Sworn to Protect, page 13
He had cropped his hair short and lightened it, but he still looked like the same guy Tony had seen at church dozens of times. Only, now he wore a wild grin that made him look like the madman he was.
“Hey! This has been a fun ride, huh?” he called out, his eyes blazing in his tanned face.
“Where is my niece?” Zach shouted, taking a step toward the window, his hand on his firearm.
Tony pulled him back. “Stay cool,” he hissed. “He’s trying to rile us up. It gives him a thrill.”
“It would give me a thrill to see him locked up for the rest of his life,” Zach growled.
“That’s going to happen, but first we need to make sure the baby is in a safe location.”
“Your niece?” Martin crowed. “Is that what you think? She’s not Jordan’s baby—she’s mine.”
“Where is she?” Tony demanded, taking a step closer to the building, trying to distract him from the fact that Finn and Luke were taking their dogs around to the front.
“Not here.” He laughed coldly. “My daughter deserves better than a place like this.”
He could have been lying. It was possible Jordyn Rose was sitting in the car seat, right beside her kidnapper, but Tony had a sinking feeling he was telling the truth.
“Your daughter is a newborn. She needs to be with her mother,” he said, hoping to tap into Martin’s delusions and use them against him.
“Don’t try to play mind games with me, Knight. It won’t work, and your friends coming around the front of the apartment won’t work, either. I didn’t come here with the baby. I came because this has all been a setup. The crib. The changing table. The diapers. I knew one of you would show up here eventually, and I wanted to prove to you, once and for all, that you can’t beat me at this. Only I know the rules of the game, because I’m the one who wrote them. Now, back off before things get ugly.” He pulled a gun and pointed it straight at Tony’s head.
The guy was delusional enough to risk coming here, maybe to pick up some baby supplies. He had to know the entire K-9 unit was searching for him and Jordyn Rose and that this apartment was the first place they’d look. Martin clearly wasn’t thinking straight, and that would work in Tony’s favor.
Or it would get him killed.
“Put that down, Martin,” Tony demanded.
“I don’t think so. I think you’re going to have to make a choice—let me go or kill me. Of course, if you kill me, your precious Katie won’t ever see her baby again.”
“Katie isn’t mine,” he said, keeping his voice calm as he moved closer. Rusty was beside him, pressed against his leg and growling low in his throat. He would attempt to disarm Martin if Tony gave him the command, but there was too much risk involved in that.
“You want her to be, and I don’t like that.” Martin climbed through the window and stood with the building to his back, his gun still pointed at Tony. “She’s mine. I won’t let anyone take her from me.”
“Don’t you think she should have some say in that?” Zach asked.
“If she hadn’t been brainwashed by your brother, I might. Step back. Both of you.” He wore a backpack that was only partially zipped, a few diapers peeking out of the top of it.
Obviously, his story about coming to the apartment to prove something to the K-9 unit had been a lie. He had taken Jordyn Rose somewhere and realized he didn’t have the supplies he needed there. So, he’d risked coming here, even with the kidnapping of the baby already making the news. Martin was definitely not thinking clearly. His delusions were crowding out his ability to plan like the experienced, cold-blooded criminal he was.
“Give yourself up, Martin,” Tony said. “You can’t get away, and I don’t want to have to hurt you.”
“You wouldn’t dare hurt me. I’m the only one who knows where that little brat is. I left her alone, you know. Without someone to feed her, she’ll be dead in a day or two. At most.” He spoke with cold precision, his eyes suddenly empty of emotion.
“You call your own baby a brat?” Zach said, moving sideways, so that Martin would have more difficulty keeping them both in his field of vision.
“It’s all part of the game, Zach Jameson. I won when I played your brother. Let’s see if I win with you.” He swung his gun toward Zach, then pressed it against his own head.
“So, here is the deal, boys. I can leave, or I can die. You get to choose. Of course, if you choose me dying, the baby dies, too.”
“Back down!” someone shouted from across the street.
Tony didn’t shift his focus, but he recognized Noah’s voice.
“Good call, Chief,” Martin called, sidling past Tony, the gun still pressed to his head.
He might pull the trigger if Tony went for him.
He might not.
But, Tony wouldn’t risk Jordyn Rose’s life on a fifty-fifty shot. If Martin had come for baby supplies, the baby was still alive.
That was exactly the way Tony wanted things to remain.
He holstered his gun.
“I see you understand the rules now, Knight. Good. Maybe you won’t join your buddy in the graveyard. Don’t follow me. If I see one cop, I will pull this trigger. I’m not afraid to die.”
Dozens of onlookers had gathered and were recording on their cell phones as Martin backed away, the gun pressed to his temple, diapers sticking out of his backpack.
Tony wanted to shout that the onlookers were in a volatile and dangerous situation and they needed to leave, but he didn’t want to do anything to send Martin off the deep end.
As long as Jordyn Rose was alive, there was hope of rescuing her.
That had to be the focus and the mission.
Martin reached the street and stepped in front of an oncoming car, waving the gun at the startled driver, who swerved and jumped the curb.
Half a dozen people jumped out of the way, screaming as the car bounced toward them.
Tony ran toward the crowd, stopping when Martin shouted his name. He had already crossed the street and was standing on the corner, the gun pressed to his temple again.
“Give Katie my love when you see her. Tell her we’ll be together again soon.”
Then, before Tony could respond, Martin shifted the gun, aimed and fired in Tony’s direction.
ELEVEN
Katie had watched the video footage at least ten times.
Each time, she flinched when Martin pulled the trigger.
Each time, she expected to see Tony fall to the ground injured. Or, worse.
Each time, she prayed that someone would grab Martin before he escaped and demand that he bring them to Jordyn Rose.
But, of course, that couldn’t happen.
The video had been shot nearly ten hours ago. A bystander had sent it to a local news station, and now the entire nation knew just how delusional and dangerous Martin was. He had taunted Tony with a shot that had slammed into a building nearby. Then, he had raced through a shocked crowd of pedestrians, gun in hand, firing shots at a few people who got in his way. For the safety of the crowd that had gathered and was watching, Tony hadn’t fired in return.
And, for the safety of Jordyn Rose.
Until they knew where Martin had left her, they couldn’t risk killing him. He had known that and used it to his advantage, escaping.
Again.
They also knew that Jordyn Rose was missing, the story of her kidnapping running with the photo Tony had taken—Katie staring down at Jordyn Rose, a soft smile on her face.
It flashed up on the television screen as she scrolled through news stations, her eyes dry from too much crying, her stomach empty.
“Hun, you need to stop torturing yourself,” Alexander said, gently taking the television remote from her hand. He and Ivy were staying with her in the apartment while the rest of the Jameson men scoured the city with the NYC K-9 Command Unit. Even Carter was out searching with his German shepherd, Frosty. He had dropped his daughter off at his fiancée Rachelle’s apartment. She would be caring for Ellie until Martin was apprehended. Lani, Noah’s fiancée, a police officer awaiting the transfer she’d requested so she wouldn’t be under the command of her husband-to-be, was acting as a helpful liaison between Katie and the NYC K-9 Command Unit, sharing information even when there wasn’t much to report. Zach’s wife, Violet, was focusing on Katie and Ivy, bringing them tea and assuring them the team was out there, doing everything to find Jordyn Rose.
“I’m not torturing myself—I’m trying to find some clue as to where my daughter is.” Katie stood and walked across the room, still a little light-headed and dizzy. Her milk had come in, and she had no baby to feed, so Ivy had bought her a pump. Each time she used it, she cried.
She had cried so much, she had no tears left.
Please, God, keep her safe, she prayed as she walked to the window that looked out over the front yard. There were three police cruisers parked there, the officers in them assigned to make certain Martin didn’t come for Katie.
She wished he would.
She wished he would find a way in and take her to her daughter.
Anything would be better than waiting for something to happen.
“Sweetheart,” Alexander said, clearing his throat and putting an arm around her shoulder. “I never had a daughter, but I always thought it would be nice. I always imagined me and the boys fighting off the young studs who wanted to date her.”
“You would have done that for certain,” she said hollowly, her gaze focused on the street and the houses beyond it. Martin was smart. Would he attempt to get to her with so many guards around?
“What I’m trying to say is that I love you like the daughter I never had. I hate to see you like this, drawn and scared. Not eating. Jordyn Rose is going to need you healthy when she comes home. If you’re sick, how will you care for her?”
“I can’t eat until I know she has,” she said, because just thinking about food made her stomach churn.
“I understand, sweetheart,” Ivy said. She was in the kitchen with Violet, stirring something that smelled like beef broth. “No mother wants to eat if she thinks her child hasn’t. But, Martin Fisher is delusional. He is not dumb. He knows he can’t have you without Jordyn Rose. If he...doesn’t take good care of her, he’ll have nothing to bargain with.”
“I hope you’re right,” she said. Her heart thudded in her ears, the sound nearly drowning out the soft conversation that drifted up from the yard below. Two of the officers were chatting, their voices light and easy.
She didn’t want to resent them for that.
They were doing everything they could to protect her, and she couldn’t blame them for her sorrows.
But, she wanted a little less sadness and a little more joy. She wanted to recapture that moment when she had looked at her daughter’s face and felt as if everything in her life was working out just right.
More than anything, she wanted her daughter in her arms.
She wanted safety, security and the sense of peace that came with those things.
“I made bone broth, Katie.” Ivy cut into her thoughts. “I know you’re not keen on eating, but all you have to do is sip. It’s rich and filled with iron. Something you need if you’re going to produce enough milk for your daughter.”
“I can’t, Ivy,” she said. Just the thought of sipping something made her gag.
“Try,” Alexander said, the warmth of his tone and the sadness in his voice reminding her that she wasn’t the only one scared and grieving.
“Okay. I’ll try.”
“And, how about we turn off the television and listen to some music? I always find that to be soothing.” He took the remote and turned off the news just as another photo of Katie and Jordyn Rose flashed across the screen.
“Okay,” she agreed, because her in-laws were doing everything they could to stay strong for her, and she needed to do the same for them. Quiet music filled the room, and Katie settled in the recliner and closed her eyes, letting the soft strains of an old hymn wash over her. God knew. He understood. He was in control.
She needed to remember that.
“Here, sweetie.” Ivy pressed a mug of hot broth into her hands. “Just take little sips. You don’t want to upset your stomach.” There were shadows beneath her eyes and worry lines near her mouth. Katie imagined that, if her mother had lived, she would have looked the same.
“You have some, too, Ivy,” she said. “Sit down and rest for a while. It’s not like any of us have anywhere to go.”
Ivy smiled tiredly. “You’re right about that, and this has been a very long and exhausting day.”
“Sit down, Ivy,” Violet said gently. “I’ll get you some broth. And, how about one of those dinner rolls you brought up from the apartment?”
“Just the broth. Thank you, Violet.”
Alexander got up. “I’ll help you, Violet. I need something to do.” He followed Violet into the kitchen.
Ivy settled onto the couch, watching as Katie took a sip of the broth. “Not bad, right?”
“It’s delicious. Thank you, Ivy.”
“No thanks necessary. I’ve always loved to cook. Ellie has just started helping me in the kitchen. In a few years, Jordyn Rose will be doing the same.”
Katie nodded, swallowing another sip of broth past the hard lump of fear in her throat.
“It’s going to happen. I know it. God isn’t going to take Jordyn Rose from us. We already lost her father.”
Her voice cracked, and Katie set the mug on the side table and reached to touch her arm. “Ivy, it’s going to be okay.”
“Aren’t I the one who is usually saying that to you?”
“We all have the ability to be strong when we need to be. You’ve been strong for me dozens of times these past few months. Now, it’s my turn to be strong for you.”
“You’re a wonderful young woman, Katie. I was so happy when you and Jordan married. I didn’t think there would ever be a woman who could capture his heart enough to tug him away from his work.”
She hadn’t. Not really. Jordan had loved Katie enough to marry her, but he had been devoted to his job in a way that had not left room for much else. She felt disloyal thinking that. Jordan was gone. His life had been cut short. She wanted to celebrate the love they had shared rather than dwell on the things they hadn’t.
“Your family has been a blessing to me. I don’t know what I would have done without you these last few months.”
“You would have been just fine.”
“Maybe, but I’m glad I didn’t have to find out,” she said, taking another sip of broth because she didn’t want Ivy to see the tears in her eyes.
The Jamesons had taught her valuable lessons about family and loyalty and faith. And, no matter what Ivy said, she really didn’t think she could have made it through the last nine months without them.
“Tony has been a tremendous help to you, as well,” Ivy said as Violet handed her a bowl of broth. “Thank you, dear,” she said to Violet.
Katie smiled at Violet, then turned back to their mother-in-law. “Yes. He has.”
“He’s a wonderful person. Warm. Caring. Loyal. All the things a young—”
“Ivy, now isn’t the time,” Alexander interrupted, coming into the kitchen, carrying a small plate with two buttered rolls on it.
“What?” Ivy responded. “I’m simply pointing out some of the good things in our lives to distract us from thinking about the bad.”
“I don’t think anything could distract me from thinking about the fact that Jordyn Rose has been kidnapped,” Katie said, taking her still-full cup to the sink and rinsing it out. “I think I’ll go lie down. If you two don’t mind?”
“Of course not. We’ll be here if you need anything.”
She nodded, bending to kiss Ivy’s cheek. “You two should get some sleep, too.”
“We will,” Alexander assured her. He seemed relieved that she was going to her room. She couldn’t blame him. She probably seemed ready to shatter.
She was ready to shatter.
Again.
Only, this time, she wouldn’t let herself. As horrible as the situation was, as terrified as she felt, she had to come up with a plan to get her daughter back.
She went into the kitchen to thank Violet and give her a hug. Violet’s cell rang—Rachelle checking in on how Katie was doing. Violet squeezed Katie’s hand and assured Rachelle that Katie was holding up.
Barely, Katie thought as she finally went into her room.
Her cell phone rang, and she closed the door quickly, hoping it was Martin. Praying it was him.
“Katie?” Tony said, his voice nearly drowned out by the sound of traffic rushing by.
“Are you guys still outside?” she asked, glancing at the window and the icy rain that had begun to fall a few hours ago.
“I am standing outside of Griffin’s Diner. You know the place?”
“Yes. Jordan took me there a few times when we were dating. He said it was the place to hang out if you were part of the K-9 Command Unit. I heard it was closing this month.”
“Next week. The owner, Lou, called the precinct to let us know he was staying open late during our search so we could stop in and warm up.”
“That was nice of him.”
“He’s a nice guy, but that’s not why I called. I wanted to check in and see how you were doing.”
“I’m okay.”
“I wish I believed that.”
“I’m not okay,” she corrected. “But, I’m not going to break down again.”
“There isn’t anyone who would judge you if you did,” he said, his gentle tone reminding her of the way it had felt to be wrapped in his arms, to have his lips brush her forehead and cheek and mouth.
For the first time in as long as she could remember, she had felt like she was home.
“I’m not worried about being judged,” she said, her voice raspy and her throat raw from all of the tears she had shed. “I’m worried about being strong enough to get my daughter back. Breaking down isn’t going to help me do that.”
