“Amen,” she echoed. “Thank you, Finn.”
“Let’s keep going,” he encouraged. “There’s another place up ahead that has potential as a hiding spot.”
She nodded and kept pace with Finn and Abernathy. As she walked, she repeated Finn’s heartfelt prayer over and over in her mind.
It was strange to open her heart and her mind to God. Yet, despite her fears, she felt a slight measure of peace at knowing that Mikey wouldn’t be all alone with those evil men.
God would be there with him.
The next building was a dead end, as was the next one. Abernathy worked tirelessly, and she appreciated having the K-9’s keen scent offering them assistance.
She’d kept the Amber Alert on her phone, looking down at Mikey’s smiling face periodically as a way to reassure herself that everything possible was being done to find him.
Fighting fatigue, she kept pace as they started down another street. Finn had identified that houses with for-sale signs were sometimes used as short-term rentals, so they went to each of those, as well.
Her phone rang again and, assuming it was Pete, she answered it quickly. “Did you get a flight?”
There was a moment’s hesitation before a mechanically distorted voice said, “If you want to see the kid again, find the package.”
“You have Mikey?” Her gaze clashed with Finn’s, and he rotated his index finger in a way she knew meant do everything possible to keep the caller on the line. “How do I know he’s alive? I’m not turning over anything to you without some proof that you haven’t harmed the child.”
“He’s fine, or he will be if you bring the package,” the mechanical voice repeated. “If you don’t...” The caller let his voice trail off.
Eva gripped her phone harder, aware of Finn talking to headquarters, asking for a trace on her phone. There was some kind of noise in the background, but she continued to press her point. “Please, he’s only three years old. Just let me talk to him for a moment. He won’t be afraid if he knows I’m coming to find him.”
“Find the package.”
The call ended abruptly, and it took all her willpower not to throw her phone against the closest brick wall.
If she knew where the package was, she’d gladly trade it for Mikey’s life. But she didn’t.
And was very afraid these men wouldn’t blink at hurting a little boy to make their point.
NINE
“We didn’t get the trace.”
Finn let out a harsh breath and drew his hand down his face at their technical specialist Danielle Abbott’s response. “Thanks for trying.”
“We’ll keep her phone queued up so we can trace the next call.”
“Thanks.” He’d known tracing the call that had come in on Eva’s phone was a long shot, especially since it had taken precious seconds to get the phone pinged, but he’d hoped for something—anything—they could use to find Mikey.
He hated to admit that he and Abernathy were coming up empty-handed.
“They want the package,” Eva’s voice was dull with resignation. “I don’t understand why they haven’t figured out that I would have already turned it over if I’d had it.”
Finn didn’t know what to say to that. If the package was drugs or money, they’d have to get permission to use it as a way to draw out the kidnappers. No way would they be allowed to simply hand it over to secure Mikey’s freedom. There would be a whole task force involved, something he sensed Eva wouldn’t appreciate. Since it was a moot point, he decided not to go down that path.
“What exactly did he say?”
“If I want to see Mikey again, I’ll find the package.” She looked as if she might cry. “He refused to let me talk to Mikey, and at the end of the call repeated the demand to find the package. I tried to see if I could hear Mikey in the background, but I can’t be sure.”
Adrenaline spiked as he moved a step closer. “Think, Eva. You have astute hearing. Go over the call again in your mind. Can you remember if you heard any background noises during the conversation? Anything that would give us a clue as to where Mikey is being held?”