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"Okay," Beth agreed, her voice wavering with fear. "I'll call them right away."
"Good."
Morgan's heart hammered in her chest, feeling as if it might burst through her ribcage. Her mind raced with the realization that Calvin had taken Sarah. She clenched her fists, anger and fear mingling within her.
"Agent Cross?" Beth's concerned voice pulled Morgan back to the present. "What should we do?"
"Stay here and wait for the police to arrive." Morgan's voice was firm but encouraging. "Keep everyone calm and make sure no one leaves the building. I'm going after Calvin."
"Alone? But –" Beth tried to protest, but Morgan was already moving down the hallway, every second crucial in the race to save Sarah.
As she stalked through the dimly lit corridors of the retirement home, Morgan's thoughts were consumed by the twisted man named Calvin. Her gut churned at the thought of what he might have done to those elderly women. And now, Sarah was in his grasp.
Emerging from the building into the night air, Morgan scanned her surroundings for any sign of Calvin or Sarah. The retirement home was situated in a quiet neighborhood, lined with neat rows of houses and the occasional streetlight casting pools of light onto the pavement. It was eerily silent, amplifying the urgency in Morgan's racing heart.
"Think, Morgan, think," she urged herself. "Where would he take her?"
A memory flickered in her mind – Mildred's letter mentioning St. Joseph's Church. Could it be possible that Calvin returned to the place where he had been abandoned as a child?
"St. Joseph's," Morgan whispered, her voice carrying into the night. "I'm coming for you, Sarah.”
Not wasting another moment, she sprinted towards her car, determination driving her to save an innocent life and put an end to Calvin's reign of terror once and for all.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
The Dallas skyline shone like a beacon in the night as Morgan Cross steered her car through the web of traffic, her knuckles white against the wheel. The lights from the surrounding vehicles reflected off her eyes, which were narrowed in determination. She could feel the tension that had been building up inside her ever since she'd been released from prison, and now it threatened to burst free.
"Derik, talk to me," Morgan said, her voice steady despite the chaos around her. Her Bluetooth earpiece crackled as Derik's voice came through, slightly distorted by the connection.
"Got something for you, Morgan. Calvin Morse, twenty-eight years old. He was listed as Mildred's emergency contact."
Morgan's grip tightened on the wheel, her heart racing with every beat. She'd been hunting for this man for weeks, and finally, she had a name—Calvin Morse. The man responsible for these killings. The man who haunted her dreams and kept her awake at night. And now, she was one step closer to finding him.
"Good work, Derik," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Now we just need to find him before he strikes again."
"Agreed. I'll get to work on tracking down his whereabouts. You should be careful, Morgan. We don't know what this guy is capable of."
"Believe me, I know," she replied, her mind flashing back to the gruesome crime scenes she'd witnessed over the past few weeks. Scenes that Calvin Morse had left behind as his sick calling card.
As she navigated the busy streets of Dallas, Morgan couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency coursing through her veins. Time was running out, and with each passing moment, the likelihood of Calvin striking again increased.
But there was something else gnawing at her—a feeling that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was a gut instinct, something she'd learned to trust during her time in prison. And right now, it was telling her that she needed to head to St. Joseph's Church.
Morgan gripped the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles turning white. The shadows cast by the streetlights danced over her face as she raced through the night, her mind racing just as fast.
"Derik, I think Calvin has taken Sarah from the retirement home. Put out a full APB on him and dig up everything you can about his past."
"Wait, the elderly woman? What makes you think he's got her?" Derik asked, surprise evident in his voice.
"Call it a gut feeling," Morgan replied, her eyes flicking between the road ahead and the rearview mirror, ever vigilant for any sign of danger. "The time frame, his MO—it all adds up. He's escalating, and we need to stop him before it's too late."
"Alright, I'll get right on it," Derik assured her, his tone growing more serious. "But where are you going now?"
"St. Joseph's Church," Morgan said decisively, her gaze fixed on the road. "I found a letter in Mildred's room that mentioned it. That's where Calvin's mother abandoned him when he was a child. It might be nothing, but I have to check it out."
"Be careful, Morgan," Derik warned, concern lacing his voice. "This guy is dangerous, and we don't know what he's planning next."
"Trust me, I'm not underestimating him," Morgan said firmly, the memories of the gruesome crime scenes flashing through her mind like a macabre slideshow. "But if there's even a chance that this lead could help us find him and save Sarah, I have to take it."
