Chapter 77
As Woody sped off in the direction that he had seen Palmer go, he already had his radio in hand. Calling in the description of Palmer's car he instructed every unit in the area to search out and report in the vehicle's progress. Under no circumstances was anyone to engage Palmer because he had a seven week old infant hostage. Woody also ordered air support to help keep Palmer in sight.
When that was taken care of he made a personal request. Woody needed to find out how his wife was doing. He did love Riley and would give his life for the baby if the need arose, but Jordan was his world. He wasn't sure he could go on without her.
He had loved Jordan since meeting her and had never been happier in his life since they had made their marriage real. His parents had taught him about 'one love' a love to last a lifetime and that was what he felt for Jordan.
Word was relayed to him through the switchboard that Jordan was being taken into surgery just as Woody spotted the car Palmer had been in, pulled up haphazardly to the curb.
Out of his car almost before it stopped moving, Woody searched the interior of the abandoned vehicle. It was empty.
Frantically looking up and down the street for a man carrying a baby, Woody couldn't spot him. He was about to get back into his car and report what he'd found when a cross town bus pulled up at the corner, practically in front of his face.
Once again looking up and down the street Woody spied the back of a bus a few blocks away. His heart sank, knowing that Palmer's pursuit had just gotten exponentially harder with all the stops a public bus could make as well as the other passengers that could now be considered hostages.
Radioing in the updates his heart actually lifted for a moment when the police helicopter reported having the bus in question in sight. The relief was short lived, however, when the pilot reported the bus had pulled into the terminal. From there Palmer could disappear into the crowd, jump a local or cross country bus, or walk out and catch a waiting cab. He could be anywhere within minutes!
He ordered all units to converge on the terminal with the description of Palmer being sent to them. They were also reminded not to engage him unless there was no other choice because of the baby. He ordered dispatch to have the station shut down and to have all taxi companies withdraw their cabs from the station for the duration of the encounter.
It was no more than ten minutes later that Woody entered the bus terminal. He was surprised to hear a commotion going on near the men's lavatory. Heading in that direction, but keeping his eyes open for Palmer, he discovered that a young boy of nine had found a dead body in the bathroom. The terminal security guard was trying to call the police, but not getting very far because of the irate mother of the child yelling in his ear that she would sue the city for allowing this horrendous thing to happen to her baby!
Flashing his badge to the beleaguered guard, Woody stepped by him and entered the bathroom. There in one of the stalls was a dead black man of about twenty years of age. Even crumpled on the ground as he was, Woody could tell he would be about Palmers height and build. The fact that the youth was in his underwear clearly told that Palmer had killed him for his clothes. What was odd about the scene was that there were extra clothes on the ground around the body. Not the ones that Palmer had been wearing, although those were there too, but these looked like gym or work out clothes.
Back in McLean Virginia, AJ Chegwidden had been told there was a flight leaving for Boston in fifty minutes, but there was only stand-by room. There was another flight twenty minutes later that had four seats open. AJ booked both of them and headed to the airport not even stopping to change clothes. He figured he could get a refund later on which ever ticket he didn't use.
To be continued…