Chapter 14
Weapon in hand, Grady bolted toward the door where the waiter had disappeared with Lucy, mentally kicking himself for lowering his guard. Just because the ballroom was full of rich people didn’t mean it was a safe environment. He should have anticipated Curtis Handover wasn’t their kidnapper.
If anything bad happened to Lucy, he’d never forgive himself.
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.
And Lauren would have every right to hate him for it.
* * *
Lauren had kicked off her ridiculous heels to follow Grady down the stairs. Yet it wasn’t easy to maneuver with the long dress she wore. Reaching the ground level, she pushed outside. Then stopped abruptly, covering her mouth in horror when she saw the waiter lying on the ground in a pool of blood.
She rushed forward, the cold ground freezing the bottoms of her feet, to kneel beside the fallen man. She put a hand to his neck to feel for a pulse.
There wasn’t one. His skin was pale and already feeling cool to the touch.
Staring at the dead kidnapper’s face, she tried to understand why he’d looked so familiar. Had she seen him before? Maybe in passing? There was something about his eyes, but she still couldn’t place him. Pushing herself upright, she glanced down the alley, searching for Grady and Lucy.
Her heart sank to the soles of her frozen feet when she saw Grady limping toward her. His expression was a mask of anger and frustration. She searched his gaze. “What happened? Where’s Lucy?”
“I called the police and reported the license plate number to the black Honda SUV.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. I tried to keep up with the car, but some guy ran into me. The black SUV merged into the center lane to escape.”
Escape? The kidnapper had Lucy? Tears filled her eyes. No, please Lord Jesus. No! This couldn’t be happening.
But it was. Lauren wanted to scream and cry out in rage, but that wouldn’t help find her daughter. She whirled away, turning her back on Grady to call Agent Braun, who thankfully answered on the first ring. “The kidnappers have Lucy.”
“Where are you?” To his credit, Agent Braun sounded concerned.
“Outside the Chicago Cultural Center.” She swiped at her eyes. Two police cars with their red and blue lights flashing were heading toward them, moving slowly as they wedged through traffic. “Grady shot one of the kidnappers, but he’s dead.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible.” The line went dead, and she turned when Grady came up to stand beside her.
She pushed the words through her tight throat. “Agent Braun is on his way.”
Grady nodded grimly. “I’ve called Rex too. He’s sending another guardian to take over.”
She frowned. “What do you mean? I don’t want anyone else. I need you to help us find Lucy!”
He jutted his chin toward the cops who’d pulled up in front of the alley, blocking it off. She belatedly realized the alley was a crime scene. “I shot and killed a man. I’m going to be tied up for a while.”
“No.” She reached out to grasp his arm. “You shot that man because he was kidnapping Lucy. I need you. We must find the driver of that car.”
Confusion flickered in his gaze. “It’s my fault she’s gone.”
Fresh tears filled her eyes. “No, it’s my fault. I’m the one who insisted on attending this ball. I thought . . .” She couldn’t finish. She’d believed Agent Braun had the kidnapper in custody.
And now her daughter would pay the price of her gross error in judgment.
“I failed to keep Lucy safe,” Grady insisted. “I carry the blame here, not you.”
She shook her head and swiped at her eyes. It was nice of him to take the heat, but she knew she should have stayed home with Lucy and Grady.
She shivered and belatedly realized she couldn’t feel her feet. Grady noticed and shrugged out of his tux jacket, draping it around her shoulders. She needed to go inside to find her shoes, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. Her discomfort was nothing compared to what Lucy was going through.
A nightmare Lauren knew all too well.
“What happened?” The police officer who approached rested his hand on his weapon.
Grady stepped forward. He offered his weapon to the cop butt first. “Ms. Lauren Chandler’s daughter was kidnapped.
I shot that man as he shoved Lucy into the car.
The driver of the car took off with Lucy inside.
I ran after it, keeping pace until I was struck by another car.
The driver of the black SUV managed to get into the left lane, making it impossible for me to continue running alongside without getting crushed in traffic. ”
The officer’s eyes widened in shock, telling Lauren he must have recognized her name.
It was one of the rare times it was beneficial to be wealthy.
He took the weapon Grady offered, and it was all she could do not to cry out in protest. She needed Grady to be armed for whatever they faced when it came to getting Lucy back.
Then the cop turned to her. “Do you recognize the man who took your daughter?”
“No, but there is something familiar about his eyes.” She knew that sounded crazy. “I don’t know how to explain it.”