Bursting through the door, Grady found himself in a narrow hallway. The sound of dishes clanking together indicated the kitchen was nearby. Catching a glimpse of the waiter carrying Lucy toward another door, he put on a burst of speed to catch up.
“Stop!” he shouted, wishing he could claim to be a police officer.
The waiter ignored him.
“Grady! Mommy! Help me!” Lucy’s cry stabbed his heart.
Closing the distance, he swallowed hard, knowing he didn’t dare fire a round. Not when the guy held Lucy so close.
“We’re coming, Lucy,” Lauren shouted from behind him. He didn’t look back, his gaze fixated on the waiter who had already reached the door on the other end of the hallway. Grady had no idea what was on the other side, but he knew the kidnapper likely had an accomplice.
Two people had orchestrated these attempts.
“Mommy!” Lucy screamed when the waiter pushed through the door. Then Lucy reached out to grab the doorframe, trying to hold on.
Grady did his best to close the gap between them, despite their head start. Unfortunately, the little girl wasn’t strong enough to hold on for long. She sobbed as her fingers slipped free.
Then they were gone. Through the door to whatever waited on the other side.
“Lucy!” Lauren’s scream bounced off the walls of the narrow hallway. Grady leaped forward and pushed through the door. To his surprise, he was on a small landing of a stairwell. He should have gotten a blueprint of the building prior to this event, but he hadn’t.
A lapse in judgment that might cost Lucy her life.
The thudding of footsteps and the heartbreaking sound of Lucy’s sobs echoed through the stairwell. The exit sign on the wall indicated this set of stairs was a fire exit, meaning it would eventually lead to the outside.
Grady flew down the stairs after them, praying he’d reach them before they made it all the way out of the building. He wished he could tell Lauren there was likely a car waiting outside for the kidnapper and Lucy, but there wasn’t a second to waste. He couldn’t lose them!
When he heard a door opening, his heart sank. He turned on a half landing, then took the last flight of stairs down to the ground level. He jumped, skipping the last six stairs just as the outside door closed behind the waiter and Lucy.
Slamming into the door, he burst through. His gut instinct was right. The black SUV was sitting in the alley. The back passenger door was open, and the waiter was shoving Lucy inside.
“Stop!” Now that the guy wasn’t holding Lucy near his body, Grady lifted his weapon and fired two shots.
Both hit their mark.
The waiter screamed and crumpled to the ground. But the driver of the black car hit the gas and took off down the alley. The swift movement of the car caused the door to swing closed, trapping Lucy inside.
No! They were getting away!
Grady leaped over the fallen man and ran after the car. He couldn’t see Lucy and prayed she wasn’t hurt. He memorized the license plate and hoped the traffic was congested enough on the road that he could catch up.
The brake lights flashed as the car slowed. He sprinted forward, slamming his hands on the back window. Lucy’s face popped into view. Tears streamed down her face, and he could hear her muffled cry.
“Grady!”
The driver cranked the wheel. Horns blared as the SUV carelessly merged into traffic. Grady stayed with the vehicle for another few feet, until a driver in one of the cars the kidnapper had cut off rammed into him, sending him stumbling.
No, no, no!His hip burned with pain from the driver of the car striking him. He had to move out of the way to avoid being hit again. The driver of the black SUV used the opportunity to escape. The kidnapper wedged his car between two other cars, causing more blaring car horns. They were in the center lane now, which made it impossible for him to follow on foot.
Making his way to the side of the road, he pulled out his phone and called 911. The dispatcher seemed to take forever to answer, but when she did, he kept his voice as calm as possible.
“There’s a black Honda Pilot SUV heading south on Michigan Avenue heading away from the Chicago Cultural Center. License plate is RTK3002. The driver has abducted a seven-year-old girl named Lucy Chandler. I need Chicago PD to send multiple units to this location right away.”
“I’ll send the police officers to your location. What is your name?”
“Grady McFarland.” He stared out at the myriads of taillights, fearing the police response would be too little, too late.
A wave of horror washed over him. He’d failed in his mission to keep Lucy safe from harm in the worst way possible.
