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Henodded, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of movement. Everynerve in his body was on high alert as he considered their next move. They wereso close to catching Dave, yet it felt like they were miles away fromapprehending him.
"Alright,"Jake said, his voice low and steady, despite his racing heart. "We need tocover more ground."
"Weshould split up," Fiona suggested.
Notlong ago, Jake would have hesitated to send Fiona off on her own. She stillwasn't armed, but he knew now that she was fast, agile, and capable.
Hecould rely on her to hold her own, at least now, in this situation. He knewthere would still be moments where it was too dangerous for her to go alone,but she could handle finding Dave.
"Okay,"he said. "If you find him, call me, okay?"
With anod, they separated, each taking a different path through the labyrinthinemuseum. As Jake moved stealthily between the displays, his mind raced withpossibilities. Where could Dave be hiding? What would he do if cornered?
"Think,think," he muttered under his breath, his eyes darting from one shadowycorner to another. Every sound set him on edge. But he had to keep looking.
As hedid, Jake thought about the scene from yesterday--the man with the stab wound,the blood slowly leaking into his clothing. He had seen more violent scenes inhis time as an agent--and even before that, when he found his mother'sbody--but something about this crime scene had gotten under his skin. Maybe itwas the sheer brutality of the attack or the senselessness of it all. Whateverit was, Jake knew that he had to bring Dave to justice.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Fiona'sheart hammered in her chest as she left the entomology exhibit, herdetermination fueling her every step. The museum had been locked down aftertheir suspect, Dave, had slipped away from them in the chaos of the crowd,leaving Fiona and Jake to search for him separately. She couldn't afford anymistakes now; they needed to catch him before he vanished into the ether.
As shedashed through a dimly lit wing of the museum, she found herself surrounded bytowering dinosaur fossils that loomed overhead. Their massive skeletons casteerie, elongated shadows across the polished marble floor. Fiona felt small,insignificant compared to these ancient behemoths, but she knew that she had tobe tenacious, like the predators they once were.
Thoughit was still early, there were a few patrons milling about, their murmured conversationsbarely audible over the steady thrum of Fiona's pulse. She glanced at each faceas she passed, her mind conjuring images of what Dave might look like up close –tall and wiry, with a cunning glint in his eyes. But every stranger she encounteredseemed innocuous, harmless, and she forced herself to focus on the task athand.
Suddenly,she stopped dead in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat. Hushedvoices drifted toward her from around the corner, and she strained to discern whetherone belonged to Dave. Her heart raced faster, and she pressed herself againstthe cold wall, her fingers digging into the smooth surface.
Cautiously,she peered around the edge of the corridor, her eyes narrowing as they fellupon a small group of visitors engrossed in conversation. Disappointment gnawedat her, but she couldn't let this setback deter her. Swallowing herfrustration, she approached the group, her voice steady despite the turmoilroiling inside her.
"Excuseme," she said, her tone firm yet polite. "I'm looking for thisman." She held up a photo from the security footage. "Have any of youseen someone like that?"
Thevisitors exchanged glances before shaking their heads in unison, their eyeswide with concern. Fiona knew they must have sensed her urgency, but there wasnothing more they could offer her.
"Thankyou," she murmured, forcing a tight smile before turning on her heel andcontinuing her search.
As shehurried through the maze of exhibits, Fiona's thoughts raced almost as fast asher feet. Each passing second felt like an eternity, and she couldn't help butworry that Dave was slipping further and further away from their grasp. Likewith the man who kidnapped Joslyn, Fiona felt like she was on an endless chase.
Thoughshe tried to keep her focus on finding Dave, her thoughts inevitably driftedback to that fateful day ten years ago when her sister vanished without atrace. The beach where Joslyn had last been seen was also where the lifelessbody of Julia Rowe had washed ashore just a few years prior. Fiona rememberedthe chilling detail of the live caterpillar found on a dropped sandal at themall where Julia was last seen alive. Though unrelated to the case she wasworking on now, the entomology exhibit--and the bugs left behind-- stirred upthose buried emotions. She had to admit, there was a slight similarity, andmaybe that had subconsciousness been why she'd been so adamant to get thiscase.
Fionashook her head, forcing herself back to the present as she entered anotherexhibit. The dim lighting cast shadows across the ancient artifacts, and shefelt a shiver run down her spine. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for anysign of movement or a clue to Dave's whereabouts.
"Whereare you, you bastard?" she muttered under her breath, frustrationmounting.
Aflicker of movement caught her eye, and she froze in place, her heart poundingin her chest. There he was – Dave, the wiry suspect they had been chasing,darting between displays. Adrenaline surged through her veins, and she propelledherself forward, her every muscle straining as she pursued him.
"Stop!"she shouted, her voice echoing through the museum halls. "You can't runforever!"
Daveglanced over his shoulder, his eyes wide with fear, but he didn't slow down. Instead,he seemed to pick up speed, taking advantage of Fiona's momentary distraction.They raced through several more exhibits, dodging between displays and narrowlyavoiding collisions with the few patrons who had ventured into the museum thatmorning.
"FBI!Out of the way!" Fiona cried, her lungs burning as she struggled to keepup with Dave's pace.
Shecould feel the weight of her sister's memory pushing her forward, urging hernot to let another criminal escape. It was a burden she willingly bore for Joslynand for every other victim who had been denied justice. She would not – couldnot – let Dave slip through her fingers.
As theyrounded another corner, Fiona's heart lurched in her chest. Dave haddisappeared from sight, swallowed up by the labyrinthine halls of the museum.Panic threatened to overwhelm her, but she fought it back. She knew shecouldn't afford to lose him now, not when they were so close to apprehendinghim.
"Comeon," she whispered to herself, drawing in a shaky breath as she continuedher search. "You can do this."
Shekept running and running. The walls of the museum transformed around Fiona,illuminated by ancient hieroglyphics and statues of Egyptian gods andgoddesses. Ornate columns and reliefs were inscribed with intricate designs,while colorful tapestries adorned the ceiling.
