“Use Mikey’s raincoat for his scent,” he directed. He wasn’t the highest-ranking officer there but took charge anyway. “Abernathy followed the trail outside to the intersection. The scent ended there, and I’m afraid that likely means the kidnapper had a ride waiting for him. We need to divide up the city, searching quadrant by quadrant.”
“Done,” Carter Jameson agreed, concern darkening his eyes. “You’re taking charge of this operation, so let us know where you want everyone to go.”
A feeling of helplessness washed over him. The two men who’d taken Cocoa and now Mikey could be anywhere in the massive city of New York. He hoped and prayed that concentrating on the Queens borough was the right thing to do. It made sense to him that these guys must be staying somewhere close by. Especially considering how frequently they’d been striking out at Eva and those around her.
Carter pulled out a map of Queens and spread it on the table. Finn bent over it, concentrating on the best strategy. “I’d like to take Forest Hills, since that’s where a lot of the incidents took place.” He glanced up at the three officers surrounding him. “Carter, I’d like you to take Rego Park. Reed, maybe you and Jessie could take Corona.”
“You want me and Rusty to take Elmhurst?” Tony Knight asked. “Those are the three closest areas to where we are now. Assuming that the bad guys are smart enough to stay away from Jackson Heights, since that’s where our headquarters is located.”
“Sure, although I’d like officers to stay around here, too. Griffin’s is the location of the crime, so we can’t ignore it.” There was so much ground to cover, and the bad guys had a vehicle to go wherever they wanted. Yet by his estimation and, apparently, the others as well, these were the most logical places to start. When more officers arrived, he doled out more assignments until they had pretty much an entire circle around Pete’s place and Griffin’s covered. Between searching and putting out the Amber Alert, he thought they had a good chance of getting Mikey back soon.
The alternative was unthinkable.
“Eva, stay here at Griffin’s for a while, I’ll check in with you if I find anything,” he said as he prepared to leave.
“No. I’m coming with you.” The stubborn thrust of her chin and steely determination in her eyes made him groan. There wasn’t time to argue. He wanted to hit the streets now, before too much time had passed.
Each minute would feel like a lifetime to a three-year-old child.
“Fine,” he capitulated, unwilling to waste another second. “Let’s go.”
Eva nodded. She accompanied him outside as they hurried back to his SUV. The drive to Forest Hills took longer than he wanted, but his gut told him that these two men would be staying someplace close. They’d accosted Eva near the preschool and at the training center, both located in Forest Hills. This was the place he knew instinctively they’d be found.
“This is all my fault,” Eva said in a low, tortured tone. “I never should have taken my eyes off Mikey, not for a second.”
“It’s my fault for suggesting we go to Griffin’s in the first place,” he countered in a grim tone. “I thought we’d be safe surrounded by so many cops. Stupid to assume any such thing.”
Eva shook her head. “I’m the one responsible for watching over Mikey in Pete’s absence.” She pulled out her cell phone. “I need to call him again, before he hears about it on the news.”
Knowing the Amber Alert would go out on the local news and possibly be picked up by the national networks, he nodded. This time she reached Pete, who’d tried to call her earlier, but she must have missed his call while in the noisy diner. Listening to her side of the conversation, it was easy to hear the alarm in Pete’s voice after Eva explained what had happened.
“I can’t believe they kidnapped my son!”
“I’m so sorry, Pete. I failed you and Mikey.” Eva’s voice grew thick with tears.
“Ask for permission for a drug-sniffing K-9 to search his house,” he whispered. Finding the missing package would be the best way to negotiate with Mikey’s kidnappers.