Until a desperate cry broke through the air.

He turned his head sharply—and there she was.

A tiny girl, no more than six, running barefoot down the pavement.

Her pink dress clung to her small frame, her cheeks streaked with tears. One hand clutched a worn teddy bear; the other kept swiping at her face, as if she could wipe the fear away.

She stopped in front of his cruiser, gasping for breath.

“P-please… please come quick… my mommy—she won’t wake up!”