Page 22 of Graveyard Dog

Two officers came up and started asking the nurses questions. Michael strode up to them. There was nothing innocuous about his stance, even with Izzy in his arms.

The tallest of the two turned to him. “Sir, you’ll have to wait in the lobby.”

“She’s our daughter,” he lied. Partially. “I want to see the security footage.”

“We can’t let a civilian see the footage right now. My sergeant is on the way.”

He stepped closer to the officer until their noses were almost touching. “This is the girl’s mother. We may know who took her. We need to see the footage.”

“We don’t know that anyone has been taken yet.” The officer put his hand on his Taser and stood his ground, even though Michael outweighed him by a good thirty pounds of pure muscle. “I can’t do anything without approval.”

“You want approval?” Michael asked. “I’ll get you approval.” He took out his phone with his free hand and scrolled until he found the number he was looking for.

“What are you doing?” Izzy asked.

“Calling for backup.” He put the phone on speaker so Izzy could hear, as well as anyone else in the immediate area, including the cops.

A woman picked up. “Special Agent Carson.”

“Carson, my name is Michael Cavalcante. I’m a friend of Charley’s.”

“I know who you are.” She had a crisp, firm tone.

“There’s been an abduction.”

“Anyone…special?”

“Very.”

“Where are you?”

“Santa Fe.”

“I’m in Algodones. I can be there in forty minutes.”

“Twenty would be better.”

“Ping me your location. Any cops around?”

He took the phone off speaker and handed it to the officer.

“This is Officer Olivera of the Santa Fe PD.” He paused and glanced back at Michael. “Yes, ma’am. My sergeant is on her way. I understand.” He handed the phone back to Michael and turned to the medical personnel. “Lock it down.”

They complied immediately, locking all the doors in and out of the hospital and making an announcement over the intercom as to why. Missing child. Five years old. Curly, dark hair. Pink hospital gown.

They fitted the nurse with a neck brace and lifted her onto the gurney. Several more medical personnel stood at the end of the hall, peering at the chaos, their faces full of curiosity before Michael caught their attention, and they scrambled off to help with the search.

He had a great glare.

The officer pressed the call button on the mic at his shoulder. “Dispatch, we have a possible abduction. Requesting additional backup. FBI is en route.”

“FBI?” the female dispatcher asked.

“Affirmative.”

“Copy that. Sending additional units to your location. Do you have a description of the parties involved?”

“Just the child.” He repeated the description that had gone out over the intercom. “I’ll update as soon as I have more. And I’ll get a picture over, too.”

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