Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

You can’t make me stay. You don’t understand.’ I was there in that dark little room . I was there . ‘You don’t understand.’
    Joseph pulled her to him and held her there, one hand cradling her head, the other stroking her back. ‘I’m sorry,’ he kept saying. ‘I’m so sorry.’
    ‘Joseph.’ The agonized cry was ripped from her chest. ‘They’ve got my son.’ The sobs broke free and she sagged against him, her knees folding. He caught her before she hit the pavement, lifting her into his arms like she was a child.
    ‘I know, honey,’ he whispered. ‘And I do understand. Better than you think.’
    Tuesday, December 3, 12.40 P.M.
    Joseph paced in front of the ER bay in which they’d placed her. He’d carried her himself, snarling at the orderly who approached with a wheelchair. He’d had to force himself to calm, to allow the man to wheel her through the double doors.
    His cell rang and it was Bo. Joseph had called his CO asking for a bigger team – for security and investigation. They had to find Ford and Kim. They had to protect Daphne. And her family. Family . Oh no .
    Daphne was the original target, but Grayson had worked right beside her. Now Grayson’s family – my family – is at risk . His parents, sisters, nieces, nephews.
    His sister Lisa had four kids under twelve. And then there was his sister, Holly, who was vulnerable in a different way. A high-functioning adult with Down syndrome, Holly had a lot of independence which made her accessible. Joseph’s protective instincts flared. There’s no way the Millhouses are touching my family . If VCET personnel were stretched too thinly to cover his family, he’d hire his own security. Just like Daphne did .
    ‘This is Carter. Status?’ Joseph asked.
    ‘I’ve assigned Hector and Kate to provide security for Miss Montgomery. They’ll be there in twenty. I’ve got two agents en route to her house. They’ll secure the perimeter and set up the phone systems in case the abductors call. Her mother and aunt are being taken to the house as well. We can cover them more efficiently that way.’
    Joseph’s tension lessened considerably. Both Detective Hector Rivera and Special Agent Kate Coppola were VCET, hand-picked by Bo Lamar to serve on his joint task force. Hector had come from Baltimore PD, most recently working Vice. Kate had served on an FBI SWAT team. They’d been Joseph’s first choices.
    ‘Good. We’ll also need to cover Grayson’s family. By keeping Cindy Millhouse from attacking Daphne, he damaged their plan to divert deputies away from Reggie.’
    ‘I hadn’t thought of that. Especially your sister. She had a rough time last spring.’
    Last spring, when Holly had become a killer’s pawn, used to hurt Grayson. Maybe law enforcement shouldn’t have family at all . We’re lousy prospects .
    ‘Holly’s better now, but I’ll be damned before I put her in the crosshairs again.’ At least Holly had a protection dog. Peppermint Patty never strayed more than a few feet from Holly’s side and a ninety-pound Rottweiler was a hell of a deterrent. It made the family feel safer and— Oh, hell, I forgot about the dog . ‘Daphne’s got a protection dog. If it came from where I think, it’s going to be well trained, but deadly.’
    ‘Very good to know. I’ll have the agents at her house wait for her mother before they go in. Hopefully the mother can control the dog.’
    ‘Again, if it came from where I think, it’ll be family friendly. Where are we on the warrant to check the Millhouse properties?’
    ‘Signed. BPD’s got two of their homicide guys at the Millhouse residence. I’ve got two of ours on their way to the business.’
    ‘That’s good. You’ll call me as soon as you know anything?’
    ‘Of course. Now, I have a question for you, Joseph, and I need you to be honest. Are you capable of leading this investigation? You went looking for the boy because of his connection to your father. Anyone who saw the video of the attack saw you protect Ms. Montgomery. Do the two of you have a personal connection you’d like to disclose?’
    ‘It’s true that I went looking for the boy because my father asked me to.’ Although he would have done the same had the request come from his worst enemy. Ford was Daphne’s heart. ‘But I would have protected anyone in Miss Montgomery’s situation.’
    ‘I know, Joseph, because I know you. But you have to admit it was a little extreme.’
    ‘I saw the shooter