CHAPTER FORTY-SIX JACK
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
J ACK
“Have you ever seen this man before?”
Jack tears his eyes away from Sabrina’s body. Pratt motions toward her killer. Jack shakes his head, staring at the man’s bony cheekbones and shaved head.
“No. But what about my son?”
Pratt folds his arms across his chest. “My supervisor had to contact the flight, and we’ll have to wait to hear back from them. He’ll call me if they get any new information.”
“They’re in here!” A female FBI agent posted at Jack’s open doorway steps aside as a team of medics enters his condo.
A tall medic in front rushes in, carrying a large bag while the two behind him push a stretcher toward Sabrina’s body. Pratt approaches the one carrying the bag.
“Both victims are pulseless and unresponsive. The woman was shot first. Looks to be a single shot to the head.” Pratt points to the man lying a few feet away. “We returned fire on the shooter. He’s got two bullet holes to the chest.”
The medic kneels beside Sabrina, unzipping his bag. “How long ago was she shot?”
Pratt looks at Jack.
“Um.” Jack’s eyes linger on Sabrina’s blood on the floor. “I’m not sure.” Time seems to have slowed down ever since the FBI showed up at his door. “About thirty minutes. I think.”
Another medic starts compressions, while the tall one places leads on her chest connected to a cardiac monitor. Jack looks away as Sabrina’s lifeless body jerks with each pulse of electricity.
“There’s a second medic unit en route,” one of them says to Pratt.
“Okay, good.” Pratt’s phone rings in his hand. “This is Pratt.”
While the medic spouts off orders to the other two working on Sabrina, Jack goes still, his senses on full alert as he strains to hear what’s being said on the other end of the call.
“She’s still pulseless,” the medic announces.
Behind Pratt, a medic pauses compressions for the other two to roll Sabrina onto a board before lifting her onto the stretcher.
“They what ?” A look of surprise washes over Pratt’s face.
Jack goes still. “What is it? Have they found him?”
Pratt turns away, plugging his other ear with his finger. Jack’s heart thumps against his ribs. He stares at the back of Pratt’s head as the medics rush Sabrina out of his condo on the stretcher. A second medic team rushes inside, moving in between Jack and Pratt to work on Sabrina’s killer.
Jack steps to the side to keep Pratt in his view. Finally, Pratt lowers his phone. When the agent turns around, Jack studies his face.
“It appears your wife was right about your son being hidden in the pet carrier aboard the flight.”
“Did they find him?”
“The carrier was empty. A passenger found a stuffed animal dog nearby.” Pratt’s chest lifts with a deep inhale. “The flight is coming in for an emergency landing at LaGuardia as we speak.”
“So, Liam’s alive?”
Jack’s heart stills as he registers the look of shock on the agent’s face.
“The couple who took him sawed a hole in the side of the aircraft in one of the lavatories and jumped out while the plane was making its descent south of Rochester. We’re sending out a team to search the area.”
Jack feels the floor sway beneath his bare feet. Pratt clears his throat while Jack’s tightens.
“We believe they took your son with them.”