approval to move in and kidnap her. Two days ago they received that call and had taking all the necessary steps to accomplish the task. Now they looked forward to that single magical moment that she would be alone and give them the ability to snatch her away.

  What was becoming extremely frustrating was the fact that ever since they had received the approval, they hadn’t been able to find Arielle without people around her. She was always with one or more of her friends. Something subtle had changed in her everyday routine, but they couldn’t figure out what that something was.