And violating people’s civil rights.”
McDill shrugged. “Desperate times, desperate measures.”
“I wish it worked that way sometimes. We’ll start by going through the Jackson police department mug books. And the NCIC computer.” He ran his tongue over his lips and glanced away from the McDills. Somehow this action telegraphed his next question.
“No,” the surgeon said.
“No, what?”
“No, we’re not going to involve our son at this point. The third member of this group was a semiretarded giant who claimed to be the leader’s cousin. He called himself Huey. He kept Peter in a cabin in the woods, somewhere within two hours of Jackson. He called the leader Joey. That makes me think Joe was the leader’s real name. From what my son described, the retarded man might have had trouble remembering an alias. He spent all night whittling. But that’s all Peter could tell you. We don’t want him involved.”
“Not even to look at mug books?”
“Not at this point.”
“But, Doctor-”
“If you try to involve our son, I’m going to call my attorney and break off contact with you. I’ve already spoken to him tonight, and he urged me not to speak to you without him present. I disregarded that advice. However, if you try to involve Peter, I will call him. He’s awake at home, waiting for just such a call.”
Chalmers started to respond, then apparently decided that McDill was not the sort to be intimidated by threats.
“Well, then. The next step is to go over to the JPD and go through some of their mug books. There’ll be a homicide shift working, and I know some of the guys over there. I can access NCIC from there, as well. Are you two ready to look at a hell of a stack of pictures?”
“We’re prepared to do anything you require, short of involving Peter. The sooner the better. I really think there are people in danger as we speak.”
Chalmers nodded. “From all you’ve told me, I’d say we have a few hours before they try to wire and collect the ransom. I’m going to wake up my boss and outline the situation. We can alert the coastal banks to flag all wire transfers of any size coming in tomorrow morning. We can have agents from the New Orleans office ready to respond the moment a suspicious wire comes in. We can also have a tactical squad here in Jackson, ready to hit whatever bank is the source of the wire, and arrest the leader while the wife is inside trying to send it. There are lots of ways to come at this thing-”
“Just a minute,” McDill interrupted. “You’re forgetting something.”
“What? The hostage?”
“Yes. If you arrest any of these people, the schedule of thirty-minute telephone calls they keep will be broken, and the man in the woods will kill the child.”
“Doctor, a minute ago you were talking about calling in a bomb threat to ID the woman involved.”
“Yes, but only to confirm that it’s really happening again. And they use cell phones, so that wouldn’t break their schedule.”
“What exactly do you expect us to do with the information you’ve given me? Nothing?”
“I’m not sure. But you can’t just ride into the middle of this thing like the Seventh Cavalry. You’ll get people killed.”
“That’s not how we operate, Doctor. We might follow them from the ransom pickup at the bank, using a helicopter. We could put a GPS tracking device on the doctor’s car while it’s parked at the bank. The leader and the woman are eventually going to meet somewhere with the money. Maybe even at the same Mc-Donald’s restaurant where your wife got your son back.”
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.”
