Free Gabriel's Revenge (The Adventures of Gabriel Celtic Book 2) by J.T. Lewis

seeming uneasy in the swarm of people.
    “Allen,” Gabriel said evenly as a greeting, still scanning the mob around him. After a few moments he lifted his pack before looking back at Allen.
    “Let’s get out of here.”
    Allen led the way back to the car, the August heat hitting him in the face like a wall as they exited the building. They walked into the parking garage in silence as Allen hit the button to unlock the SUV.
    Lifting the hatch, Gabriel threw his pack into the back and moved around to the passenger seat. Closing the hatch, Allen kept his feet planted while Gabriel got into the seat and closed the door.
    Shaking his head with confusion, Allen headed for the driver’s seat.
    “Hope this wasn’t a mistake,” he thought to himself before opening the door and strapping himself in for the drive home. “This could be a long drive.”
    Chapter 18
    August 21, 1998
     
    Walking into the main terminal building, I saw Allen up ahead trying to find me in the crowd. As I approached, he glanced at me, and then continued scanning the other faces as they passed…he doesn’t recognize me!
    Thinking about it as I stopped beside him, I realized that I probably looked different enough to confuse him; he hadn’t seen me in over a year after all. Dropping my pack on the floor, I watched my old friend for a few moments as he checked his watch and then pulled out the telegram I had sent from Peru.
    He had gained weight, which he always did when his stress levels were high, indicating to me that things had not been going well lately. Another surprise was the gray in his hair, quite a bit more than when I had left, and one more indication that his job had been stressful lately. I didn’t envy him, dealing with both the law and the politics involved in government. But I had always respected him for taking the job, and doing it well. Somebody had to do it, and he was very good at what he did.
    “Ready to go?” I said, watching him turn in surprise at the sound of my voice. Looking me over top to bottom, he seemed unable to fathom that the man standing before him was the one he had been waiting for. Finally a hint of recognition seemed to show in his eyes as he held out his hand toward me.
    “Hello Gabriel,” Allen said in greeting.
    I took his hand, but suddenly noticed again the throng of people around me, putting me instantly on edge. Will I ever get used to being around humanity again?
    “Allen,” I finally said, realizing I hadn’t acknowledged his greeting. Picking up my pack, I am ready to leave, uncomfortable in my surroundings.
    “Let’s get out of here,” I said with maybe a little too much force. Allen nodded his head before turning on his heel to lead me out of the building. I felt better immediately as we exited the building and the hot fresh air surrounded me, inhaling deeply the first un-recycled unconditioned air I had experienced that day.
    We remained silent as we headed to the car. Arriving at his vehicle, Allen used his remote to unlock it, and I stowed my pack in the back before entering my seat. I was reminded of my seatbelt only after seeing Allen buckle his, having not used one since being below the equator.
    We backed out and headed down the ramp, maneuvering left and right, up and down in a confusing journey toward the ticket booth. Quiet reigned until we got on the interstate, where I spent a few moments watching the scenery go by before looking over at Allen.
    “So, what have you got so far?”
    Seeming lost in thought, Allen seemed surprised for a moment at the sound of my voice before launching into a bare bones description of the case….Frank’s case.
    “Frank was found on the ground beside his car by a Sheriff’s Deputy on June 7 th . We figured heart attack, he was in his fifties, so not unheard of, even though he was in great shape. We almost let it go at that, until Staples noticed in the pictures that his coat had been laying over him like it was being used for a blanket. I