Emmett ended the call and shoved his phone into his back pocket. Boone’s gaze met his as the other man kept his voice low.
“This is so messed up.” The man looked pissed. “My chief finds out I had knowledge of an abduction and I sat on my hands and did nothing, it’s my ass. You get that, right?”
“We’re not calling this in.” Emmet put himself in the other man’s personal space with a slow back-and-forth slide of his head. “Not yet. Not until you can guarantee me it won’t put Janie’s life at further risk.”
A pair of nurses walked past, their expressions leery as they watched the tense interaction between the two men.
“Maybe we should wait outside for your team.”
Without a word, Emmett turned his back on theD.C. detective and walked away. His mind filled with a slew of racing thoughts as he worked like hell to process what happened. Guilt assaulted him, knowing she’d been taken under his watch.
You can kick your own ass later, Shaw. Right now, you need to stay focused on finding Janie before it’s too late.
Easier said than done, but the voice in his head was right. As he stepped through the automatic doors leading to the outside, he filled his lungs with the cool, night air.
Boone stood beside him, but neither man spoke again until Blake arrived. Several long minutes later, the entire team had gathered outside the E.R. entrance.
With Blake’s truck parked by the curb a few feet away, they used the tailgate as a makeshift desk. While the tech analyst opened his laptop and began typing across the keys, Emmett rushed through all he and Boone knew. When he was finished, his attention returned to Blake.
“Tell me you can find her.”
“We’ll find her.”
It was the reassurance Emmett needed. But well-intended or not, the words meant nothing without results.
“I’m in.” Blake continued working the keys. It only took him seconds to locate the footage from the bathroom hall. “There she is.”
He enlarged the recorded image of Janie as she was coming out of the women’s restroom. Emmett’s heart felt like a giant fist had grabbed hold of it and was squeezing it tight.
A man came around the corner. Tall. Dark hair.Light blue scrubs. Nothing especially unique stood out about him other than the fact that he was pushing a wheelchair with no occupant.
When Janie saw him, she flashed him a quick, friendly smile. Emmett’s chin quivered at the sight, but he pushed his emotions back and regained his control.
“Hold up.” Blake hit a few keys, zooming in closer while asking, “What’s that in the guy’s hand?”
Gwen leaned forward. “Is that a syringe?”
A wave of helplessness fell over him as the man on the screen approached Janie from behind.
Son of a?—
The asshole raised the syringe and inserted its needle into the side of Janie’s neck. She slapped a hand at the spot, but by then, it was too late.
Her body swayed and the man in scrubs guided her into the chair. He spun them around and walked away casually. As if he hadn’t just taken away Emmett’s entire world.
“Smart bastard.” Gwen stood tall. “He blended right in with the hospital staff.”
Blake blew out a breath when another image appeared. A video of the man loading Janie’s unconscious form into the back of a black panel van.
From his right, Boone said, “That van fits the description of the one involved in the attack on Janie’s friend.”
Lucas gave a hard shake of his head, his anger clear as day to see. “Asshole rolled her right out of the place, and no one gave them a second glance.”
“CCTV?” Emmett looked to Blake.
“Already ahead of you, boss.” The man typed at arapid speed. But then, “Dammit.” He pushed away from the tailgate a few inches. “I lost them four blocks away.”
“What do you mean, you lost them?” Emmett growled his frustration, not at his friend, but the situation.
