Sworn to Protect, page 14
He was silent long enough for her to know he was choosing his next words carefully. “Katie, I know it’s difficult to sit and do nothing when someone you love is missing—”
“You didn’t sit and do nothing when Jordan was missing. And, you’re not sitting and doing nothing now,” she pointed out. “You’re a police officer. Even when you are off duty, you know the system and you can use it to your advantage. All I can do is pray and watch countless replays of you facing off with Martin.”
“Prayer is a lot.”
“I know, but I still feel like I should be doing something more.”
“You staying here and staying safe is the best thing you can do for your daughter,” he responded.
“What if...?” She couldn’t bring herself to ask, but Tony seemed to hear the unspoken question.
“Jordyn Rose is alive,” he said.
“We can’t know that, and that’s what is eating at me. That’s what scares me more than anything,” she admitted, her eyes hot and dry, her heart skipping beats. She felt dizzy and sick; the thought of her tiny baby dead at the hands of Martin Fisher nearly stole her breath.
“She is, Katie.”
“How can you know?”
“He had diapers in his backpack, for one.”
“And, for two?”
“He knows he will never get his hands on you if he doesn’t have the baby with him.”
“That’s what Ivy said.”
“We can’t both be wrong, can we?” he asked, and she knew he was trying to make her smile. Even now, when he was exhausted and frustrated and working every angle possible to try to find Jordyn Rose, he cared enough about her to do that.
“Yes, but I’m hoping you aren’t. I am hoping that, this time, things will have a happy ending.”
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure that happens, and that is why I called. Don’t go maverick on me, okay?”
“What do you mean?” But, of course, she knew.
He had to understand how desperate she was, how willing to do anything to get Jordyn Rose back.
“If he calls you, I want to know it. And, if he tries to get you to leave the house, stay put. We’ll trace the call and track him down. He can’t move fast with a baby in his arms.”
“He didn’t have a baby when he nearly shot you,” she said, the image of Tony diving sideways as the bullet slammed into the brick building behind him filling her head.
“That was before all the publicity. He can’t leave her where someone can hear her crying. He can’t ask someone to watch her, and he can’t waste time. The entire city is hunting for him. He’s going to contact you, Katie. And, when he does, I want you to call me immediately.”
“I will,” she agreed.
“Good. I’ve got to go. We’re going to regroup and head out to search again.”
“Be careful, Tony.”
“I will,” he said before he disconnected.
She set the phone on the bedside table, flicked off the overhead light and lay down. Ice pattered against the windows, and the hushed whisper of leaves brushing against the side of the house reminded Katie of the first winter she had spent there with Jordan.
If she had known it would be the last, she wouldn’t have worried so much about the time he spent away, she wouldn’t have resented his distracted attitude. Maybe she would have dwelled in the beauty of each moment rather than in the disappointments.
“If I could do it again, I would be more grateful,” she whispered, and she knew if Jordan had been there, he would have told her it was okay. He would have reminded her, as he often had, that no one was perfect. That they were all fallible human beings.
He would have been right, but that didn’t make her feel any better about things. Jordan was gone, and any chance she had to appreciate every part of their marriage was gone. She wouldn’t spend her life mourning that, but she wasn’t ever going to make the same mistake again.
If she got Jordyn Rose back—when she did—she would remind herself every morning that the day was a gift to be used and appreciated. Every night she would thank God for the good, the bad and every single moment in between.
“Please, Lord,” she whispered. “Let me have my baby back. Please.”
She wanted an audible answer, some sign that everything really would be okay. Instead, she felt nothing but the ache in her abdomen where Jordyn Rose had once been.
The floorboards outside the room creaked as Ivy and Alexander made their way through the apartment. She listened as the door closed and the bolt slid home. Minutes later, water ran through the pipes in the walls. She could imagine them in their apartment, making another pot of coffee as they discussed all the things they hadn’t dared say when she was nearby.
They had embraced her like one of their own, and she would never forget that.
The apartment went quiet, the old house sighing as it settled for the night. Minutes passed and then an hour, and Katie was still wide-awake.
When her phone rang, she jerked upright and grabbed it without looking at the caller ID. “Hello?” she said, and then realized that the phone was still ringing.
Surprised, she scrambled out of bed, following the sound to the overnight bag she had brought to the hospital. She set it near the closet but hadn’t unpacked it yet. The ringing stopped, then began again as she unzipped the bag, dug through the clothes and pulled out a flip phone. Not hers, but ringing.
She answered, her voice shaking. “Hello?”
“Finally, my love. You found the phone I left for you. Our daughter and I have missed you,” Martin said, the sweet cooing sound of his voice making her skin crawl. Had he accessed her bag at the hospital? Or had he somehow slipped into the apartment before she had the baby and put the phone there then?
“Is she all right?” she asked, unable to keep the desperation from her voice.
“Don’t you trust me to be a good father to our child?” he responded, the hard edge in his tone alarming her more than his sweet talk had.
“Of course, I do. It’s just... I was nursing her in the hospital, and it’s been hours since she has eaten.”
“No worries, darling. I researched everything when I was planning our escape. I got Alison the best baby formula, and she has been eating every three hours.”
“Alison?”
“It was my grandmother’s name. Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful,” she responded, because she needed to become part of his delusion if she was ever going to see Jordyn Rose again.
“I’m glad you think so. If you didn’t, I might consider another option. Although, it is the man’s right to make the decisions in the family. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, of course,” she lied.
“Have you missed me?”
“I’ve been waiting for your call,” she responded, sidestepping the question because she couldn’t make herself say that she had.
“I’m sorry if you were worried, my love. I had to wait until I was sure your guards were asleep. I saw their lights go out a while ago, but you can never tell with people like that.”
“Where are you?” she asked, running to the window and staring out into the darkness, hoping she might see him standing there with her baby.
“Not as close as I was. Now, listen carefully. I’m only going to say this once.” The steel edge was back in his tone, and she tensed, waiting for instructions and hoping she didn’t forget them.
“Are you familiar with the Queensboro Bridge?”
“Yes.” It was seven or eight miles away and spanned the East River from Long Island City to the Upper East Side in Manhattan.
“Good. We don’t have a lot of time. The city is crawling with police. But, we can do anything together. Even escape them. I hired an Uber to pick you up three blocks from your apartment. That little coffee shop where you and Jordan had your first date.”
“How do you know about that?”
“I know everything about you. Now, stop asking questions and listen! The Uber is already waiting. If you’re not there in ten minutes, something terrible might happen to our daughter.”
“There are three police officers outside. How am I supposed to get past them?”
“You’re smart. I have no doubt you’ll figure it out. I left a prepaid cell phone under a rosebush at the east corner of the parking lot. Make sure you pick it up before you get in the Uber. My contact information is already programmed in. I want you to call me as soon as the Uber leaves.”
“I will,” she said.
“Good. You’ll be dropped off a few blocks away from the bridge. Use the pedestrian walkway and meet me on the Manhattan side. Leave your cell phone at the apartment. If you have it when you get here, it won’t be a very nice trip to our new home.”
He disconnected, and she looked around the room, frantically trying to find something that would help her get past the police. She thought about telling them the truth, but she was afraid Martin might still be watching. If he saw her talking to them, he might make good on his threat to harm the baby.
She eased the door open and slipped through the hallway. She didn’t dare grab her jacket from the closet, but she had left her shoes near the front door and she slid into them. She glanced out the front window and could see the police officers sitting in their cars, engines idling as they waited for something to happen. She didn’t think she could get out the front door without being noticed.
She still had the flip phone in hand, and it buzzed as she switched directions and headed toward the back door and the deck. She glanced at the text message that had come through, her heart nearly stopping when she saw a selfie of Martin holding Jordyn Rose close to his face.
Hurry, my love. We’re waiting.
She was terrified of running out of time, but she was just as worried about leaving without letting Tony know where she was headed. She ran back to her room and grabbed her cell phone. She didn’t have time to do anything more than that. She was afraid any hesitation on her part, any slow progress on doing what Martin had demanded, and he might harm the baby. She tucked the cell phone in her pocket, shoved the flip phone in with it and eased the back door open. She was breathless and light-headed. She needed to rest, but the clock was ticking and the car was waiting. If she missed it, she would have to find another way to get to the bridge.
She managed to get out the door and down the stairs without being noticed. She headed across the yard and climbed the fence, dropping onto the neighbor’s property.
Then, with a quick prayer for protection, she darted through the yard and raced away.
* * *
Tony followed Rusty through the lower level of the apartment complex. Noah’s fiancée, Officer Lani Branson, was there to help strategize, even though she wouldn’t be working the case on the street with a K-9 partner. Lani’s request for a transfer hadn’t come through yet, but soon she’d be working with another K-9 unit in one of the five boroughs. Last month, Lani had helped capture Martin, her long blond hair and blue eyes giving her enough of a resemblance to Katie to draw Martin’s attention.
As far as everyone in the K-9 unit was concerned, Lani had proved her merit when she had gone face-to-face with the man who had murdered their chief. The team was sorry to lose her but understood why she requested a transfer.
“Rusty doesn’t seem interested in much here,” Lani said as she and Tony walked through lower level of the apartment complex for the second time. They had returned there, hoping that Martin might have done the same.
“We know Martin was here before. I was hoping he came back, and Rusty might be able to catch his scent.”
“We’re going to find him. You know that, right? He can’t stay hidden forever.”
“Maybe not, but he’s managed to do it for almost eight months.”
“He can’t do it forever,” she repeated. “We’re going to find him, and we’re going to get Jordyn Rose back.”
He glanced at Lani, grateful she was here as a kind of liaison between the police and the Jameson family. “I know,” he said.
She nodded, her expression grim but determined.
He walked outside, disappointed that Rusty hadn’t found a scent trail to follow but not ready to give up. Martin had been in the area. They knew that. Rusty was a fantastic search-and-rescue dog, and he had scent-tracked Martin enough to know he was looking for someone specific.
“Want to give it another go, Rusty?” Tony asked.
Rusty whined in response.
They crossed ice-coated grass, Tony ignoring the hail that fell on his head and shoulders. Rusty trotted beside him, head up, tail alert. He loved his job and the game it represented to him. He also loved the tug toy reward he got for a job well-done.
“Ready, boy?” Tony asked, and the Lab strained against his hold. “Find!”
Rusty darted toward the street, his lighted collar glowing orange against his dark fur. An old residential area of Queens, this neighborhood was quiet after dark. Cars lined both sides of the street, bumper-to-bumper, and gleamed in the darkness. Rusty nosed the ground near the curb, rounding one of the vehicles and then returning. He huffed deeply, stacking scents as he continued to try to locate the trail.
Trained in both urban and wilderness air scent, Rusty was one of the best in the country. When he returned to Tony’s side and began the process again, it was obvious he hadn’t been able to find a scent trail.
“Nothing?” Noah asked, striding toward him, Scotty beside him.
“I’m afraid not.”
“Same for every other team that tried.” Noah brushed ice from his hair and glanced at the house. “Is Lani still inside?”
He nodded. “I had a rookie call for the evidence team. We found the baby’s hospital identification tags in the trash.”
Noah shook his head. “I have a bad feeling about this. It’s all too well planned.”
“I agree.”
“Have you been in contact with Katie?”
“I spoke to her while we were at Griffin’s.”
“How’s she holding up?”
“About as well as can be expected. I was hoping to have some good news for her after we cleared the apartment complex.”
“I’m sorry we don’t.”
“Yeah. I’m sure we all are.” He called Rusty back to heel, frowning as his cell phone buzzed. He glanced at the text message that he had received, his heart skipping a beat when he realized it was from Katie:
At Queensboro Bridge. Meeting Martin. Can’t talk. Please hurry.
His pulse raced, his hand shaking as he swung around and darted toward his car.
“Something wrong?” Noah asked, jogging after him.
“Katie’s gone to meet Martin at the Queensboro Bridge.”
“What?”
Tony handed him the cell phone, jogged to his SUV and opened the hatchback for Rusty while Noah read the message.
“You’re not planning to rush off alone without a plan, are you?” Noah demanded.
“I’m planning to stop him before he kills someone else I care about.”
Tony closed the hatch, took his phone and rounded the vehicle.
“We need to come up with an actual plan before we move in.” Noah grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.
“Did you see the time stamp on the message? She sent it fifteen minutes ago. If we don’t get moving, we may be too late. Let me go ahead with Rusty. That way if they leave the bridge, I can follow.”
Noah hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll agree to that if you agree to this—you’re not going to let your heart get in the way of your head.”
“When have I ever done that?”
“When have you ever cared for a woman the way you care about Katie?”
“This isn’t just about Katie,” he replied, opening the driver’s door and climbing in the SUV. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have with Jordan’s brother. Not now, when there was so much riding on his getting to the bridge before Martin made his escape again.
“No. It’s not, but you know what I’m saying.” Noah put his hand on the door to keep Tony from closing it.
When Tony didn’t respond, he sighed.
“Look, this isn’t the time or the place, but for the record, whatever might happen between you and Katie, Jordan would be happy for it. If he can’t be here to take care of her and their daughter, he would want you to be the one to do it.” He closed the door, patted the hood and walked away.
Tony pulled away from the curb, keeping his speed at a reasonable pace, the icy conditions preventing him from flooring it. He refused to dwell on Noah’s words. He refused to think about how obvious his affection for Katie must be.
He hadn’t had any intention of falling for his best friend’s widow, but somehow, it had happened. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself the feelings were nothing but a product of heightened fear and stress, he couldn’t ignore the truth. He had had a soft spot for Katie from the moment he had met her. Now, that soft spot was becoming something more.
He frowned, parking the SUV two blocks from the bridge. The sleet had changed to rain, and he pulled up his hood as he got Rusty out of the back and took off his lighted collar.
There was no sense in announcing their presence before it was necessary.
His phone buzzed as he headed toward the bridge. He checked it quickly, skimming a text Noah had sent. The team was splitting. Half heading for the Queens side of the bridge. Half for the Manhattan side. Patrol officers were joining them, and they’d create barricades to prevent Martin from escaping in a vehicle.
If he showed up.
Tony had a feeling he would.
The guy had one goal and one obsession—Katie. He wouldn’t leave New York City without her.
