Page 76 of Unveiled

Aiden hesitated, and Adalyn's heart sank. “It’s good that we have an approximate location, but we don’t have the time or resources to check all the cameras. By the time we get our hands on the footage, there’s a good chance the exchange will already be underway.”

“So what now?” Adalyn fought to control the tremor in her voice.

He rubbed his eyes. “I keep pulling threads. Eventually one of them will lead us to the right person.”

Knox spoke up. “We’ve got eyes everywhere. The PD has been in contact with border patrol to make sure nothing slips through.”

“Good.” Adalyn couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Knox stood and gestured with his chin. “Come with me?”

It was really more of an order than a request, and Adalyn fell into step behind him, intent on ignoring Jaxon’s piercing gaze as long as possible. Her stomach twisted into a knot as they exited the bullpen area and turned left, then headed into the office at the end of the hallway.

Knox closed the door behind them partway, then took a seat in a chair in front of the desk. He motioned for Adalyn to take the other, and she reluctantly slid into it. She watched him uneasily as he stretched one hand across the desk and picked up a small rectangular piece of paper. He shielded the contents from her view as he set it in his lap, face down.

“I need a favor from you.”

“Okay?” Adalyn bit her lip at his serious tone.

He stared at her, dark eyes assessing. “I wouldn’t ask this if I didn’t think you were strong enough to handle it.” Adalyn didn’t say a word—she couldn’t. Her breath caught in her chest as she waited for him to continue.

“You know Jaclyn better than anyone.” She nodded at the rhetorical statement. “Would you be able to look at the photograph and tell me if anything looks familiar?”

The image of Jaclyn's tear-stained face was seared into Adalyn's mind, and she momentarily closed her eyes against the pain it wrought. Forcing the tears away, she met Knox’s gaze and nodded. “I…” She cleared her throat and steeled herself. “Of course.”

He lifted the photograph he’d had concealed at his side and swallowed hard at the sight of it. Those dark eyes cut into her. “You good?”

Adalyn nodded, unable to speak, and took the photo from him with trembling hands. She cleared her throat. “What am I looking for?”

“Anything.” He sat back in his seat, giving her space. “Tell me if anything seems familiar. The floors, the walls, any distinguishing characteristics.”

Tears cutting tracks down Jaclyn's face, big gray eyes stared up at Adalyn imploringly. Jaclyn was still wearing the same outfit Adalyn had dressed her in on Thursday before she left for work. The sight brought tears to Adalyn's eyes. Was she being cared for? Was she safe?

Adalyn slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that she couldn’t hold back. Grief was a crushing weight, and her body folded in on itself. Bending at the waist, she let the pain pour out, dimly aware of a heavy palm on her back.

She hated whoever had done this. At that moment, she was ready to rip someone apart with her bare hands. Cold fury replaced the crippling hurt. Crying wouldn’t bring Jaclyn back. She needed to focus for her sake. She swore on everything holy that she would make sure the person responsible suffered when they found him.

Pulling herself together, she drew in a ragged breath and swiped the tears from her face with the sleeve of her sweater.

Knox’s hand dropped away. “If you don’t⁠—”

Adalyn held up a hand, cutting him off midsentence. It took her several moments to get her breathing under control and form words. Knox waited patiently. “I’m… I’ll be fine. Just give me a second.”

Forcing her gaze away from Jaclyn’s as she stared imploringly at the camera, Adalyn studied the background. Her eyes skated over the generic tan carpet, shabby and worn with use. A plain white wall stood in the background, devoid of pictures or mementos.

She focused on Jaclyn and the person holding her. Jaclyn sat on the ground, and a person’s hand clutched her shoulder—keeping her upright or in place, Adalyn wasn’t sure. She studied every line of that hand resting on Jaclyn’s shoulder, fingers curled into the fabric of her shirt.

Adalyn shook her head helplessly. “I just don’t know.”

“It’s okay. It was a long shot.”

Adalyn nodded, her eyes still glued to the picture. She knew Knox had been hoping for something, anything. There was nothing, literally nothing, of value in the photo. It could be anywhere in the world.

“We’ll keep looking. We’ll⁠—”

A knock at the door cut him off. “Boss?” Adalyn's head swiveled toward the huge man Hannah had called Mason. He glanced at her, then back to Knox. “Confirmation came back.”

“Good.” Adalyn's gaze was drawn back to Knox, who wore an expression of guarded optimism. “Get everyone assembled. I’ll be there in a minute.”