Chapter 43

I've been sitting at my desk going through Payton's files, trying to find anything that will lead me to where she's hiding. Her mother and friends were no help at all.

I've been looking at this damn file since Sophia has been taken, hoping it will talk to me. Give me something. Anything. I'm so fucking frustrated, I want to pull my hair out.

I glance at my watch and sigh, knowing I am going to miss another dinner with my wife and daughter. I get up and walk down the hall and notice half the team has already gone home. Once I enter the breakroom, I go straight to the Styrofoam cups and the coffee pot; it's empty. I reach for the cupboard and pull out a K-cup and put it in the machine. I press the go button and wait.

It seems all I do is wait.

I can't imagine what my niece is going through.

I can't think of all the bad things that I know happen to children when they have been missing for more than twenty-four hours.

Once the machine stops brewing the coffee, I go to reach for it when a voice startles me, causing the coffee to splatter on my hand.

"God damnit!" I hiss and quickly grab a napkin to wipe my hand. I look over my shoulder and notice Derick holding onto the doorframe, huffing and puffing.

"The fuck, man," I mutter as I walk to the sink and run my hand under the faucet, feeling relief from the cold water.

"We got a hit," he says, out of breath.

I snap my head in his direction and abandon my coffee.

"What do you mean?" I say, rushing down the hallway behind him.

"We intercepted a call from someone trying to reach the police. The young man said Sophia's name and missing child in the same sentence. He also said your name."

I take off into a sprint and head into the conference room. Two other guys from my team are sitting at the computers with their headsets on. When they see me busting through the doors, they remove their sets with wide eyes. "We got something," Samuel says.

"Tell me," I demand.

"We intercepted the 9-1-1 call," he says, handing me the headset.

When he plays it, the ulcer in my stomach feels like it's going to burst.

The familiar tone of the 9-1-1 dispatcher's voice filled the airwaves. "9-1-1. What is your emergency?" the dispatcher says.

The caller's heavy and labored breathing can be heard during the silent pause on the phone. The breaths are filled with panic and pain, causing a sense of hopelessness.

"Hello?" the dispatcher probes gently.

"I ne-need help," the voice stutters.

"Okay, sir. Tell me your name and what is the problem."

"Ja-Jake. I've been shot," he says, the pain evident in every syllable.

"Where were you shot, Jake? ""M-my st-stomach," he stammers, trying to catch his breath.

"We"re going to have help sent your way, okay? Can you tell me where you are?"

"A house," he says, and then we hear gasping.

I pull one side away and look at the guys. "Are you able to track this?"

He nods and gets back to work. Derick stands beside them, ready to jump in. I listen to the rest of the call until he says two names that bring shivers down my spine.

"She has..."—another gasp— "Sadie's... daughter, Sophia."

Right as I am about to toss the headphones and haul ass out of here to get to my niece, Samuel shouts out hallelujah.

"Got the address!"

I toss him the headphones and yell over my shoulder as I run out of the room with Derick behind me. "Send it to my phone!"

"You got it!" he calls back.

I make a quick stop at my office and grab my keys, and we run down the back stairs, bypassing the elevator until we reach the garage.

"Call for backup but instruct them to hold back and not make a move until I say so," I order Derick, who doesn't hesitate to do what I ask.

We jump into my car, and I start it up and pull it out, the tires screeching as I pull out of the garage. I weave through traffic while Derick speaks to the police.

"Tell them to bring an ambulance. Possible gunshot wound," I say to Derick as I jump onto the highway.

After what feels like hours, we finally make it to our destination.

"Where the fuck are we?" Derick says, looking out the window. "We're in bum-fuck Egypt," he mutters at the same time his phone goes off.

"This is Derick. Talk to me," he says and puts it on speakerphone.

"This is Lieutenant Jacobson." The other man's voice crackles through the speakerphone. "We have the house in view. My team is parked a few yards away as requested, waiting for your instructions," he says.

"What do you see? Any movement?" I question, my grip tightening on the steering wheel as I navigate onto the gravel road.

"There are two vehicles in the driveway. We ran both plates, and one belongs to our suspect Eva and the other to her brother Jake. Have you determined if Jake is a victim or accomplice?" he asks.

"Not sure at this moment, but we know he's been shot," I say, feeling the weight on my chest tighten, not knowing what we'll be walking into.

We end the call as we pull up to the waiting team. Derick and I waste no time gearing up, putting on our vests, and grabbing our weapons. I hand him an earpiece, ensuring we stay connected during the operation.

"Delgado, I presume?" an older cop greets me.

Approaching the officer in charge, I hold my hand out and say, "Yes. Are you the lieutenant in charge?"

"Yes, and this is my team," he confirms, shaking my hand before pointing out his men. "We have a sniper in place, but he is not able to see anyone in the house. We haven't seen any movement. My guys are waiting for your direction," he states, his expression serious.

"I want your men to spread out and make sure every vantage point is covered. We don't want her sneaking out. Remember, my niece is the priority. We get to her by any means necessary," I command, clocking my rifle back.

The officer nods, relaying my instructions to his team. Derick and I each take a deep breath before commencing our approach, moving stealthily through the tall grass with our weapons at the ready. Suddenly, a bang echoes in the distance, causing me to stop in my tracks, my senses heightened. I hold up a fist, halting our movements.

After a tense moment, the silence reassures me, and we cautiously press forward toward the house. I check in over the earpiece. "Are your men at the ready?"

"Yes, they are. Over," the lieutenant responds.

"Hold your position," I instruct.

Looking at Derick, I give a nod. "We go in together. On my cue," I whisper.

He nods back, his expression grim and determined. With a shared glance, we synchronize our movements and approach the front door with precision.

My heartbeat roars in my head like Niagara Falls, and my ears are ringing. We move toward the house in a quiet, calculated manner with one objective in mind—to bring Sophia home safely to Sadie.

The two-story country house is surrounded by overgrown grass and tall trees that seem to stretch up to the sky. The house has seen better days, its large wrap-around porch covered in dead plants.

With a quick signal to Derick, I motion for him to follow me as we stealthily creep up the rickety porch steps. Once we reach the door, we position ourselves on either side, away from the windows. I look over at Derick and give him a nod of encouragement. We both peer through the windows, straining our eyes to see if anyone is inside. After a few moments of silence, I reach for the doorknob and tap it gently, hoping it isn't locked. We wait in suspense until we hear the satisfying click of the lock, and...

Bingo.

With Derick close behind me, he watches my back as we walk through the house. The entryway leads to a long, narrow hallway that's attached to the kitchen. I look at Derick and signal him to go to the right, and that I'll go to the left. He gives me a nod in acknowledgment and leaves.

I raise my gun and slowly take steps into the living room and glance around, making sure it's clear. When I walk further into the room, I notice a pair of sneakers and jean clad legs lying on the floor. As I step closer, a male's body comes to view. The man lays unconscious on the ground, blood pooling beneath him and staining the carpet. His hand rests on the gunshot wound on his stomach. He looks pale…and dead.

I grip the gun tightly as I kneel before him and press my fingers onto his pulse. I click on my earpiece. "Jake has been located. A gunshot wound to the stomach," I say in a low voice. "Unconscious, but the pulse is faint," I add.

"Copy that," the lieutenant responds.

I hear footsteps when I stand up. I slowly turn around until I see her standing in the corner of the living room, holding baby Sophia close to her chest, a twisted smile on her face.

"Who are you?" I ask.

Her smile never wavers.

"My name is Eva."

"Let her go, Eva." My voice is firm, my eyes locked on Sophia"s tiny form in Eva"s arms. "She"s just a baby; she"s innocent."

Eva"s eyes narrow, her grip on Sophia tightening. "Why should I? Donnie deserves to feel the pain I felt when he left me behind," Eva retorts, her voice tinged with bitterness.

The fuck?

My heart pounds in my chest as I try to reason with Eva, to somehow appeal to whatever humanity may still lie within her, so I play along. "You can't take out your resentment on an innocent child, Eva. This won't end well for anyone," I point out.

"Donnie was supposed to be mine. We were supposed to be together, but he moved on without a second thought!" she screams, making Sophia stir in her arms and let out a howl.

I need to stay calm but it's difficult trying to stay sane when my niece is crying, and when she hears my voice, she turns to face me and holds her little arms out for me. I grit my teeth and clench my fingers around the trigger of my gun. My stomach clenches when big fat tears fall out of Sophia's eyes, and her hiccupping cries are tearing my insides apart.

Suddenly, a voice rings in my ear. "Do what you can to move her toward the window," the sniper says. I move forward, hoping she will follow me so she"s in the sniper's view. Now I just need to keep her talking.

When I glance over her shoulder, she laughs and speaks over Sophia's cries. "You think I'm stupid? I know there's a fucking sniper out there. I've watched enough cop shows to stay away from the windows."

The harder Sophia cries, the tighter Eva's arms tighten around her, making her wail even louder. I'm afraid that she'll snap from her cries alone.

I take a step forward, and Eva"s demeanor changes. "That"s far enough," she says.

Time to change tactics and keep her mind off Donnie. I tip my head back to where Jake lays. "Did you shoot your brother?"

"Yes," she says without hesitation. She glances in his direction and says, "He wasn't supposed to show up here. He didn't mind his own business and threatened to take Sophia back to her mother." She then turns her icy gaze back at me. "I couldn't let that happen."

"He needs an ambulance. Will you let me get him some help?"

She seems to ponder this and then turns back to me. "I will as long as you bring Donnie back to me."

Jesus fuck. Without showing my frustration and the urge to pull the fucking trigger, I lie. "Okay. I can make that happen."

"Liar!" she hollers, and Sophia jolts in her arms. "Shut up! Stop crying!" She shakes her, and all my resolve goes out the window.

"Put her down now, Eva!" I yell, gripping my gun.

At the same time, the voice from the earpiece asks for the green light to enter the house, but it"s too dangerous now with Eva out of control.

She pulls out a gun from behind her back and points it at me for a brief second and then points it against Sophia's head.

I stop breathing.

"Eva," I say softly, trying to hide the tremble in my voice. "Let Sophia go, and I'll make sure to go easy on you. You're already facing a number of charges. Don't add murder to it."

Eva"s face twists with anger, her eyes blazing with intensity. "No! I won"t give up on him. I won"t let her take him away from me." Her hands shake with fury as she glares at me. "And you can add murder charges to the list."

"What are you talking about?"

"She was interfering with my relationship with Donnie," she says bluntly. "That bitch was obsessed and desperate to gain his attention. But she was the perfect distraction, allowing me to execute my plan, "she spewed with malicious glee.

My body was shaking with rage. "You broke into Sadie and Donnie"s place," I state accusingly. "Did you try to run her over? Did you make that false allegation against Seb?"

"Yes," she says without shame. "I don't know what the big deal is. She's alive, isn't she? And he was clear of all charges." She rolls her eyes. "Although I can't say the same for Payton."

I stop breathing. "Eva, where is Payton?"

"I buried her in the woods. You won"t find her body. I"d made sure of it," she says, her face a mask of indifference.

I glared at Eva, disbelief and anger brewing inside me like a storm about to break loose.

Jesus, this girl is unhinged.

Payton may have been a little crazy, but she didn"t deserve to die.

Eva stands before me with an emotionless expression, like she had just swatted a fly instead of taking a person"s life.

My gaze shifts to Sophia, and my stomach contracts into a tight ball. She could kill her without hesitation, but I can"t let that happen. I won"t.

"Eva, drop the gun," I warn and cringe the more I hear my baby niece wail. It's like she's crying out for me. When she starts crying for her mother, my heart breaks, and my stomach plummets to my feet in shreds. "This won't end well for you." I work my jaw, trying to remain calm while my eyes focus on her movements, the way she shifts from foot to foot, her hands trembling in anger, and her eyes turning black.

Eva's head snaps to her right, and she moves the gun and points it at Derick. "This ends now, Eva. Drop the gun and let the baby go." Derick"s voice is sharp, his eyes steely as he points his gun at her head. "You're surrounded. There's no way you're going to walk out of here alive if you don't let her go."

My nerves are starting to get shot from seeing the number of guns aimed at Eva with Sophia in the way. Fucking shit. I need to get Sophia out of here and to safety. I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to her.

When Eva turns her gaze to me, she gives me a wicked grin that turns my blood to ice. "Well, then, I'll just have to use her as my shield." With a sudden and fierce movement, she walks back toward the front door and says, "Imagine what Sadie will think when she finds out her baby was killed by the people who were meant to protect her." She laughs wickedly, and my heart races.

"Derick, do you have a clear shot?" I ask him, keeping my gun aimed at the bitch. "Yes," he says without hesitation.

I swallow the lump in my throat. "Take it," I tell him. Right as I see him start to move his finger on the trigger, Eva screams and aggressively tosses Sophia in his direction like she's a fucking rag doll.

"NO!" I lunge forward to try and catch her before she hits the ground. I know there is no way in hell I will make it to her in time. Derick reacts swiftly, stepping in to catch Sophia. But Eva is not yet defeated. With a wild look in her eyes, she makes a sudden move toward the stairs, a last-ditch effort to make her escape.

I charge after her.

"Get Sophia out of here!" I yell at Derick as I rush past him but not before I hear him say, "Coming out with the baby. Don't shoot."

My heart races as I start for the stairs. knowing that in a split second, everything could change. Eva stops at the top of the stairs and aims the gun at me. "Fuck you!"

Everything happens so quickly.

I pull my trigger without a second thought.

Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, I hold Sophia close to my chest, afraid of letting her go. After changing her into a clean diaper, the paramedics check her over and say she is going to be okay. Sophia clings to me, and her cries subside until she falls asleep in my arms.

Eva was killed instantly.

Jake was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The mission was a success.

The day was won, and Sophia is safe.