Ralph parked behind a small rise in a wooded glen just off the gravel road that skirted along the edge of the property.

While we were planning how to approach things, I heard from Metro Medical that Agent Greer’s body had been found in their parking garage with a single GSW to the chest.

Two phones lay shattered beside him. One was his. Based on my description, it took security only a few seconds to confirm that the other was my wife’s.

I stared out the window at the heavy snow, rapidly tapping my leg, deep in thought.

The news about Greer was shocking, but I had the sense that the full impact of what’d happened would come later. Right now, I needed to move forward, needed to do what I could for the living.

For my family.

For—

“What do you want to do?” Ralph asked. “Go back or go on?”

As much as I wanted to turn around and look for Christie and Tessa, I knew that there wasn’t really anything I could do at the moment to find either of them.

You’re here. Clear this property.

Find Blake.

I couldn’t shake the thought that if we tracked down Blake Neeson we’d be on the way to finding my wife and stepdaughter.

“The hospital is too far across town,” I said to Ralph. “Driving back wouldn’t do us any good right now. Get NYPD on it. I’m wondering—if Christie’s abduction has anything to do with Blake—if his men might bring her up here. Get someone on the hospital’s security cameras. Let’s find out what happened in that parking garage.” Then I added soberly, “And if Assistant Director DeYoung really is the one who took her.”

++++

Christie prayed for her daughter, that she would be found, that she would be safe, that she would be okay.

Don’t hold my own doubts against me, Christie begged her Lord. Please. Do what you want to me. Make me suffer. Take my life, but please spare my precious daughter.

And God was silent.

Christie watched as the man who’d abducted her pulled to a stop beside the shoreline of the East River near an abandoned warehouse.

You need to get out of here.

Use whatever you have at your disposal.

Attack him where he’s most vulnerable.

Neck, eyes, nose, ears, groin.

She had her apartment keys with her and now tightened her right hand around them with two keys protruding from her closed fist.

As soon as he opened that door she was going to rake those keys across his eyes.

++++

We got word that Sasha’s tracking device was in an executive car that the Connecticut State Police had pulled over. They took the driver into custody. He had no ID and he wasn’t talking.

Time to move.