Callie chuckled wanting to lighten the moment. “Sounds like you have your hands full.”
Liam made a non-response which said more than words ever could.
Callie twisted to Reid. “I need to use the restroom.” He immediately stood with her and they made their way upstairs to the public toilets.
“Let me just check it out.”
Callie gave him a long-suffering smile and shook her head. “Fine, go ahead.”
Callie watched Reid disappear inside the ladies’ room. She waited with her back to the wall and turned her head as she heard footsteps on the stairs.
A flustered woman around her age with a blonde child of about three in her arms advanced toward her. Callie offered her a friendly nod as the woman stepped around her and pushed into the ladies’ room.
Callie followed, wanting to stop the woman from freaking out when she found Reid inside and stopped dead.
“Callie, get out,” Reid shouted, but he was too late as the woman who faced them grabbed the young mother and her child, and pressed a gun against the little boys back.
Chapter Twenty
Reid gut tightened as he stepped into the ladies’ room and let the door close behind him. His instinct told him something was very, very wrong as he approached the last stall. He gave it a light push, and the door held.
“Hello, is someone in there?” He heard the toilet flush and stepped back, not wanting to frighten whoever was to death with his presence in the ladies’ toilet. He glanced at the door as it opened, and every breath in his body left him. “You!”
“Hello, handsome.” The woman advanced, her hand steady on the gun she aimed at him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Reid fought the desire to glance at the door, instead angling his body so he was between Sophia and Callie.
“I’m afraid playtime is over for you and Callie. I need her to come with me now.”
“Not a fucking chance in hell.”
Reid witnessed Callie’s agent’s face twist with fury, and her hand tightened on the trigger. He had zero doubt in his mind that she would shoot him. He also had no doubt whatsoever that he wouldn’t let this mad bitch anywhere near Callie.
He was about to overpower her when the door opened behind him and a young woman with a small child walked in. His nightmare became complete when Callie entered behind her.
He moved at the same time as Sophia did, but he dove towards Callie while Sophia grabbed the young mother and pressed the gun to the toddler in her arms. The air in the room seemed to go still for a second as if time froze. He shoved Callie behind him and faced Sophia, and felt Callie grip the back of his shirt.
Callie peered around his back, and his muscles tensed ready to run if he had too. “Soph, what is this all about? Let them go, and we can talk about this.”
The little boy whimpered as the mother cried and wriggled in Sophia’s hold.
Sophia shook her. “Keep fucking still. I don’t want to hurt you or your kid but if she doesn’t do as I say, I won’t hesitate.”
The mother looked towards them, silently begging them to help her. Reid had years of experience with hostage rescue, and he knew when a person was bluffing, and Sophia wasn’t.
“I’ll come with you, just let them go.” Callie pulled away, and he angled himself slightly to stay between her and Sophia.
“No, Callie. I can’t let you do that.” His eyes rested on her face, wanting her to see the truth and love he felt for her in them.
She glanced at the mother and child and back to him as she spoke. “I have too. I could never live with myself if a child got hurt because of me.”
He gripped her arms, almost bruising her in their grip before he swallowed. “Please, sunshine.”
Callie peered up at him with so much love and trust in her eyes he felt his chest tighten. “I have too, you know it and so do I.”
“Enough with the lovey-dovey shit.” Sophia waved the gun around before placing it closer to the child’s head. Reid knew hate, he knew what it was to want someone dead, but in that second, he had never wanted anything more than he did now. His eyes moved to the mother and toddler, and he knew Callie was right.
He needed to do something, anything so he could find her and fast once they left there. He knew Sophia wouldn’t let her keep her phone and bag, so that was out of the question. He would have to rely on old fashioned skill for this one. The one that meant the most and he was already failing her.
“I’ll find you,” he whispered, and she nodded, her face clear of any doubt.
“Let them go, and I’ll leave with you,” Callie demanded.
Sophia sneered. “What makes you think you’re in a position to give orders? I’m in charge now, and you’ll do as I say.” She waved at Reid with the gun again. “Lie on the floor.”
Reid held his hands up as he went to his knees and slowly moved to his belly, his eyes never leaving Sophia.
In a swift movement, the crazy agent pushed the mother and child to the floor and grabbed for Callie, pressing the gun to her head.
“You, open that door and make sure the exit is clear.”
The mother did as directed, and Sophia backed from the small room looking triumphant. “Stay here, or I’ll splatter her pretty brains all over the floor.”
Reid clenched his jaw, rethinking every thought he’d ever had about hurting a woman and he knew at that moment if he ever got his hands on Sophia, she would die. Callie kept her sights on him until the door closed, leaving him, the terrified young woman, and her crying son alone.
He moved to her on his knees. “Hey, you’re safe now.” He looked to the door wanting to go but taking the extra seconds to reassure the traumatised mom.
“Go, get her back.” Her face was steady as she held her son to her chest and rocked.
Reid nodded and was moving before she finished speaking. He pulled the door and was at the top of the stairs when he saw Liam and Lopez racing up them.
“Sophia has Callie.” The words were bitter on his lips as he said them.
Liam looked towards the back hallway and staff door. “That way.”
The three of them took off as if the hounds of hell were behind them. They ran through the shocked group of waitstaff and down the back stairs toward the fire exit.
Reid slammed the door open and looked left and right. Seeing nothing, he looked again, trying to figure out which way to go.
Liam took over knowing the town better. “This way, she needs a car, and she won’t have paid for parking.”
His joke wasn’t meant to be funny, merely the truth. As a unit they ran towards the football ground where the car park had no barriers. Each man raced for different ends of ample space.
He dodged around families and students out for the day trying to spot his sunshine and couldn’t. His heart was hammering inside his chest as desperation built. He needed to get to her, to save her. Lopez jogged over to him from the far side and stopped; his breathing barely changed for his exertion.
“Nothing. She must have had a car.”
Reid nodded and took one more glance around. He couldn’t shake the feeling someone had eyes on him. He glanced at Liam as he stopped next to them. “You feel it?”
Liam nodded. “You think it’s Gunner?”