"Now we practically have free reign of this place." Max adjoined, sneaking up behind them, and startling Manda half to death. Needless to say, she was not happy about that. "Only one guard to watch out for, and we know where he's headed. Martin, lead us to the garage. We need to intercept him before he brings the car around for Angoli."

In reply, Martin pointed towards the distant lights of an automobile as it pulled up to the front doors of the main house. "I think it's too late for that. It must have taken longer to sedate this guy than we thought. The car's already pulled around to the front." With that said, he began a crouched run across the yard towards the front doors. The pain in his ankle slowed his course and the others quickly overtook him, as they hid by the side of the house.

Their rush to the car competed with Angoli's own haste. He stood at the front steps of his colossal entryway with Ess clutched close to him as the Town Car stopped; and did not wait for the guard to come around to open the door for him. He shoved Ess unkindly into the car, and quickly entered inside himself, while the guard loaded the bags into the trunk.

Angoli's aggressive actions towards Ess displayed his obvious anger and frustration with the woman. She must have been giving him quite a challenge. Max would have been pleased to observe that she had stood up for herself, but at that moment he only felt the desperate need to detach Angoli's claws from the angel that was Ess, and to tear him limb from limb.

Max rose to make a dash towards the car, but Roden and Martin both anticipated him. They each grabbed an arm to hold him back. "You can't just run headlong towards the enemy. That guard has a gun, and Angoli is probably armed, too." Martin tried to reason in a harsh whisper.

"They are leaving, damn it." Max tried to persuade with his own reasoning. "If we don't stop them now, he'll take her god-only-knows-where."

Martin and Roden just looked at each other, neither knowing what to do next. "For god's sake, we have to stop them now." Max reached in his belt for the gun, and jumped from the bush that hid the intruders from view. This time, his companions were not fast enough to stop him.

It was too late, however. They had hesitated too long, and the car began to speed away. Max sprinted as fast as his legs could propel him to catch up with the vehicle, but it was a fool's exertion. Again, Ess slipped through his fingers. Again, he blamed himself . . . And again, he could have killed Martin.

* * *

"Sir, I think someone is following us?"

"What?" Angoli turned towards the rear window to see for himself. "Damn it. That looks like Max."

At that, Ess jumped in her seat and turned for a better look. Angoli pulled her ungraciously back into a forward facing position as they continued out of the drive. "Please buckle your seatbelt, my dear. I worry for your safety." His words were back to their condescending coolness. "John, how many men are on the property?"

"Just one, sir. The new guy." John the guard replied. "Owen and the others went back to the preserve per your orders."

"Call the 'new guy' and tell him to detain the intruder. Then, contact Owen and tell him to return with his men to the estate and take care of Max - and the others, too, if they're with him. We can't risk him getting any closer."

"Don't you dare!" Ess cried out. She wished she had been this gutsy earlier in the day.

"Dare what, my dear?" Angoli gave her a haughty glare. He couldn't overcome the fact that Ess actually tried to challenge him.

"Leave Max alone." Ess demanded, then attempted to reason. "He's your son."

John glanced back through the rear view mirror while waiting for the newbie to answer the phone, interested in the gossip from the back seat.

"I do not care what happens to Max. I see him only as an obstacle at this point. He just keeps getting in my way, and it's time to get him out from under my feet." The fine layer of calm became thinner and thinner as Angoli found himself needing to explain his intentions to this woman beside him. He'd never had to explain himself to anyone before, and he preferred to see Ess simply as a possession. As far as he was concerned, she needed a lot of breaking-in to make her into the woman of his dreams. She looked the part, but her tenacious attitude did not suit his wishes.

"Sir, I'm not getting an answer from headquarters. The new guy may be walking the property. I'll contact Owen immediately."

"Fine. Just get us to the airport quickly." A tinge of desperation made it to his voice, and Ess didn't miss it.

She sat with her arms crossed and looked at the headrest in front of her, feeling herself becoming even more disgusted with her captor as the moments passed. Her one consolation was that this man could not possibly drag her through the airport without causing a scene. She would not participate in his little charade. When they reached security, she fully intended to make her situation known.

The only thing she couldn't understand, though, was how this man could possibly think he'd be able to get her on a plane without drawing attention. A slight fear that he may have a way then rooted itself inside of her. Still, Ess knew she had to keep her guard up and continue to look for any prospect of escape. The drive to the airport had to be a long one from Angoli's estate, so she had ample time to think and to continue to amp herself up for the possibilities ahead.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Roden heaved his out-of-shape lungs, as he hurriedly made his way to a rather defeated looking Max. Max himself tried to catch his breath as he kneeled on the ground where he had collapsed from his effort to catch up with the car.

"Max," Roden rasped, "Max, come on now. You've got to get a hold of yourself." He slapped him on the back, while practically doubling over with the painful cramps that pierced his own sides.

In the distance, Martin limped up the drive. Manda moved ahead of him, after refusing to help him along. Max got himself up after a few very deep gulps of air, and let Roden lead him back towards the house. When they reached Manda, she posed the question that was on all of their minds, "What now?"

"Well," Max reasoned between breaths, "we need to follow them. We don't know where they are heading, so we can't let them get too far ahead."

"We need to go get the car." Roden felt a pang of excitement at the idea.

"Hold on, hold on," Martin exclaimed as he finally hobbled up to them. "It'll take too long to get back to Roden's car. We have access to some vehicles that are much closer." They gave him a wary appeal to continue. "Angoli has cars in the garage. The keys are hanging in the guards' cottage. It would get us going much faster, and the gas tanks are undoubtedly full."

True, Roden's car had very little gas left in it, and Angoli's cars were much closer, but Roden cringed at the thought of deserting his car where he had parked it. He already nearly lost it once, and to the same man who was telling him to leave it behind now. But, time was of the essence. They had to go at once.

"Fine, fine," Roden begrudgingly agreed, "let's go get the keys."

"You get the keys," Martin replied, "I'm going to run into the house and get some bandages, and maybe some ice. My leg hurts like a mother f - ".