Chapter 367
“What are we going to do?” she whispers, her voice breaking. “As long as the baby is missing… Sierra won’t survive this. She won’t p>
Lilly moves closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she doesn’t say anything. There’s nothing to say.
“We are doing everything we can,” the older officer assures her gently. “We’ve already started tracking leads. We’ll find both the baby and Brook p>
I exhale slowly, forcing myself to stay grounded.
“What do you have so far?” I ask.
The younger officer steps forward, holding out a tablet. “We managed to recover CCTV footage from the hospital p>
My focus sharpens instantly. “Show me p>
He hands me the tablet, and the moment the video begins to play, everything else fades out.
The footage is slightly grainy, taken from one of the hallway cameras near the NICU.
A man appears on the screen. He’s Middle-aged, wearing a doctor’s coat and he looks completely off.
I narrow my eyes, watching closely as he approaches the NICU doors. There’s something in his movements that screams tension and a bit of hesitation. His head turns slightly, like he’s checking if anyone is watching, then he goes inside.
Seconds pass and when he comes back out, he’s pushing an incubator.
My chest tightens, my heart thumping loudly.
I lean closer to the screen, my grip on the tablet tightening as I watch him move down the hallway. His pace is controlled, but there’s something beneath it, something uneasy.
He reaches the exit and the next camera picks it up.
Outside, an unmarked van is waiting. The back doors open and he loads the incubator in, before getting in and they drive off.
The video ends, but I replay it immediately again and again, each time, looking for something I missed. A detail. A face. A number plate. Anything… but there’s nothing. Just the same sequence over and over again.
By the fourth time, frustration builds until I finally stop the video and hand the tablet back.
“Where is the van now?” I ask.
“We tracked it through several street cameras,” the younger officer says, “but we lost it after a certain point. It disappears from the grid p>
Lilly speaks up then, her voice tight. “Did you identify the doctor p>
“Yes,” the older officer answers. “He works here, but he hasn’t been seen since the day the baby disappeared p>
“Meaning he was bought,” I say flatly.
“That’s our working theory,” he confirms.
Sierra’s mother lets out a broken sound, her hands covering her face as tears slip through her fingers. “Please… just find my granddaughter,” she begs. “Please p>
The older officer steps closer, his voice soft but firm. “We will. I promise you, we will do everything in our power p>
They leave shortly after, the door closing behind them.
A few minutes later, the door opens once more, and Sierra is wheeled back in.
She’s still unconscious, her face pale, her body completely still and for a moment, I just stand there, looking at her.
The doctor adjusts a few things before turning to leave, but I stop him.
“What are the chances?” I ask, my voice low.
He pauses, glancing back at me.
“The baby,” I clarify. “If she’s out there… what are the chances she survives p>
The doctor exhales slowly, his expression shifting.
“If the baby is kept in proper conditions, in an incubator with qualified medical care, then there is a chance she might survive,” he says carefully.
“And if not?” I press.
He hesitates, then quietly he says, “Then the chances are very low p>
The words land like a blow and I actually feel the pain physically.
Behind me, Sierra’s mother lets out an anguished cry, her body folding in on itself as Lilly rushes to hold her.
It feels like something inside me is being torn apart, piece by piece, over and over again, with no end in sight.
The thought of losing her brings pain crashing over me in waves, so much that it’s hard to breathe.
My jaw clenches, hard enough that it hurts, as something shifts inside me.
I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone.
“Who are you calling?” Lilly asks, her voice strained, but I ignore her.
The line connects after a few rings.
“I need you to reach out to every contact we have,” I say immediately, my voice steady, controlled. “Media, underground channels, private networks; every-fucking-one p>
There’s a pause on the other end before a response comes.
“I’m putting out a reward,” I continue. “One million dollars to anyone who has information about my daughter. No questions asked p>
“Yes, Mr. Wood p>
“I’ll send the details,” I add before ending the call.
I look at Sierra one more time, at the woman lying in that bed, broken in a way I’ve never seen before, and something settles deep in my chest.
I’m going to find our daughter and Brook is going to wish to pay dearly for what she’s done.