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He nodded. “My partner stepped in. He stabbed her, hit the lawyer on the head, and took the girl. I was in the restroom.”
Gage clapped him on the shoulder. Not because the guy hadn’t made a mistake, but more because he had enough guilt over it on him already. Gage knew how that felt. “Did she…”
“She’s in surgery.” The guy looked at his hands, then backed up again. “They’re saying she should pull through, but it’s touch and go right now. Her husband came over with the kids.” He motioned behind him, but Gage couldn’t see with the crowd of cops in the hall.
A nurse wound between two officers and smiled at something someone said.
Clare shifted beside Gage. “And my mom?”
“Being checked out over there.” The officer motioned to a room.
“Thanks.” Clare looked at him. “I’ll get her to ID who it was.”
Gage said to the cop, “I’m glad there’s a chance she’ll pull through. I’ll be praying.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Lieutenant.”
Gage backed off down the hall, needing to be alone for a moment. He didn’t like feeling powerless. Surrendering his life to God meant giving up the need to control everything, but that didn’t mean the dislike of feeling like he had no control had gone. Maybe it would never go away. Or he was supposed to practice that surrender every day. Every moment.
He found an alcove past the vending machine, leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes. Took a few moments to pray for the injured officer and her family. For Letitia, even if he cared less about her than a cop. He shouldn’t, so he practiced that as well. But the cop’s situation was far more precarious than hers right now.
He prayed for Selena, a sweet young woman who’d stood up to him when he confronted Clare about Selena being their daughter.
Gage prayed that strength he’d seen meant she could withstand whatever was happening to her right now.
Then he called his suspended teammate and let it ring till the call went to voicemail.
Gage hung his head. “Dakota, it’s me. I just wanna know you’re…”Not spiraling.“…all right. Call me back.” He ended the call and let out a long breath, praying then for his friend.
“There you are, Lieutenant.”
Gage opened his eyes as Captain McCauley headed toward him. He pushed off the wall. “Did you need something, Cap?”
“We’ll get to that.”
Gage frowned.
“First update me on what your team is doing.”
“Right. The guys are interrogating everyone we have in lockup to find out where Aaron might have gone and what his plan might be. Clare Juarez is confirming the suspect’s ID with her mom.” Gage squeezed the back of his neck. “We have no idea why he might be targeting Vanguard or what connection he has to them.”
That part made no sense.
Aaron had taken Selena for the diamonds, but why already have a schematic of Vanguard? Unless he had a plan involving their building. How could there be a connection between the two things?
Gage continued, “Vanguard is looking for any property Aaron Crenshaw owns, in case he took her there. All associates and their addresses. Family. Friends. A childhood favorite spot to go. Anything the company owns. Buildings. A place he might’ve spent time or somewhere he’d know is abandoned. They evacuated their building, but they’re watching in case he shows up there.” He added, “Priority is finding Selena and capturing the suspect.”
McCauley nodded. “Agreed.”
Gage tried to focus, but he was also trying to see a familial similarity between the two of them. The fact they were half-brothers might change nothing about their relationship. They might only ever be two cops who knew each other at work.
No more.
“And now the other reason I was looking for you.”
Gage froze. The look on the captain’s face was...
“Our other business. Where you went looking for my father, and he won’t say why you were there talking to him. My sister had to tell me he had a visitor she’s never seen before.”
