"Why not?!" he exclaimed. "We just left. Besides, we did a thorough search and found nothing." Alexander looked at him calmly. "Do you think we'll find them if we go back?"
"Maybe our search wasn't thorough enough! Perhaps we can find a secret room or passage. We might find Lily inside!" Mike's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Who knows, Nicky might be with her!" He missed his son terribly. Though his work for "the boss" prevented visits, he had occasional video calls with Nick. He could hear his son's voice, see his face, but the long silence now left him agonizing over whether Nick was even alive. The thought of his son was all that kept him going.
"Please calm down," Alexander said, gently restraining Mike. He understood his desperation.
"Do you think I don't want to go back? I'd bulldoze the place if it would help me find Lily and my children! But do you think we can do that?" Alexander's voice rose.
Mike, jolted back to reality, stared blankly.
"The more anxious we are, the more we must stay calm. Recklessness will only lead to mistakes they can use against us—or worse, against our loved ones." Alexander took a deep breath. "Didn't we search thoroughly enough?"
Mike was stumped but knew Alexander was right. "I don't know about the others, but I was as thorough as possible. I even checked the racks and desks so often I nearly had a fight with the embassy staff! I tried not to overdo it, but still almost got into trouble. And I'm sure Alex was just as thorough. He noticed something wrong with the duke's arm, after all. But it won't make a difference if we go back." Despair settled over him. "So, there's nothing we can do? Now that Lily's given birth, she'll be in even greater danger."
"Rhea said they'd experiment on Lily after the birth. Her life will be at risk once she recovers from her C-section," Mike added grimly.
They didn't know the nature of the experiment or if it required special conditions.
Alexander looked grim, acutely aware of his wife's peril. He sighed, his voice low, almost a murmur. "Let's not be pessimistic. Perhaps the situation isn't as dire as we think."