Chapter 27

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"Any sign of him?" Jack's voice crackled into Sam's earpiece. He sat in a car near the parks entrance.

"Nothing yet." Sam replied from the surveillance van disguised as an ice cream truck across from the Bethesda Terrace. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was four minutes to twelve.

She watched the monitor inside the van when Victor appeared on screen carrying the black satchel. He looked so composed but Sam knew that he was reigning in his emotions because she could see his jaw clench. He walked with purpose towards the bench at the far end. Sam scanned the area and there was no sign of Harry Davidge.

There were several agents wandering around the terrace disguised as tourists, local businessman and women on their lunch break, and other random New Yorkers taking advantage of parks many centerpieces. Sam listened as each agent checked in with Jack notifying him that they were in place but they hadn't seen Harry either.

Victor dropped the bag on the ground and pushed it under the bench with his feet. He studied it for a moment before walking away; his eyes darting around for any sign of Harry. He was heading back to the car where Jack sat waiting and watching.

Sam blew out a frustrated knowing that now came the hard part: waiting. She kept her eyes glued to the monitors looking for any sign of the man who held Martin captive.

"Possible suspect approaching from the south entrance." One of the agents announced into their mic. Sam held her breath as she watched a man wearing black jeans, a black shirt, a Yankees baseball cap and dark sunglasses slowly make his way to the bench. He saw the bag and glanced around before reaching under and pulling it out. He put the strap over his should and started to walk away.

Suddenly a police siren could be heard and the man dressed in black, frightened, took off running. The undercover agents chased after him with shouts of "Freeze! FBI!"

Victor and Jack raced to the scene and Sam swung the van door open and went to head them off. One of agents tackled the man down and started handcuffing him. Jack rushed over and flipped the man over, taking off the hat and sunglasses. Sam joined him and saw that it wasn't Harry.

"Who are you? Where's my son?" Victor shouted at the man as he pushed his hands against the man's chest causing him to stumble back.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The stunned man replied as another agent grabbed him to steady him.

Jack grabbed the man's t-shirt and pulled him near as he asked, "Where is Martin Fitzgerald? How much of a cut did Harry offer you?"

"Who?" The man questioned.

"The man who paid you to pick up the ransom money. Where is he holding Martin?" Sam said with anger.

"Ransom money?"

"Believe me, this isn't the time to play jokes. We have you for kidnapping, assault on a federal officer…" Jack began listing the litany of crimes.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" The man shouted. "I just saw the bag and took it. I don't know anything about ransom money or anyone named Harry or Martin!"

Jack released his grip with a shove and studied the man. Sam's heart raced and she felt an overwhelming urge to beat the crap out of the man for screwing up the drop and very well may have signed Martin's death sentence. She looked around as a crowd began to form to look at the spectacle of federal agents arresting the idiot of the year.

"Okay, this is a major screw up. I want every single agent to scan this park and you better damn well find Davidge!" Jack ordered angrily.

Victor's cell phone rang and he met Jack's eyes as he pulled it out to answer it. Sam came to stand right next to Victor hoping to hear what Davidge would say. She didn't have to stand too close because Harry was shouting as soon as Victor answered.

"Fitzgerald."

"I told you no cops but now there is a fucking convention! I hope you kept that little video I sent you because guess what? That is the last time you will ever have seen your son alive!" Harry screamed into the phone. He was furious and Sam knew that they had to find him right now before he had a chance to take it out on Martin.

"No, wait!" Victor pleaded but the line went dead. "He said he's going to kill Martin. Jack, we have to do something!"

"Alright, we know that he saw what just went down so that means he is close enough to see." Jack glanced around as he pulled out his mic again to give instructions to the other agents. "We just got a call from the kidnapper. He is nearby. Check all possible areas he could have hidden, bushes, trees, etc."

Sam and Victor searched the park together while the other agents spread out all around Bethesda Terrace but Harry Davidge was no where to be found. They searched for over half an hour before deciding that by that time Harry would be long gone. Deflated, they returned to the bench to see if Jack made any progress.

"Anything?" Victor asked, his voice laced with fear. He nervously rubbed his forehead.

"We are going to find him Victor." Jack pulled out his cell phone. "Viv, please tell me you and Danny found something."

As Jack talked on the phone Sam walked over to where Victor stood looking pale and nervous. She searched her mind for something to say but no words seemed to form. So she just stood alongside him and rubbed her hands together.

"Great job." Jack clicked off the cell phone and walked up to Sam and Victor, "Danny and Viv found out he did community service for Parks Services. They are tracking down the route he worked. We need to get back to the office."

Sam and Victor nodded in agreement as Jack walked over to hand over command of the park fiasco to another agent.

As Victor and Sam headed to the car he looked at her and said, "We need to find this guy fast. I can't let Martin down, not anymore."

Sam's lip quivered as she shakily replied, "Me either."