Never Surrender Read online

Crawford and the agent moved farther away, making it impossible for Alex to hear anything they said. He couldn’t get closer to them without making it clear that he was listening.

  Maybe that was the point. With as exhausted as he was, perhaps they could tell he was eavesdropping. But why wouldn’t they want Alex to know what they were saying? His son was missing, and the case was connected to the other ones somehow. They couldn’t prove a direct link, but it was there.

  The last several years proved as much.

  So, if Crawford and the agent didn’t want Alex hearing their conversation, they were hiding something from him. That agent could be working with the chief. And if that were true, that meant they were both moles.

  No wonder the kidnapping ring had been getting away with their crimes for so long—they possibly had not only a police chief on their side, but also a federal agent.

  How deep did this go? How many of the good guys were preventing this crime spree from ending? How many more kids had to suffer until they were stopped?

  Acid churned in Alex’s gut. Something had to be done. No more children should be taken. This needed to end—the sooner the better.

  He glanced back over at them, his heart thundering.

  Crawford and the agent were still huddled together. Were they discussing the next round of kids to be taken? Or plotting to snatch Laney or Ariana? Or even Ava? The man in the trench coat had been going after her, too.

  When would the kids in this town ever be safe?

  Not until Alex did something bold to put a stop to it. His son was already missing, he wasn’t going to sit around with busy work until one of his daughters or his best friend’s daughters also disappeared.

  He closed his laptop and stared at the two moles—there was no question now. They were involved somehow. Crawford, at least. The agent, maybe. Alex didn’t know anything about him. He recognized the man, but that was about it. They had never worked together on any level, much less had a conversation. And given how often the federal agents came to help their small force, it was suspicious. Crawford had to have made sure he and Alex never got close enough to speak.

  Alex’s mouth grew dry as he stared. He needed to say something, and soon. For all he knew, the man had a trench coat in his car and was planning to head to the high school after he finished talking with Crawford. Or worse, Zander could be at his house this very moment, crying and missing his parents.

  There was no time to waste.

  Pulse drumming in his ears, Alex rose.

  Crawford and the agent were still talking, but their stances indicated they would soon part ways.

  Anderson appeared between Alex and the moles. “You okay?”

  Alex gave him a double-take. “Yeah, fine.”

  “Fine?” He cocked a brow.

  “Okay, I’m not fine. My kid is missing. I need to talk to Crawford.”

  “You sure you want to? I heard he’s in a bad mood.”

  “I don’t care about that. The only thing that matters is putting a stop to these kidnappings—all of them.”

  Anderson put a hand on Alex’s arm. “I know you’re frustrated more than I could imagine, but what do you plan to say to him?”

  That gave Alex pause.

  “You don’t know what you’re going to say?”

  Alex drew in a deep breath. “He knows more than he’s letting on. It’s time he comes clean.”

  “If that’s true, do you think now is the best time to bring that up?”

  “I can’t think of a better time.”

  “You’re under-slept and over-stressed. You want to grab lunch and discuss possibilities?”

  “It’s too early for lunch.” Alex glanced back over at Crawford.

  He was still speaking with the agent.

  “Then a conference room. Let’s get this figured out.”

  Alex kept watching them from the corner of his eye. “There isn’t anything to figure out. I need to talk to him. Excuse me.”

  Anderson started to say something, but Alex marched away. There was only one thing he needed to do, and hashing it out with the other detective wasn’t going to help. It would only put things off.

  Alex stopped just a few feet from the chief and the agent.

  They continued talking, but he waited. Crawford inched away and the agent followed.

  So did Alex. He stood closer, looking directly at them.

  The chief finally turned to him. “Do you need something, Detective?”

  Alex nodded. “We need to talk.”

  “Take a number. I’m in the middle of discussing the case at the moment.”

  “My son is missing, and the cases are related.”

  “Then you shouldn’t be on any of them.”

  Alex crossed his arms. “The cases aren’t connected in any official capacity, and I’m not involved in my son’s case, aside from being his father.”

  “Then let us handle this.” Crawford turned back to the agent.

  “Let me in on the conversation. I know more about the ring than almost anyone.”

  The chief turned back to him. “That’s a bold statement.”

  “Want to see my blog?”

  “We’re aware of your little website.”

  “Little website?” Alex scoffed. “I’ll have you know—”

  “I’ve got to take this.” The agent pulled a phone from his pocket and looked at the chief. “We can finish this later.”

  Crawford nodded but shot a glare in Alex’s direction.

  The agent left, his attention on his call.

  “What do you want, Mercer? You’re supposed to be taking leave.”

  “Can’t you figure it out?”

  “Your kid is missing. I don’t know what you’re doing here at all.”

  “Trying to get to the bottom of this case!”

  “Tone it down.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes, seriously.” The chief’s brows drew together. “What do you think I’m doing? There are eleven, possibly twelve, missing kids who are potentially tied to the ring we’ve been dealing with for what feels like eons. We all want the same thing. Everyone here is trying to ferret through the details to bring all those kids home—including yours—even though not one case is in our jurisdiction.”

  “How much do you know about the ring?”

  “As much as anyone here.”

  “Not more?” Alex stared him down.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I think you know.”

  “And I think you need to go home and get some rest. Let us handle this case. You can post about it on your blog and comfort your wife. In fact, that’s an order.”

  The words felt like a slap to the face. “An order?”

  “Yes. You’re under extreme stress, and it sounds like you’re on the verge of making accusations that could have negative impacts on your career. Go home and focus on your family.”

  Alex clenched his jaw. “What I want is to have a conversation with you.”

  "You sure that's what you want to do?"

  "Positive."

  Crawford drew in a deep breath and his expression tightened. “Okay. Let’s grab a conference room and chat. Then you’ll agree to go home?”

  “Depending on how it goes.”

  “Let’s get this over with.” Crawford headed for the conference rooms.

  Alex followed, eager to finally confront the chief.

  Chapter 27

  An odd sense of calm came over Alex as he closed the door behind them.

  Crawford sat on the other side of the table. “Let’s make this quick. There are several others who need me, as well.”

  Alex ignored the comment as he took a seat and scooted in. He leaned back and studied the chief before responding. “How long have you been involved in this?”

  “Following the ring?”

  “You could put it that way.”

  Crawford’s mouth formed a straight line. “Like everyone else here, longer than I know. Fo
r a long time, we thought we merely had a string of random abductions. None of us suspected something so sinister.”

  “Not even you?”

  The chief leaned back and crossed his arms. “I had no reason to, just like everyone else.”

  “Interesting.”

  “What’s so interesting about that? If you have something you want to say, spit it out. Time is of the essence.”

  “Why is it you only show up here when there’s a big case? Usually, involving the kidnapping ring.”

  “I come in plenty of other times, not that I need to prove myself to you. You’d still be a deputy if it weren’t for me, don’t forget.”

  Alex sat up straighter and held Crawford’s gaze a moment before speaking. “And you had no other motivations behind my promotion?”

  “Such as?”

  “You tell me.”

  “You’re the one asking the questions.”

  Alex took a deep breath, calculating his words. If he went too far, he could lose his job. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Not when finding Zander was the most important matter. Also, if he wasn’t tied to a specific precinct, he’d be free to move wherever he and Zoey wanted.

  “Well?” Crawford tapped his watch.

  “I find it curious that you’re so involved with the ring.”

  “Involved with? Explain.”

  Irritation ran through Alex. “I’m asking you to explain.”

  “Explain what, exactly? What are you getting at?”

  “Do you know anything about the kidnapping ring that the rest of us don’t?” Alex blurted.

  “Such as?”

  Anger festered in Alex’s gut. “Anything we don’t know!”

  “Are you accusing me of something, Mercer?”

  “I’m asking you a question! Just answer it. Do you have insider information?”

  Crawford smirked. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

  “What does that mean?” Alex leaned forward.

  “You think I’m involved with the ring?”

  “That isn’t what I said.”

  “It’s what you want to know.”

  Alex didn’t say anything.

  Neither did Crawford.

  “Are you?”

  “Am I part of the ring?”

  Alex gave a slight nod.

  “Do you realize what you’re asking?”

  “A question. I’m asking a question, not making an accusation. I’ve observed some things that have given me pause. And now I need an answer. That’s it. One word—yes or no.”

  The chief pressed his palms on the table. “I realize you’re under a great deal of stress. Having a child go missing isn’t something I can pretend to understand. Even so, I do empathize with your pain and desperation. But I’m not the enemy. Like I said out there, I’m on your side. I want to take down these bastards as much as anyone else in this precinct. I’m going to say one more thing, and I want you to listen closely. Do you understand?”

  Alex gritted his teeth.

  “Do you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” Crawford paused for what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few moments. “You’re dangerously close to a career-ending accusation with zero proof. I like you, Mercer. I want you to succeed. But I can only do so much. So, what we both need is for you to go home and take care of yourself until your son is returned to your arms. The leave will be paid, and you have full access to counseling, which I recommend you take advantage of, and quickly. Stop peering down rabbit holes and looking for conspiracies where there are none. We’re all on the same team. Do you agree?”

  Alex’s stomach knotted. The conversation hadn’t gone as he’d hoped, but he’d probably been a fool to think he could corner the chief into admitting something so serious. At least the chief knew he was on to him.

  “Detective?” Crawford lifted an eyebrow.

  “I agree.”

  “Good.” The chief rose. “I’m glad we could come to an agreement. Go be with your family and know we’re doing everything we can. The agents are in close contact with their people, who are looking into both your case and the string of abductions. We’ll get this resolved soon.”

  “And take down the ring?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “Great.”

  “Then we’re done here.” Crawford strutted to the door and flung it open. “Get some rest, Mercer. You need it.”

  Alex just nodded. His head pounded, and his heart threatened to explode out of his chest.

  Either the chief was involved and was a phenomenal liar, or he was innocent and had just spared Alex’s future as a police officer.

  Or maybe a bit of both.

  Chapter 28

  Nick pushed back his chair and stretched out his arms. His muscles were tense, and he could feel the start of a headache forming in the back of his head. He put his computer on sleep mode and rose.

  Knock, knock.

  Alex stood on the other side of the door.

  Nick waved him in, trying to read his friend’s expression. It was like trying to read a brick wall.

  “Got a minute?” Alex asked.

  “Yeah.” Nick glanced at the time. “It’s a little early, but do you want to take a lunch break?”

  He hesitated. “Actually, that sounds perfect. Let’s drive separately, though.”

  “Really?” Nick grabbed his jacket. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m going to take the rest of the day off, so I’m going to go home after.”

  “That’s a good idea, given everything that’s going on. Do you want to meet at the pizza place again?”

  Alex shook his head. “Somewhere quieter.”

  “Good point.” That place would send his headache into overdrive with the loud music. “That sub place around the corner?”

  “Perfect. See you in a few.” Alex hurried out.

  Nick felt bad for his friend. If only there was more he could do, but they were limited since the abduction had taken place so far away.

  Maybe Alex was planning on heading back to Idaho to help in the search or to be with Zoey.

  Nick spoke with a few people on his way to the car. Once outside, he took a deep breath of cold air. Just being away from the buzz of activity helped him to feel a little better.

  Alex’s car was already in the lot when he arrived at the shop. They made small talk until sitting down with their food.

  “What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Nick bit into his meatball sandwich.

  Alex sipped his coffee. “Good question.”

  “You don’t have plans?”

  He shrugged. “Crawford suggested I take a leave. It wasn’t really a suggestion, though.”

  “What brought that on?”

  “I may have accused him of being a mole.”

  Nick choked on a meatball but managed to clear his airway. “You what?”

  “Not in so many words, but he got the drift. Denied it, of course.”

  “He didn’t fire you?”

  Alex shook his head. “Said I should take some time off and get counseling.”

  “You’re lucky. You realize that, don’t you?”

  “Yeah.” Alex took a bite of his sub.

  Nick let the news settle in. “Does he know others are on the same wavelength?”

  “I didn’t bring anyone else into the conversation.”

  “Do you need anything?”

  “No. He gave me a paid leave.”

  “I mean, are you going to join Zoey? Can I help with Ari?”

  Alex shook his head. “For now, I’m staying here. Zoey’s making some missing posters and is going to send the file to me. I’m going to post them around town and put the file on my blog so others can print them off if they’re so inclined.”

  “I’ll let you know right away when I hear anything.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  Nick’s phone alerted him to a text. It was from the precinct. They needed him back
immediately. “I have to get back. Something urgent.”

  “Always an emergency.” Alex crinkled his empty sandwich wrapping. “If it has to do with the kidnappings, let me know.”

  “Will do. And if you need anything, give a holler. G’s home with Megan, too.”

  “I’ll be fine. Just need to find Zander.”

  “We’re all on it.”

  They said goodbye and went to their separate cars. Nick was still sore, but felt better after eating. He hoped Alex would be okay. Work kept him centered during tough times. Left to his own devices, he could get himself into trouble—or at least he had in the past. Perhaps this time would be different.

  Back at the station, the air was buzzing again. He found Crawford. “What’s going on?”

  The chief took a deep breath, his forehead wrinkling. “One of the missing kids was found. Dead.”

  Nick’s stomach dropped. “Not Alex’s?”

  “No. A girl from the first round of kidnappings.”

  “Which town?” Nick demanded.

  “Somewhere in California. I can’t recall the exact name.”

  Anderson hurried over, his face pale. “Just got word about a second child! This time, in Oregon.”

  “Two in one hour?” Nick exclaimed.

  “Excuse me.” Crawford raced away.

  “Yes,” Anderson said. “There are still nine others.”

  Nick wrung his hands together. “Plus Zander.”

  Anderson and Nick shared a worried glance.

  “The cases might not be related,” Anderson offered.

  “Unlikely. Especially considering the ring would have expected Zander to be here. Zoey taking them to Idaho threw them off.”

  Anderson stepped closer. “Do you think this whole thing was about Alex’s family?”

  “Do you?”

  Silence hung between them before Anderson answered. “Given past events, it wouldn’t surprise me. The ring has basically gone after every member of his family.”

  A horrible thought struck Nick. “Except Laney.”

  “Do you want to call him, or should I?”

  “I told him I’d let him know the moment I heard anything about the cases.”

  Anderson’s expression tightened. “Tell him to keep an especially close eye on Laney.”

  “I’m sure Zoey is, but I’ll mention it.” Nick rushed to his office, his heart racing.