Chapter 4

Night had fallen and Alex wrapped a blanket around Emma. He had looked at her shoulder and it was badly bruised. The little girl was in horrible pain but she was tough and barely cried about it. The little girl should be given an award for bravery. She had fallen asleep with his arm wrapped around her. Lyle had figured out that Alex was not going to allow him to touch Emma and Alex was providing the muscle that was needed. Renee was trying to figure out what her next play was. She hadn't planned what would happen after they had a hold of Emma.

"Why are you helping me? I don't understand."

Alex didn't realize that Emma had woke up and fortunately Renee was outside and Lyle was sleeping. "I have a little girl your age, and I wouldn't want Anna hurt. Let's text your dad, we have to be careful though, because it won't help if your battery goes dead." Emma nodded at him.

"Emma is okay. My name is Alex Winters. I am trying to conserve her cellphone battery but try and remember a Renee Mitchell; she says you killed her brother, Paul. We are about sixty miles southeast of Springfield, not sure of the county road number but it is off highway 76, east of highway 5. Hope that helps. Emma's shoulder is hurt, possibly broken. She is handling the pain. I will do what I can to help her. She loves you and is scared. Do not respond."

Emma smiled up at him after reading the text. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. He had slipped the phone back in his pocket and Renee had walked in. He kept himself between Lyle and Emma at all times. He would go without sleep if need be. Renee would also physically injure Emma but Alex was more concerned about what Lyle would do.

In St. Louis

Mike had fallen asleep on Emma's bed. He felt bad for Mallory, she had barely gotten any sleep and her resident would not allow her to take the night off so she was at work. If she was at home, he would have at least tried to sleep in their bed, curled up around her, feeling the baby kicking. It was the only that kept him going. She had a police escort to and from the hospital. It made him nervous that he couldn't protect her.

His cellphone buzzed. He was keeping it fully charged in case another message came through from Emma's phone. Reynolds wanted to keep it when he received the first message but Mike took it back. He knew enough about police procedures to know that it wasn't needed, and he wanted to read whatever message came through first. When Mike looked at the phone and realized it was from Emma he left her bedroom and checked on Hannah before he went downstairs. She was sleeping soundly, and her breathing was at a normal level. Mike kissed her on the forehead and tucked the blankets around her. He looked over at her dresser and seen a picture of him, Hannah and Emma. It was at the Congressional Medal of Honor awards dinner. He was in his dress whites and the girls were both dressed up. Both girls were kissing him on the cheek and he was smiling. He just prayed they could have another moment like that. He didn't care about the Medal; it was given to him because of his actions in dealing with Takehaya. But he loved the moment he had with his girls and was glad it was captured.

The night detective, Detective Sheridan was in the living room. Mike liked her better than Reynolds. She seemed to genuinely care that Emma was found, and not how much it might advance her career. Reynolds was the detective in charge but Sheridan was fairly new to being a detective. When Mike handed her the phone, he knew she was struggling but didn't want to call Reynolds for advice.

"Run the names, see if any of them have any property in that area or if any known relatives do. I can't remember Renee or Paul Mitchell but will call a friend of mine in Chicago to dig through the records. Also re-ping the phone, that will give us an idea. Once we have an area to start searching, we need to bring in local law enforcement to help. I can make the calls but it would be better if you all did. Also need to have medical with us when we start searching the area. We know she has at least one possible broken bone and I don't want her in pain any longer than necessary. I know the President has already promised help and I will be going along with, no debate. I'll get Hannah woke up and over to the Green's. I will also wake up my operators and the President. My wife is at the hospital and I will call her and let her know what is going on. I want her protected there and I want a radio car in front of the Green's house all night with at least two uniforms at all times. Again, no debate."

Detective Sheridan had made notes of everything that Mike said and picked up her phone to call dispatch and her sergeant. It was a very sensitive case and she decided to circumvent rank and go around Reynolds. All she cared was that Emma was found before anything bad happened to her. Her sergeant shared her concerns and began the process of searching property. It would be difficult to find the property and pinging a phone took longer than it used to. They were working against the clock. She had a background search done on Alex Winters, and while he had a history, it was drug related and there were no assaults. He had an eleven year old daughter who was staying at a friend's house. She suspected that was the reason why Winters was trying to protect Emma. She would use whatever she needed to, to get Emma back.

Mike made all the necessary calls. Danny would be going with him, but Kara would stay at home with Frankie and Hannah. He got her woke up and threw his big coat over her pajamas. Danny came over to take her back to his house before they all met up at headquarters. Detective Reynolds was drunk and so it would be Detective Sheridan, her sergeant, Tom, Wolf, Burke, Green, Miller, Jeter and Mike going. Detective Sheridan was coordinating with local law enforcement and they were calling in every available deputy and would have an ambulance on standby. At the last moment, Rios jumped in with them for assess Emma's medical needs. Not knowing if Lyle had assaulted Emma, they all felt they would need a female officer with them and Detective Sheridan would fill that role. Things were moving very quickly.

Mike had spoken with his friend in Chicago and he couldn't find any cases involving a Paul Mitchell. There was one case that Mike had worked when he was assigned to the homicide division involving a seventeen year old kid named Paul. The kid was robbing a gas station and Mike and his partner, Elizabeth walked into the middle of it. Elizabeth tried to talk the kid down while Mike snuck around the back to get the drop on him. It ended in gunfire and the kid had drawn on Elizabeth, after multiple warnings to drop the gun by both of them, he raised it and Mike shot him. The family had been all over the media that it was police brutality but after multiple hearings and the release of the surveillance video, it was ruled justified. Mike remembered the case and hated the fact that he had killed such a young kid but his partner, along with a pregnant woman and the shopkeeper were in the line of fire. He didn't regret his split second decision. He didn't remember the kid having a sister named Renee but he could be wrong. She had made no demands and the only communication that they had was the texts from Emma's phone.

By the time Mike, Tom and Danny got to headquarters, Detective Sheridan and Sergeant Williams was there along with the others. They knew that local law enforcement would not have thermal imaging cameras and assorted other things so that was packed into the Humvee and they all set out. Detective Sheridan had spoken at length with the sheriff from the county where the pings were locating. He was familiar with an Alex Winters and Lyle Gregory and had an idea where the cabin might be. Apparently Lyle had some land where there was a cabin. It was several miles down a dirt road and his deputies were already doing recon.

It was typically a four hour trip, but Mike wasn't wasting any time, and made it in just over three. Tom was regretting the decision to let Mike drive but he didn't want to argue with him. Burke and Miller both looked sick. Danny did his best to keep up in the other Humvee. They met up with the local sheriff and Wolf and Green headed to the scene with the thermal imaging camera.

Mike wanted to be closer but he also knew that he wasn't objective. He knew his guys would protect Emma and she would come out of it unharmed if any of them had anything to say about it. He was almost sick with worry. It was decided that Tom would go in with the entry team and his main job was to secure Emma. If Emma had been sexually assaulted, she would not handle any of the men well, but she had known Tom her entire life and had a special bond with him. Mike wanted in the entry team but he also knew that things could go south very quickly.

"Look, I know you want to go in with us. I would want to if it was one of my kids. But you have Hannah and Mallory to think about. If the worse happens with Emma and she doesn't make it out of this, they will need you. You know I will do everything I possibly can to protect her and she is my focus. The second that I have her secured, I will radio for you and you'll come in."

Mike nodded at Tom, he didn't like it, but Tom was right. He had a pregnant wife and a sick daughter at home and God only knew what type of shape Emma would be in. He prayed that Lyle hadn't gotten ahold of her. He could deal with the broken shoulder but the psychological effects of a sexual assault was beyond his wheelhouse. All he could do was love her through whatever happened. He geared up and stayed by the ambulance. Jeter had opted to stay with him, but they were both quiet and the paramedic and EMT also stayed quiet.