Excerpt of Tracking A Kidnapper

"Blessed are those who believe without seeing."

John 20:29

Chapter One

Traces of fog lingered along the East River despite the rapid warming of the August morning. Off-duty police officer Vivienne Armstrong paused at the fence bordering the Brooklyn Promenade to gaze across the East River at the majestic Manhattan skyline. Her city. Her home.

Slight pressure against her calf reminded her why she was there and she smiled down at her K-9 partner. "Yes, Hank, I know. You want to run and burn off energy. What a good boy."

The soft brown eyes of the black and white Border Collie made it seem as though he understood every word, and given the extraordinary reputation of his breed, she imagined he might. Plus, she was wearing shorts and a sleeveless T for jogging and her K-9 was also out of uniform. Put a regular collar and leash on him and he behaved like any other dog. Show him his tracking harness and he was more than eager to work instead of play. It was uncanny.

Vivienne adjusted the band of her sun visor[RE1] to lift her short dark hair off her forehead, pivoted to check her surroundings and commanded, "Heel," as she started out. Hank kept perfect pace at her side. "Good boy. You know I love you, right?"

His tongue lolling, the canine met her gaze with the equivalent of a doggy smile.

Under working conditions, she wouldn't have distracted her dog with chatter but their time off was different. Besides, she reasoned, Hank was family, her furry baby, particularly since she was beginning to despair of ever finding a good man and raising human children.

That was one of the drawbacks to exercising on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. It was almost always crowded with other people's children, mothers and nannies enjoying an outing with their charges - darling little people who had their whole lives ahead of them and the wonders of the world yet to discover.

A piercing scream jarred her back to reality. Hank barked, circling at the end of the leash. Vivienne skidded to a halt and listened, looking for the source.

"Jake! My baby! Where's my baby?" a woman screeched.

Other passersby froze, making it easy for Vivienne to pick out the frantic young woman darting from person to person. "He has blond hair. Bright green pants. Have you seen him? Please!"

There was no need for Vivienne to give Hank orders. The dog followed her rapid response perfectly.

"I'm a police officer," Vivienne told the hysterical woman. "Calm down and tell me what happened. What's your name?"

The fair-haired mother was gasping for breath, her eyes wide and filling with tears. "My little boy was right here. Next to me. I just...I just stopped to look at the boats and when I turned to pick him up and show him, he was gone!"

"Okay, Mrs..."

"Potter. Susanna Potter."

"Where were you when you last saw your son?"

She pointed with a shaky hand. "Over there. By the fence. Jake's always been a good boy. He's never wandered away like this before. I didn't dream..."

Vivienne could tell the mother was about to lose control again so she led her to a bench while she prepared to use her cell phone. "Sit here, Susanna."

"No! No, we have to go find Jake."

"I'm on the phone with the police," Vivienne explained, adding a description to her verbal report. "Jake Potter. Blond hair." She looked to the mother. "Is that right?"

Susanna nodded. "And bright green pants. There's a picture of a duck on his yellow T-shirt."

"Age?"

"Two - almost three. He's very precocious. Smart. Sweet. Wait! I have a picture on my phone." She was unable to hold her hands still so she handed the cell off, then covered her face and began sobbing.

"Between two and three years old. I'm with the missing child's mother at the promenade, close to Pierrepont Street. I'm sending you a photo from Mrs. Potter's cell phone."

She paused to listen, then said, "Copy. Hank is with me on scene. I'll see what we can do until backup arrives."

Seating herself next to the distraught mother, Vivienne gently touched her shoulder. "I'm a K-9 officer and my dog is trained for Search and Rescue. Do you have any item of your son's clothing that I can use for scent?"

"No. It was too warm for a jacket." Tears streaked Susanna's pale cheeks and she was choking back sobs.

"Anything. A hat, a toy, anything Jake touched."

The woman blinked rapidly. "Yes! In my bag."

Vivienne watched as Susanna pulled out a well-loved, yellow, stuffed toy rabbit. "Perfect."

When she stood, so did the frantic mother. Vivienne blocked her with an outstretched arm. "No, please, ma'am. You need to wait here in case Jake comes back looking for you. Other police officers will be here in a few minutes, too." Vivienne wanted to know where to find Susanna when she needed her again. If she did. The sooner she and Hank got moving, the better their chances of finding the lost child.

Assuming he's merely lost, she added, feeling her stomach knot. New York was a big city and Jake was a tiny little boy. Without Hank's training the chances of locating him were very slim. Even with the skilled K-9 there were no guarantees. Children were kidnapped all the time, many never seen again.

Except in this instance the means for a rapid rescue was at hand. She bent to present the stuffed rabbit and watched her K-9 sniff it, clearly ready to go to work.

Praying, hoping and in full professional mode she straightened, loosened her hold on the dog's leash to give him leeway and commanded, "Seek."

Hank circled, returned to the place at the river fence that Susanna had indicated earlier, then sniffed the air before making up his mind and beginning to run.

The leash tightened. Vivienne followed as hope leaped then sank. The dog was following air scent. Therefore, the missing child had not left footprints when he'd parted from his mother. Someone had lifted and carried him away. There was only one conclusion that made sense.

Hank was on the trail of a kidnap victim!

[RE1]