24 Hours

A disturbing current of anxiety was flowing through McDill. “Agent Chalmers, my child lived through his kidnapping precisely because I did not attempt to involve the police. I’ve come forward now to try to prevent another family from going through the same experience we did. But the fact is, they’re probably going through it already. And if your people attempt to intervene, you could cause the death of a child who otherwise would probably live. And please don’t start talking to me about ‘acceptable risk.’ Because I’m old enough to remember Vietnam.”

Chalmers blew air from his cheeks in frustration. “You’re saying we should let these kidnappers get away in order to be absolutely sure the hostage makes it. But if they get away with it again, they’ll simply keep doing it. If you’re right about any of this, I mean. And sooner or later, they’ll make a mistake. Or some parent will crack under the pressure, and their child will be murdered. It’s got to stop here, Doctor.”

McDill wrung his hands, a gesture he despised but at this moment was powerless to stop. “I understand that. It’s just… I know the potential for human error. If you involve a large number of people in any process, you exponentially increase the risk of mistakes. The kind of surveillance you’re talking about, planting bugs, following cars with helicopters-”

“We’re the FBI, Doctor,” Chalmers said. “We’re professionals.”

McDill sighed heavily. “No offense, but that doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.”

TEN

“Go to the other side of the bed,” Karen ordered. “Move.”

Still rattled by the gunshots, Hickey edged around the foot of the bed, leaving her between the bathroom and Will’s side of the bed.

“Pick up that phone,” she said, pointing at the cordless beside Hickey. “That’s the private line.”

“Who am I calling?”

“Pick it up!”

Hickey obeyed, but his eyes had a manic gleam that kept Karen’s finger on the trigger.

“Call my husband’s hotel room.”

“You’re making a mistake, Karen.”

She raised the gun until it was pointed at his face, then spoke into the phone in her left hand. “Abby, are you outside yet?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Get down out of sight.” She shifted the phone into the crook between her right shoulder and cheek. Now she could keep the pistol in her right hand while taking the private line from Hickey with her left. The phone on which Abby waited-Will’s phone-handled both lines, but she didn’t want to put Abby on hold unless she absolutely had to. “Are you down in some bushes?”

“Uh-huh. They’re itchy.”

“You sit tight right there. I’m calling Daddy, and we’re going to straighten this out and come get you. Don’t hang up, remember?”

“I’m not.”

“Have you got Will yet?” she asked Hickey.

He raised his hands as though to negotiate. “I’m bleeding to death here. Can’t you stitch up my leg first?”

“The sooner you get Will on the phone, the sooner you stop bleeding.”

Hickey dialed a number and asked for suite 28021.

“Throw the receiver onto the bed.”

He did. She picked it up with her left hand and heard the phone ringing. Then a female voice said, “Hey.”

“Put Dr. Jennings on the phone.”

“Who is this?”

“This is Mrs. Jennings. And if you don’t put him on the phone, I’m going to shoot your husband in the head.”

There was a stunned silence. Then the woman said, “You can’t do that. We’ve got your little girl.”

“Your husband’s bleeding pretty badly right now, missy. You’d better get a move on.”

She heard a fumbling with the phone. Then Will said, “Karen?”

“Will, thank God.”

“What’s going on? Is Abby all right?”

“She’s free. I mean-”

“Free?”

“She got away from the man guarding her. She’s hiding in the woods with a cell phone. I’m talking to her right now.”

“My God! Where’s the man now?”

“Hunting for her. But she’s hunkered down in some bushes.”

“Where’s Joe?”

“I’m holding a gun on him. And I’m very tempted to blow his goddamn head off.”

“Don’t do that, Karen.”

“I know. But what can we do? If we call the police, can they trace the cell phone Abby’s using? Can they find her?”

“I think they can triangulate cell phones pretty well. But if she’s out in the country somewhere… I don’t know. I don’t know if they use towers or trucks or what. How far away from Jackson do you think she is?”

“An hour. Maybe more, maybe less.”

“It won’t work,” said Hickey.

“Sixty miles,” Will mused.

“It won’t work,” Hickey said again. “What you’re thinking won’t work.”

“Shut up!” Karen snapped.

“What’s the matter?” asked Will.

“Hickey says tracing the phone won’t work.”

“To hell with him. Look, I know the guy who runs CellStar. I did a gallbladder on his wife, and I played in a golf tournament with him.”

“Call him! He’ll know what the police can do.”

“We need to know what cellular company Hickey’s people are using. CellStar is the biggest, and he might have picked it for anonymity. Tell him to give you his cell phone.”

Karen gestured at Hickey’s pocket with the pistol. “Give me your cell phone.”

“What for?”

“To keep me from shooting you! I’m losing my patience here.”

Hickey took a small Nokia from his pocket and tossed it across the bed.