I threw my beer glass against the wall, and it shattered. “That son of a bitch has Kate! How did that happen? How did he get to her? What did she tell you, Jack? Did she say where she was?”
“She only said she was doing one more pass then heading in. She had to have talked to Silver because she knew he was at the station.”
“Hurry and call him. See if he knows where she’s at.”
Amber jumped from the table, and I spun toward her.
“Don’t even think about it. You aren’t leaving this house. Finley, Wilkins, stay here and restrain her if you have to. Nobody leaves this house except Jack and me. Got it?”
“Got it. Who do you want us to call, Jade? You’re going to need backup.”
“We need to know where he’s at first.” I looked at Jack. “Well? Where the hell is Silver? Why isn’t he answering?”
Jack put his hand up as if to silence me. “Silver, it’s Jack. Kate’s been abducted. When did you talk to her last?” Jack hit the speakerphone icon.
“Fifteen minutes ago. Jesus, Jack.”
“Think about that call. Did she give you her location?”
“No, she just said she was doing her final sweep on the south edge of town.”
I piped in. “Silver, it’s Jade. Has dispatch gotten any calls in the last five to ten minutes?”
“Hang on.”
The phone went silent. I was already strapping on my sidearm. “Wilkins, run out to your squad car and grab two vests.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He disappeared out the front door and slammed it at his back.
“Amber, if you want to be helpful, call J.T. Tell him Max is somewhere in the North Bend area and is holding a female deputy hostage. Keep him in the loop and tell him to let Spelling know. Tell J.T. that Jack and I are going after Max with the help of the North Bend PD and the Washburn County Sheriff’s Department. That sick son of a bitch is going down tonight!”
Silver was back on the phone. “Kate called in a 10-37 and rattled off a plate number. There’s nothing out of the ordinary on the vehicle. It’s a 1989 Chevy pickup registered to a Will Jones that lives on Thirteenth and Morrison in Milwaukee.”
“Stolen vehicle for sure. Shit, why didn’t I think of this earlier? Check the GPS on her cruiser. Hurry.” I looked at the clock—we had twenty minutes left. “We’re heading out. Call my cell the second you have her location. Amber, call J.T. now. Finley, call the PD and the sheriff’s department and tell them the last time Silver talked to Kate, she was on the south side of town. Give Jack the keys to your squad car too. We’re going to need the lights and siren.” Jack and I slipped the vests over our heads and cinched them tight. I dropped an extra magazine into my coat pocket, and we ran out the door. We jumped into the squad car and took off.
“Hit the lights, Jack. We don’t have a second to lose. What’s taking Silver so long to track her car?”
“Think about it, Jade. Kate was patrolling the south side of town, and Max just happened to be there. That’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”
“They’re at the farm! The megastore wanted more law enforcement presence during the building phase. Max went there for his sick sentimental reasons, and Kate just happened to see the truck during her rounds, so she went to investigate. That’s why she called in a 10-37.” I checked the time again. We had twelve minutes left. My phone rang. It was Silver. “What do you have, Aaron?”
“Jade, she’s at the megastore.”
“We’re turning on G right now. Get everyone out there. That bastard isn’t getting away this time.”
Jack squealed the tires as he made the right turn. I grabbed the dash and held on.
“Only a mile to go, Jade. We still have seven minutes.”
“Jack, you know Max has Kate’s sidearm. There’s a shotgun in her cruiser too.”
He gave me a concerned look. “I know, and I’ve been trying to think of the best way to cover ourselves and get Kate out safely. We have to determine where he’s stationed once we pull in.” Jack squeezed my shoulder. “Okay, we’re here. Take a deep breath, partner. I’m counting on you. Let’s do this.”