Chapter Ten
A heavy weight of despair had settled over the Manning house. The ERT agents had been thorough, but there simply was no evidence to be found. Defeated, the evidence recovery team had packed up and left, leaving them alone. The team was gathered in the kitchen, trying to put together the pieces and make sense of baby Robert's disappearance.
Bobby stood by the kitchen sink. His hands clenching the counter as he gazed out the window into the dark night. His son was out there. Somewhere. He finally understood what parents of victims had meant when they insisted that they would know if their child was dead. Their hearts were connected. Bobby knew that the moment Robert stopped breathing; his own heart would give out.
Groaning, Bobby pushed away from the counter.
"I've got to get out of here," he muttered avoiding Tara's eyes as he strode out of the room.
"Bobby!" Tara's distressed cry and the sound of the front door closing drew Jack and Myles out of their quiet conversation. Their eyes connected before they raced to the front door and yanked it open. It was too late. Bobby was gone.
"Jack," Tara grasped his arm. Her voice nearing hysteria. "Go after him. Please, Jack. Bring him back."
"Tara." Jack eased her claw-like grip from his arm. "It's okay. Bobby will be back. He's just blowing off steam."
"Go after him." She pleaded desperately.
"I will." Jack stated calmly. His dark eyes met Myles' blue ones over Tara's head.
The tall blond agent nodded. Stepping forward, he placed a long arm across Tara's shoulders. Gently steering her away from Jack. "Come on, Tippy Toes; let's go into the living room. I need you to walk me through the past week. Maybe someone was watching you. Or you might have had contact with someone that made you a target."
Murdoch hung up his phone. His blue eyes sought out Jack. "A nationwide Amber Alert for Robert has been issued. Could we get agents or Metro officers stationed at the airport and bus stations to check all newborns leaving D.C. that way?"
Jack blinked. "That's a good idea, Murdoch. It's unlikely the guy will use public transport, but it's possible." He shrugged. "It's always good to cover all the bases. Good work."
Jack nodded toward the two rookie agents. "You and Josiah make it happen."
"Jack?" Sue peered out the car window at the 24-hour gym. "Do you think Bobby's here?"
Jack turned off the car and let his head fall back on the headrest. He reached up and turned on the overhead light so she could read his lips. "Yeah. It's his new way of letting go of stress."
"You mean instead of gambling?"
Jack's eyes widened. "How long have you known about that?"
"Since the Merino case."
"And you never said anything." He shook his head. "You never cease to amaze me, Mrs. Hudson."
"I could say the same for you. What you did for Bobby during that case was remarkable."
Jack shrugged and let his eyes turn back to the gym. "He would have done the same for me."
He looked back at her. "Thank you for coming with me."
Sue's hazel eyes misted with tears. "I love Bobby too. Besides," she shrugged. "I'm sure the boys will survive without me for an hour or two. Now whether or not I survive without them is another matter."
Jack leaned forward and kissed her. "Well, come on, then. Let's go get Bobby and get you back to our rugrats."
Myles Leland looked around him. D had gone back to the Hoover building to prepare for an early morning meeting with the Director. Josiah and Murdoch, or the kiddos as he preferred to call them, had gone to the airport armed with pictures of Robert. The blond agent smiled slightly to himself. The two rookie agents were so eager to help they had tripped all over themselves like excited puppies when he suggested it.
Tara was working at her computer with one hand. Her other arm cradled a fussing Stanley. Myles' ocean blue eyes misted with tears. Little Stanley seemed to sense that something was wrong and Myles wondered if the newborn was missing his twin. Myles' attention swung to Lucy. She was busy trying to placate a very upset Jackson. The toddler was making it clear that he did not appreciate being pulled from his bed in the middle of the night and left with his aunts and uncles.
Myles suddenly realized that no one had checked on Jade. He moved quickly and quietly down the stairs.
"Jade?" He called softly as he entered the apartment. "Jade, it's me. Myles."
Myles hesitated outside her bedroom door. "Jade?"
He eased the door open. What he saw broke his heart.
Jade was huddled on the floor against the wall, rocking. In the same position she had been in when he found her locked in a tiny room in a dark, filthy basement.
"Jade?" Myles crossed the room and knelt in front of her. Being careful to give her space and access to the door. "Oh, Jade." Tears burned Myles' eyes.
"M-M-Myles?"
"Yes, Jade. It's me. You're safe."
"B-B-Bobby?"
Myles hesitated, knowing that his presence without Bobby's protection could send her into a panic attack. "He had to step out. But he'll be back. You're safe, Jade. Tara and Lucy are upstairs. And I would never hurt you. You're safe."
"Does B-Bobby h-hate me?"
"What? Jade, no. Bobby doesn't hate you. He loves you. Where is this coming from?"
Jade shook her head. Her rocking and shaking increased. "It's m-my f-fault."
Myles shifted and leaned against a wall, closing his eyes. "No, Jade," he said gently. "None of this is your fault." He reached a cautious hand toward her shoulder to stop her rocking. His fingers touched a strand of her dark brown hair and he sucked in a breath at the silkiness of it.
"But I-I left R-Robert alone to get m-my b-book."
"You listen to me, Jade Manning. None of this is your fault. Okay? You didn't do anything wrong, Jade." A soft smile crossed Myles' lips. "You could never do anything wrong."