37-Javier

My door flies open, smacking against the wall while I take a bite of my apple.

"What the fuck?" I snap, dropping my apple on the desk and jumping to my feet.

"Javi, you gotta take a look at this," my partner quickly says, out of breath.

I narrow my eyes and follow him out of the office. Phones ring off the hook as we pass the cubicles.

He leads me into the conference room.

As we enter the room, James, deputy assistant director, and Cyprus, the lead swat officer, are standing at the end of the table.

"What's going on?" I ask, on alert as I walk further into the room.

"Take a seat." James, the director, tips his chin to the chair closest to the window.

My partner and I each pull up a chair. I lean forward with my elbows resting on the table.

Waiting.

"We intercepted a text message with a video attached that was sent to one of our secure feeds a few minutes ago."

"How's that possible?"

"We're not sure, but they must be a professional to break through our defenses." James pauses for what seems like forever.

"Javier, the video was sent specifically to you."

He hits play on the video. The image is blurry at first, but once it comes into focus, my heart rate picks up pace, banging against my chest. It's from a home camera and shows Sadie rocking Sophia in her bedroom. From the angle, it looks like they hacked into the cameras we installed after Sadie was kidnapped.

After three minutes, the video is replaced with a warning flashing across the screen in Spanish: Nothing will keep her safe. She will die for her father's sins.

And then his face appears.

He isn't even hiding it.

"Is this live or pre-recorded?" my partner says in a much calmer tone.

"Our tech specialists confirmed it was taken fifteen minutes ago."

I pull out my cell phone and call Sadie, but there is no answer.

"She's not fucking answering," I grind out. "Cyprus, I need your team at her place now," I demand.

I don't wait for a response and stalk out of the room with Derick on my heels.