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CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

Ken Akana grips the phone, presses it tightly to his ear.

“You are not to go in,” Chief McCray commands.

He hears Chief McCray say something in the background, then his voice is back in Ken’s ear again. “I have a team only five minutes out,” the police chief says.

Ken’s heart hammers. They’re close. And he knows the chief is right. But Amy…

He stabs the disconnect button and hurries quietly up the concrete stairs to the second floor, to the door of their room. The window is open a crack—he’d opened it earlier—but the drapes are drawn now.

He crouches low, puts his ear to the opening. Hears Amy’s voice, steady but pleading:

“I’ll go with you. You don’t need the gun.”

“We can finally be together now, out in the open,” the male voice says.

“Yes.” It’s weak and unconvincing.

“And I can help you find your daughter.”

“Did you have anything to do with…?”

“What? Of course not. Why would you—I’m a police officer. Of course I wouldn’t.”

“Okay,” Amy says, “help me find her, let’s go.”

“I want to wait for your husband.”

“But I told you, our marriage is over. We’re through. He’s not coming here.”

Ken’s heart is shattering into pieces—she’s trying to protect him.

“I know he’s staying here. I saw you check in together. He and I just need to have a talk.”

“About what?” Amy’s tone is desperate.

“That’s between us men.”

“You don’t need to do that. I don’t want him. I only want you.”

A siren wails from down the street. Ken jerks to the side as the drapes fly open.

“Goddammit,” Lockwood says. “We need to go.”

Ken catches sight of distant spinning red and blue lights. The police are close, but they won’t make it in time.

The door bursts open.

Amy comes out of the room, Lockwood right behind her, his hand clutching her upper arm. Amy’s eyes widen when she sees Ken.

Ken waves for her to get out of the way, to run. Fear blazes in her eyes but she does it, yanks her arm away hard and takes off.

Ken doesn’t wait for Lockwood to comprehend, to go after her, to take a shot.

He launches himself into Lockwood, propelled by white-hot fury, summoning every ounce of his strength. He rams into the man, throwing his weight into it, grabbing his midsection, and hoisting him up and over the thin metal railing.