Chapter Twelve

 

 

Autumn’s stomach grumbled as she and her mom stopped at a red light not far from their house. She reached out to turn on the radio and switched to her favorite pop station, pre-game jitters dancing around in her belly, adding to the hunger. “Can we stop somewhere on the way to the park? I’m starving.”

From behind the wheel, her mom shot her an irritated look. “Why didn’t you eat before we left the house?”

“There was nothing to eat.”

Her mom made a frustrated sound before focusing back on the road and proceeding through the intersection now that the light was green. “Right. There weren’t three different kinds of yogurt in the fridge that you asked me to buy the other day, or five different kinds of fruit, or bread, cheese and cereal. Or a big jar of peanut butter in the pantry. You know what that’s called? Laziness.”

Autumn stemmed the urge to roll her eyes and didn’t say anything. Her mom had eyes in the back of her head, so Autumn knew better than to try it.

“There’s a Subway on the way,” her mom finally said in a ticked-off tone that rang with annoyance. “I’ll stop this time. But don’t make a habit of this. From now on you can take ten minutes and make yourself something before we leave the house. You’re old enough to feed yourself a snack, at least.”

“Fine,” Autumn said on a dramatic sigh, secretly pleased that she’d gotten a Subway out of the deal. Then she changed the subject. “Is Dad coming to the game?”

Her mom’s mouth pinched, just like it did every time Autumn brought him up. It was weird to think they’d ever been married, because Autumn sure couldn’t remember them being together. Even now when they talked, all they did was argue, though usually by text or email. “I would imagine so. And Max said he’d try to come by if his meeting finished up in time, too.”

Autumn didn’t care whether Max showed up or not, she only cared whether her dad did. Her mom’s boyfriend was nice enough, and so was his house, but the truth was, Autumn resented having to share her mom with anyone. She didn’t like having to follow all the rules he set just because she and her mom were living in his house. Though again, she didn’t say it aloud. Her mom was really protective of him. “So I’ll go with Dad straight after the game’s over?”

“Yes.”

Awesome. She was super excited about him coming to watch this afternoon. He was gone so much for work, and that meant he missed a lot of the games.

Practices, she didn’t care about him not being there, but for games she did. Her fielding was still iffy because she wasn’t that good with her new glove yet, but her arm was getting better each game and last time she’d even gotten a base hit. She loved it when he was sitting there in the stands, cheering her on. On the opposite side of the field from where her mom sat, but Autumn didn’t mind that. Plus, she had the sleepover to look forward to after.

She loved hanging out with her dad, just the two of them. He’d take her out to eat right after the game, then they’d go home to his place and watch a movie together or play cards or a board game. Sometimes he’d make them popcorn or root beer floats, and he didn’t make her take a shower or bath until the morning. She also loved her bedroom there. He’d let her pick out the paint color and comforter set, and let her arrange all the furniture the way she wanted. At Max’s house, everything had been picked out for her, and she had to keep it perfectly clean or she got in trouble.

Autumn smiled to herself, already looking forward to tonight. Maybe her dad would make her chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. He barely ever burned them anymore. And he’d totally be up for going to the park tomorrow for a game of catch, help her break in her glove more.

The traffic was bad, making her mom uptight, but Autumn didn’t mind the delay because it gave her more time to listen to the music. A few minutes later her mom slowed the Lexus and pulled into the turning lane next to a strip mall. Autumn spotted the Subway sign immediately, over in the corner.

Her mom steered into the lot and parked out front of the shop. “What do you want?” Her tone was a little short, but that was probably because they were running behind with the traffic, and this unexpected stop had added time her mother hadn’t been anticipating. Her mom hated being late, said it was rude.

Autumn was quick with her order. “Six inch turkey on whole wheat, with mustard and mayo. A little lettuce, no tomato.” Disgusting things. “And a chocolate milk. Please,” she added politely.

Her mom’s expression softened at the show of manners and appreciation. “Okay, wait here.” She shut off the engine and started to pull the keys out of the ignition, which would kill the radio.

Autumn shot out a hand to stop her. “No, wait! This is my favorite song.”

“Ugh, fine.” Her mom dropped her hand from the keys and left them in the ignition. “I’ll be right back, but lock the doors when I get out.”

Don’t roll your eyes. Her mom was so insanely overprotective sometimes. “Okay, Mom.” Autumn waited until her mom shut the driver’s side door before hitting the automatic lock button. Safe inside the cool interior, she tapped her foot and started singing along with her favorite artist, her nerves about the game forgotten.

The driver’s side door handle jiggled.

Autumn glanced over, expecting to see her mom, but her heart stuttered when she saw the strange man standing there instead. He had a hard, tanned face with a mean expression and tattoos on the front of his neck.

He was a bad man. She could tell just by the look on his face. And the way he was staring at her made prickles crawl up her arms.

He yanked on the door handle again.

Her insides shriveled and she froze in her seat, staring into those dark, evil eyes. She only had a moment to process that he was trying to break into the car, when he raised his arm and smashed something against the window. Glass crunched and tiny bits of it flew inside as he kept bashing at it.

Autumn screamed and undid her seatbelt to scramble away, flattening herself against her door, but the man didn’t stop. In the blink of an eye he reached in, unlocked the driver’s door and was sliding behind the wheel before she could draw another breath to scream.

“Don’t you fucking move,” he snarled at her in an accented voice as he started the engine.

Her throat squeezed shut and her heart pounded in her ears as the car came to life, spurring her into action.

She reached for the door lock, trying to pull it up so she could get out of the car and run. So he couldn’t take her.

A hard, cruel hand locked around the back of her neck. It squeezed, the painful pressure making her cry out.

“I said, don’t move,” he snapped, his fingers crushing the back of her neck as he shot the car backward out of the parking spot.

No! He was kidnapping her!

Unable to break free of his grip, Autumn’s eyes darted around frantically, searching for help. Two people were gaping at them from the sidewalk out front of the stores, their eyes wide with horror. “Help!” she screamed at them. Why weren’t they doing anything?

One woman lunged forward as if to grab at Autumn’s door handle. “Hey!” the lady yelled at the man, her voice muffled under the music coming from the radio.

The bad man shifted into drive, hit the gas and floored it.

Autumn grabbed his wrist to pull his hand from her neck and fought to turn around, but he was too strong, and even digging her nails into his skin didn’t do anything. He grabbed the base of her ponytail, sticking through the opening at the back of her ball cap, and yanked, wrenching her head to the side.

Terrified, Autumn caught a glimpse of her mother as she raced out of the sandwich shop. Her face was stricken, eyes bulging as she stared at the moving car.

Tears flooded Autumn’s eyes as their gazes locked through the shattered window for an instant, fear clogging her throat, twisting her stomach until she almost threw up. “Mom, help me!”

“Shut up,” the man muttered, yanking on her hair again, never easing up on his grip as he sped through the parking lot and out onto the busy street.

 

****

 

Reid was in the shower, washing away all the sweat from his recent workout at the gym with Maka when he heard his phone ring in his adjoining bedroom. He had it set to go to voicemail after four rings, so he took his time scrubbing his hair and rinsing all the soap off. The phone rang again a few seconds later. He killed the water.

The phone rang a third time as he was wrapping a towel around his waist. Whoever it was, it must be important.

Hustling out of the bathroom, he headed straight for the dresser where he’d left the phone. All three calls were from Sarah’s number. Reid frowned. She never called him, only texted or emailed. Maybe it was Autumn calling from Sarah’s phone.

He called back, putting the phone to his ear as he strode back to the bathroom to get dressed.

“Reid!”

A split-second’s shock hit him at the sound of his ex’s voice on the other end of the line, instantly covered by alarm at the sheer panic in it. His entire body tensed. “Sarah, what’s wrong?”

“Autumn’s gone! Some asshole just broke into the car when I ran into Subway, and drove off with her!”

“What?” The blood drained from his face with a hot, prickling sensation.

She let out a broken sob. “Oh my God, I don’t know where he took her, I—”

“Did you call the cops?”

Another sob, this one so full of anguish the hair on Reid’s nape stood on end. “They’re out looking for her right now.”

Calm down. You need to calm the hell down. Think. But it was fucking impossible when his baby girl had just been kidnapped. His heart beat triple time, a sickening thud against his ribs. “Where are you?” He ran back to the dresser, yanked out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

“I’m still at the strip m-mall,” she quavered.

“Give me the address. I’m on my way.” He kept talking to her as he dressed, grabbed his keys and shoes and ran out of the condo. The blood roared in his ears as he raced for his car, terror and helplessness racing through him in a chaotic, unstoppable tide. The cops would find Autumn. He couldn’t handle the alternative.

The Mustang’s tires squealed as he turned out of the parking garage onto the street and gunned it. He kept Sarah talking to him, trying to get as much information as possible out of her despite her hysteria. Why the hell had she left the damn keys in the ignition in the first place? He bit the accusing question back. Sarah and he might have their problems, but she was a great mother and would never do anything that would put their daughter in jeopardy. This had been a horrible tragedy, plain and simple.

“Have to go. The d-detective wants to t-talk to me,” Sarah gasped out.

“I’ll be there in under ten minutes. Just stay put and don’t leave until I get there.” He hung up and immediately dialed Hamilton, started talking as soon as the man answered. “Someone just broke into Sarah’s car and took Autumn from a strip mall in town. I’m heading there now.” He could barely get the words out, his hands shaking on the wheel.

“Fuck,” his team leader barked. “Aw, Jesus, Reid—is there anything we can do?”

His eyes stung. “I’ll let you know. But I’ll be unavailable for…until we get her back.”

“Of course, man. Understood. You need anything, you let one of us know. I’ll alert the guys. We’ll all be praying for her.”

“Thanks,” Reid said hoarsely and hung up, his throat too tight to get any more words out. He was fucking sick with apprehension, his stomach a roiling mass of terror.

It seemed to take forever for him to reach the mall. Half a dozen cop cars were already on scene, and he picked out Sarah immediately standing on the curb out front of the sandwich shop.

Reid jerked the Mustang to a stop just outside the police tape and leaped out, barely remembering to slam his door shut. A cop came at him, hand upraised in warning. “I’m Autumn’s father,” Reid called out, holding open his wallet to show his agency ID as he shoved his way past. His eyes locked with Sarah’s, and the terror grew sharper.

Sarah’s face crumpled and she launched herself at him. Reid caught her, crushing her close to his chest while she lost it. “She’s gone,” she sobbed out, shaking so hard it made Reid’s teeth rattle. “My baby’s gone and it’s all my fault!”

“No, don’t say that,” he managed, his own eyes burning as he looked to the detective, a middle-aged Hispanic man dressed in a suit standing a few feet away. He needed fucking answers. “What’ve you guys got so far?”

“Several eyewitness accounts, and we’re running the surveillance video now. We’ve already put out an amber alert for her.”

Good, because Sarah’s Lexus was probably their best hope of finding them. With that many people alerted to look out for the car during daylight hours in this populated an area, chances were good someone would spot it. He just prayed someone did before the asshole who’d taken Autumn could hurt her. “What did the perp look like?”

“Hispanic. Mid-twenties. Tats on his neck. Possibly a gang member.”

Fuuuuck. Reid swallowed hard, his blood pressure nose diving.

“Our forensics people are trying to see if they can get a match to anyone in our database. The tats should help.”

Reid’s brain spun. Every second that ticked by was its own separate agony. Autumn had just been abducted by some gangbanger asshole and there was not a goddamn thing Reid could do to help her. When he thought of how scared she must be and what could happen to her… Christ, it killed him to not be able to protect her. “What about the FBI?” he grated out.

“They’re monitoring the case and will send agents to us to assist, but for the time being, it’s our investigation.”

Sarah took a long, shuddering breath and went limp against his chest, exhausted. Reid scooped her up before she could fall and carried her to a bench out front of the sandwich shop. “We’re gonna find her,” he vowed, fighting back the grief and terror ripping at his insides. “We’ll find her and she’ll be okay. The asshole probably just wanted the car. He’s probably already ditched Autumn a few blocks from here. She’s smart, Sarah. Real smart. She’ll get to a phone and call us.”

The words had just left his mouth when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Reid all but dumped Sarah off his lap and yanked his phone out, his heart plummeting when he saw Maka’s number. Reid shoved it back into his pocket and wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shuddering shoulders. He didn’t want to talk to anyone right now except Autumn.

Sarah didn’t say anything, just leaned her body into his and hitched in jerky breaths, her acceptance of his embrace testament to how distraught she was. “Have you called Max?” he asked her.

She nodded. “He’s c-coming.”

Reid didn’t exactly love the guy, but right now they needed all the help they could get, so it was all hands on deck. Sitting here doing nothing was slowly eating a hole through his gut, but what else could he do? Jumping back in his car and driving around like a madman looking for Sarah’s Lexus, was pointless.

His phone vibrated again. He snatched it up, clenched his jaw when he saw Khan’s number. He appreciated his teammates worrying about Autumn, but there was no way he was talking to anyone right now.

Unless Tess called him. God, he wanted to hear her voice so bad, tell her what happened, but he didn’t think he’d be able to hold it together if he did. He’d never been this raw and afraid, not even during combat or when he’d found Jason hanging in that shower.

He swallowed hard, struggling against the rise of tears that burned the back of his eyes. Losing it wouldn’t change anything, and it wouldn’t help find Autumn. He had to hold it together, be the strong one.

Max finally arrived and took Sarah from him. Reid talked to the lead detective some more, then agreed to go down to the station with him. The asshole should have dumped Autumn by now if he’d only been interested in the car. Why hadn’t she gotten to a phone and called him yet?

Maybe he wanted more than just the car.

The idea scared the living shit out of him.

Sarah and Max met him at the police station a few minutes later. Because of his position as a DEA agent and his security clearance, the detective allowed Reid to view the security footage with him in his office.

Reid’s stomach clamped tight as he watched the thug approach the Lexus and smash in the driver’s window before climbing in. And the asshole was armed, the butt of a pistol sticking out of the back of his waistband.

Arms folded across his chest, Reid squeezed his hands into fists, wanting to punch something. To scream. His little girl had no chance against that motherfucker.

The detective stopped the video feed and studied Reid. “Maybe you should sit down for a bit.”

“No.” He was barely containing the need to pace around the room as it was. Planting his ass in a chair would make him crack wide open.

“Okay, then how about—” He stopped when his cell rang. Pulling it from his belt, he checked the display, then answered. When he glanced at Reid with a somber expression a moment later, every muscle in Reid’s body tensed in denial.

No. Autumn had to be okay. They had to find her.

His heart thudded in his ears as the detective hung up. “What?” Reid demanded.

The detective’s expression didn’t change. “Citizen just reported finding Sarah’s car.”

Oh, God… “And?”

“Suspect ditched it in an alley a few miles from here. It was empty. Cop showed up on scene right after and looked around but there was no sign of your daughter.”

Reid’s shoulders sagged and he closed his eyes. So the bastard had dragged Autumn from the car and taken her somewhere. Bile burned the back of his throat.

“Forensics team is on their way there now. Someone might have seen where they went.”

The next few hours passed in a slow, life-sucking blur. Reid demanded to go to the scene with the lead detective. Forensics were dusting for prints when they arrived, and searching for any clues that might point them to where the suspect had gone with Autumn. None of the residents living along the alley had seen anything.

The investigation had hit a dead end.

Alternately panicked and numb, he waited hours more back at the station, briefly speaking to Commander Taggart, and waiting for news. None came.

By midnight, when it was clear they wouldn’t allow him to help with the investigation further, and there was nothing more he could do but wait, he reluctantly left. His phone had a dozen text messages on it. Every single one of his teammates had reached out, offering their support and urging him to call if he needed anything. Much as he appreciated the offers, he didn’t return any of the calls.

Climbing back into his car, he froze when he saw the German Shepherd pom-pom puppy sitting there on his dash, staring back at him with its plastic googly eyes.

Completely hollow inside, he shut the door and sat there staring at it while a razor-sharp blade slashed through his heart. Tears blurred his vision and he sucked in a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel so tight his bones hurt. His baby was missing, and he couldn’t bear the thought of what might have happened to her.

Tess. He needed to call Tess. He had to tell her, but dammit, he just needed to hear her voice.

His hand shook as he pulled out his phone. After three rings he was about to hang up, unwilling to leave a message right now. Then she picked up.

“Hey, I was just thinking about you.”

The sound of her chipper voice made the tears burn hotter. “Tess,” he croaked out, barely clinging to the last shred of his control.

“What’s the matter?” she blurted, voice tense. “Reid?” she prompted when he didn’t answer. “What’s wrong?”

He swallowed, struggled to breathe. “Someone broke into Sarah’s car a few hours ago and took off with Autumn.”

“What? Oh my God.”

His throat spasmed. “The cops can’t find her. It’s been hours and there’s no sign of her, and I…” His voice broke. He lowered the phone to his shoulder and bowed his head as a sob tried to rip free. The burn in his chest spread into his throat, agonizing, unbearable.

“Reid, oh, God, I’m so sorry,” she breathed, sounding as stricken as he felt. “Is there anything I can do?” With the phone resting on his shoulder her voice was faint, far away. Just like she was. And he was here alone, not knowing how he was supposed to cope with this.

He shook his head, battling his emotions even though she couldn’t see him. He dragged in a ragged breath and exhaled slowly, but it still felt as if his lungs might explode. “No. Just needed to hear your voice.” He wished she were here, needed to feel her arms around him so badly.

“Oh, baby…”

The endearment, the tormented note in her voice, undid him. “I gotta go,” he blurted, a second away from losing it and unmanning himself.

“Reid, wait—”

He ended the call, unable to continue. The phone fell from his numb fingers into his lap as the crushing weight of despair crashed down on him. Suffocating. Compressing his chest cavity until he couldn’t breathe, crushing his heart.

The phone rang almost immediately. Tess. But he couldn’t bring himself to answer.

Reeling, he started the ignition and somehow drove home, though he didn’t remember getting there. His phone rang twice more during the drive, both times Tess, and both times he ignored them. He felt a hundred years old as he climbed out of the car and headed for the elevator in the underground garage.

A few paces from his door, he got a text. Out of habit he glanced down, expecting to see a message from Tess begging him to call her back.

Autumn’s frightened face looked back at him instead.

He jerked to a halt, staring at the screen, for a moment wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. She was dressed in her ball uniform, her cap covering her hair, her deep blue eyes wide and her expression pinched.

Before he could react, a message appeared below it.

Missing something?

Reid’s heart slammed into overdrive, the surge of adrenaline making him shake all over. What the fuck?

Another message appeared.

Nobody fucks with Carlos Ruiz. We’re going to do exactly the same thing to her as we did to the reporter you rescued.

His stomach pitched at the threat, a thousand horrific images bombarding his brain. He’d seen the state Victoria Gomez had been in. Could guess what they’d done to her, and what would have happened if she hadn’t escaped that night.

By sheer force of will, he stopped picturing those animals raping and torturing his daughter. He called the person back, his chest heaving as he waited for whoever it was to pick up, white-hot rage burning inside him.

No answer. No voicemail. Just that ring droning in his ear.

He hung up and dialed the detective, wanting to scream. “It’s Carlos Ruiz, a Veneno lieutenant my team’s been after,” he ground out. “Someone just texted me Autumn’s picture and threatened her using his name.”

“Hell,” the detective muttered. “Where are you?”

“My place.” Fuck, he was gonna puke. Right out here in the hall. He couldn’t move, all his muscles locked tight. Carlos fucking Ruiz or someone affiliated with him had Autumn.

“Sit tight. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Reid lowered the phone and brought up Autumn’s picture again. Acid churned in the pit of his stomach as he stared at her frightened little face. She was all alone with that monster, praying for a miracle. Probably hoping her daddy would come rescue her.

A strangled sound wrenched from his throat as he stared down into those terrified blue eyes. I’m coming, baby girl. Daddy’s coming.

Except he couldn’t do shit, because he didn’t know where she was.

What he did know was what Ruiz and his sickening excuses for men were capable of doing to a woman. To do that to a nine-year-old girl?

His knees gave way.

Angling his body so that his back bumped against the wall to keep him from pitching over, he allowed himself to slide to the carpeted floor, the phone clutched tightly in his hand. As the scalding hot tears burst free at last, he covered his head with his arms and sobbed as he succumbed to the overpowering tide of grief.