Book 'Em, chapter 1

Annabeth Chase has put down thieves, sex traffickers, murderers and crazy sociopathic warlords. But if she could tell you about the one case where she had been truly challenged, it wouldn't be the one with the famous sex ring down in California, or the ferocious violent protests following the death of a black boy in Missippi, but an extremely challenging case. One that nearly drove her to her wits end. It's the case, about six months ago, about a missing college student, by the name of Jason Grace.

Annabeth had been a junior officer in the Police Department of San Francisco, partner to senior officer Luke Castellan. Only about a year in the force, she and Luke had put down several low rate criminals, but it was that call, on the fifteenth of June, that they were assigned a case. Near San Francisco State University, down at Lake Merced. It had been a decently sunny day, noon, when the pair pull up near the lake. About ten or so university students were lingering by the roped off area, all eagerly wanting to see what had happened. Annabeth had walked alongside Luke, the familiar cool expression on her face, as they meet up with the officers already on the scene, Officer Gardiner and Officer Solace.

"So what's happened?" Annabeth asked, "Another bunch of druggies down by the lake?"

"I wish," Gardiner replied, scratching the back of her neck, "That would be an easy day for all of us. A car wreck about ten meters near the lake. About really early this morning, some joggers had found it while on their run, and ran down to see who was in there. They found a girl, must be a student at the university, named Piper. Severe contusions to the head and chest, they've already admitted her to the hospital. She had been lying beside the car, maybe having pulled herself out. One of you will have to cover that-"

"-I will."

"Great, Luke," Katie replies, nodding, "Annabeth, come with me. Luke, Will can brief you on the rest of the case on the way there. Annabeth and I will go down to the lake to see what we can find."

"Got it." Luke gives Annabeth a brief nod, and what seems to be the shadow of a smile, before hopping into the police car with Will, and soon enough, the guys were on their way to the hospital, while the girls headed down to the wreck. Though the car was clearly totaled, there was no sign of another car anywhere. Annabeth carefully pulls back some of the demolished metal, peering inside the car. Some blood on the driver's seat, and a crushed shoe stuck to the pedal. Something wasn't right here.

"Hey, Katie!" Annabeth calls, and with effort from both of them, they manage to pull off the rest of the side door, so they can look into the car completely, "You said there was only one person in the car? Piper?

"Yeah, why?"

"Piper wasn't in the driver's seat, was she?"

"The joggers said they found her lying beside the passenger seat of the car. No one else."

With a scowl on her face, Annabeth reaches in and grabs the shoe that had been trapped underneath the pedal. Bloodied up, Nike. With a sickening jolt, she slams the shoe into the frame of the side door, which had held up in the crash.

"File a missing persons report. And get Luke on the phone. Someone else was in this car, and I want to know where he went."

About an hour later, Annabeth stands outside of the hospital room, pacing as she listens to Luke argue with the doctor. She and Luke had been friends for a few years, being partners and all, but she's never heard him yell like this before. He didn't have a temper, from what she had seen, and it seems he's finally showing it. Luke was trying to convince the doctor to let the two talk to Piper, but the doctor was insisting Piper isn't strong enough to talk, as her mental and physical state is rather unstable. She smirks slightly, when she hears the doctor call Luke a bastard, but soon enough, the doctor storms out with Luke, glaring like hellfire at the both of them.

Giving Annabeth a slight nod, the two walk into the hospital room. The girl, Piper, is hooked up to what seems like a million machines, her arm in a cast, and a bandage over her head. She shifts slightly in her bed, and Luke takes a seat in the hospital chair, giving Annabeth a look that clearly said she better talk to her. Shaking her head, she sighs, but clears her throat, announcing her presence.

"Piper? Um, Ms. McLean?"

Piper's eyes slowly open at the call of her name, beautiful, kaleidoscope eyes. They shock Annabeth for a moment, for a person to have such mystical eyes, but her shock only shows through her slightly raised eyebrows. She keeps her voice soft, as she takes the seat right next to where Piper lays.

"Hi, Piper. I'm Officer Chase, and that's my partner, Officer Castellan-"

"Where am I?" Piper asks, her voice hoarse, thick with pain, "Where's Jason?"

"Jason? I'm sorry, Piper, I don't know what you're talking about, but please, let us explain what's happened…"

And she did. When Annabeth is done, Piper is shaking her head, looking on the verge of tears. She grabs at the blanket, tangling them in her claw-like grip.

"I-I only remember driving with Jason last night…" She says, a few tears falling from her face, "And then…there were a pair of super bright headlights, and then a huge crunch…and d-dragging myself out of the wreck. B-Before I woke up here."

"Piper, if there is anything you can tell us about Jason, that would be wonderful," Luke pipes up, standing up from the chair and walking over to where Annabeth sits, "We would be able to locate him, but did Jason have any crosses with people? Anyone who might want to get even with him?"

"No…" Piper replies, looking down at the blanket, "Jason was on nobody's bad side, not that I can remember. He got along with everybody on the sports teams…he was nice…"

"Piper, I'm sure, and Officer Chase is sure…" Luke looks between the two ladies, "That this was no accident. When they found you this morning, nobody was in the car, and you were beside the car. No one else was there."

"So…you're saying somebody crashed into us on purpose?" Her wide eyes suddenly brighten, with fury or fear, Annabeth couldn't tell. "Wh-What're you going to do?"

"Do what we always do." He gives Annabeth the slightest of smirks, his signature smile even reaching his eyes, his elfish features alive with excitement, "We're going to find the bastards and book 'em, like they deserve."

"But to do that, we need your help." Piper refuses to look up at the officers, picking at her cuticles. "Piper, think hard. Is there anybody who Jason could've crossed or picked a fight with?"

"R-Reyna. His ex-girlfriend, actually…" Piper sighs, "She…they had a rough breakup a few months back…and then when he asked me out, she was really angry."

"Thank you. That's all we'll need. Anybody else?"

"Not that I can think of at the moment." Piper replies. "Please…you'll find him soon, won't you?"

Annabeth offers a small smile towards the girl. "You can bet on it."

"So, from what we know," Luke begins, as they make their way towards the police car parked in front of the hospital, "Jason and Piper were driving home from a date when their car was crashed into by another car. If there was another totaled car, we haven't found it-"

"And the next morning, Piper's lying by the car and no sign of Jason." Annabeth climbs into the passenger seat of the car. "It doesn't make sense! He was in there! There was no way he could've just gotten up and left. And even if he did, why would he leave his shoe behind?"

"I've no clue, 'Annie," Luke replies, giving her an apologetic smile when she glares, she hates it when he calls her that, "But this is our assignment, so we've got to figure it out. Anyway, did they have forensics check out that shoe?"

A familiar ding reaches Annabeth's ears. Unlocking her iPhone, she reads the text she gets from her friend in forensics, Hazel. "Just did. Size ten, men's side. A trace of…sulfur in the shoe? That's weird. Isn't Jason just a student?"

"Yeah," Luke replies, sighing, "Second year at San Francisco State University. From what we've seen, Jason doesn't have another job outside of his education. Smart kid, too. Sulfur's gotta be from whatever…or whoever crashed into them. No clue, Annie-SHIT!"

They had been driving down the road, just east of the hospital, when a dog dashes across the street. Luke had stepped on the brake fast enough, and the dog simply barked in response, but kept running, happily chasing a squirrel across the street. Annabeth and Luke were jolted forward in the sudden breakage, nearly hitting their heads against the dashboard. After a moment of tense silence, the two begin to laugh.

"That was close."

"Too close."

As they laugh, out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth sees a teen, at least high school age. Dark messy black hair, pale skin. A grim expression on his face. Even though it was a sunny and warm day, he wore an aviator's jacket and a black t-shirt with a skull on it. Watching him, her laugh slowly dies as he glares at her through the rear view mirror, before scurrying away.

"Annabeth? Are you alright?"

"What? Uh, yeah. I'm fine."

As they drove back down to the station, Annabeth tried to shake off the chills that had followed ever since they left the hospital. Whether it had something to do with that boy on the street, Annabeth knew something wasn't right about this case. A simple car crash turning into a missing person case, something told her, intuition, maybe, that this case would be a shit storm.

And she welcomes it.