Chapter 4
Chapter 4
I called the office and quickly returned.
"Are you saying you’ve got a lead on who the next girl might be?" Raymond, the tech guy from our department, asked as I walked in.
I nodded.
"How can we be sure it’s not a trap, or just a fake lead?" he added, pausing by the door to his office.
I stepped closer, my hands tucked into my pockets. Before I could answer, James touched my shoulder.
“Raymond’s right,” he said. “We can’t just trust this lead. Besides, we don’t even know who the sender is.”
I exhaled sharply. “I’ve already given you the picture. Now get in there and do your damn job. Every minute we waste talking about whether this is real or not, someone out there could be getting hurt. Mrs. Jones gave me the go-ahead, so keep your suspicions in your pocket until we’ve confirmed whether it’s real.”
Both men fell silent, stunned by my outburst.
“Wow... that was intense,” Raymond finally muttered, heading inside.
I sent James a sharp glare.
“Okay, okay, sorry,” he said with a sigh, rubbing his forehead. “It’s just... someone out of nowhere sends us a picture and claims she’s the next target. It doesn’t make sense, Ariel. That guy should be our first suspect.”
“I get it, James, I really do, and if this turns out to be a trap, we’ll handle it. But right now, our priority is to protect that lady.” I stared at him, hoping he’d understand.
He studied me for a beat, then nodded. “Alright.”
We entered the tech room.
“Did you find anything?” I asked, my arms crossed, and my gaze scanning the maze of computer screens.
Raymond pointed to the monitor to my right. “There. That’s her.”
I leaned in. “What’s she doing?”
James squinted. “Looks like she’s waiting for someone.”
“Get me the address, and keep your eyes on her. If anything changes, let me know immediately,” I ordered, nudging James to follow as I turned to leave.
I slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine, swerving onto the road while James sat next to me.
“She’s at the old café on Street 99,” Raymond’s voice came through the comms.
“Got it,” I replied, accelerating.
A minute later, his voice returned, tighter this time. “Uh, Ariel, you might want to hurry. There’s a guy in a hoodie approaching her.”
My hands gripped the wheel tighter. “Keep your eyes on her and call for backup.”
We reached the café moments later, parked, and stepped out.
I glanced at James. We exchanged a silent nod. “Let’s split up.”
The café’s patio was bustling with people sitting beneath umbrellas. The lady had to be among them.
“Do you see her?” I murmured into the comm.
“Yeah, she’s right beside me,” James responded. “But I don’t see the guy in the hoodie.”
“Stay close to her. I’m heading your way.”
Just then, I noticed James glance over his shoulder.
“She’s moving, walking down the street. I’m tailing her,” he said.
“Be careful. We’re dealing with a serial killer. Keep it discreet, but protect her.”
I took a parallel path, trying to intercept them up ahead. As I moved, a large number of people spilled into the street.
“Excuse me, coming through,” I muttered, weaving between the crowd.
When I finally pushed past them, my eyes darted around.
The lady was gone, and so was James.
“James, do you copy?” I said into the comm.
There was silence.
“James?” I tried again. “Shit.”
“Raymond, do you see James anywhere?” I asked quickly.
“No. I lost sight of all three of you in the crowd. You’re off-camera now.”
I quickened my pace, scanning the area. If Raymond had lost visual, that meant they’d moved beyond the reach of CCTV.
Up ahead, I spotted an alley wedged between two tall buildings.
Without hesitating, I rushed in and emerged onto another street.
“Raymond, where am I?”
A pause. Then, “You’re at an abandoned factory. It was shut down years ago for illegal activities.”
My gut twisted. If the guy in the hoodie planned to attack her, this would be the perfect place.
“Any CCTV coverage?”
“None. The factory workers destroyed the cameras. Only your current location is visible.”
“Send backup. I’m going in.”
I pulled out my gun and cocked it, stepping cautiously toward the factory.
It was quiet and looked deserted. Just like Raymond said.
The door creaked as I pushed it open. My weapon swept the space with each step.
Then, I saw it, a handbag on the floor.
The same one the lady had been carrying.
They were here.
A sudden shriek made me spin around, I raised my gun, only to see a mouse darting from a broken plank. I exhaled.
But then, I heard footsteps, upstairs running.
I sprinted up the staircase, my heart pounding.
As I burst into the room, I froze.
My hand flew to my
mouth, lying in front of me was a body.
The woman’s stomach had been sliced open.
Her organs spilled out onto the floor.