3. Working in a real case.

Director Aberbathy enters the meeting room and I come in behind him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your new partner: Special Agent Katniss Everdeen. Please, give her a quick update of the cases and let's use all resources that are in our hand to resolve these kidnappings as soon as possible. I expect a report of your progress in the next few hours" He says and then turns around and goes back the way he came.

Abductions? Plural? I think. Well, as I said, the day does nothing but improve.

Everyone gets up to greet me except a woman of about 35 years, with dark hair who remains seated. Introductions are made by a middle-aged man with gray hair and strong features.

"Welcome to the team, Agent Everdeen. I am Boggs, the head of the CHARD and he is the special agent Finnick Odair." Says, pointing at an extremely handsome man with bronze hair and deep green eyes. "Agent Johanna Mason, is the one who didn't stand up. Do not take it personally" says Boggs smiling while Johanna does a grimace and lifts her hand in greeting.

"We also have agent Madge Undersee and our computer genius Beetee. I need to introduce you too, to our special advisor, but he has run out in an emergency. He works as psychiatrist with us and at the Presbyterian Hospital also."

He takes a break and I think it's the same hospital where Prim works. Besides I can not help but see as Johanna winks at Finnick, like there was something more implying his absence that an emergency.

"Delly Cartwright works with us too but had to go down to receive the Mayor's Press Secretary. This case is getting very awful. Finally but not least, from BAU unit in Quantico, Agents Tresh Bailey and Annie Cresta. They are here to help us with these cases."

Once the introductions finished, we sat down again and I have a seat near Finnick. They begin to explain in detail, at what point the investigation is.

"Ten days ago a 12 years girl vanished in the neighborhood of The Seam, located in the Bronx district. Her mother asked her to run some errands from a small store that is only a ten minute walk from their home, if a park is crossed. No one knows anything about her since then. It was late at night. She made it to the store, but never returned home, so she disappeared around 11.30pm. No leads, no evidence at all. It seems that not a living soul saw anything. Truth be told there was not much else to do in this case, until just a few hours ago. A boy of 14 years old disappeared in the same neighborhood when he was delivering pizza riding his bicycle, this time there was a witness who saw how someone got him in a van. The first thing we have to rule out, is whether there is some connection between this two disappearances or abductions as Johanna points. Everdeen and Madge go to the first abducted child house and check if there is a relationship between the two children. Also I would like you both to investigate more in the surroundings of the neighborhood and the store. Finnick and Johanna, I want you to interrogate to the neighbors in the area of the boy's abduction. Annie, you can go with them if you want. I'll stay here with Thresh and Beete. Someone will have to calm down the Mayor and Glimmer".

We get up and Madge tells me to follow her. We go down with the rest of our colleagues to the parking and take one of the cars allocated to our division. Madge heads to the driver's seat when she turns to me and asks in a light tone:

"Do you wanna drive the car?"

"No, the truth is I didn't get to know New York the couple of times I've been here visiting my sister, who works at the Presbyterian Hospital. it will be faster if you drive... And safe" I add.

"Ok" she says as she gets behind the wheel, and we emerge to the town.

The day is glorious, a deep blue sky and a radiant sky framed the high buildings. The environment is the opposite of the office where everything is lit with artificial white light.

Madge is not very talkative, which I think is ok, she asks to me a couple of things as where I am from or what I think about the city so far. After the small talk, she starts to explain me more about the family of the missing girl.

"The little girl is Afro-American. Her name is Rue, and as Boggs commented before she has just turned 12. She comes from a very poor family and is the eldest of five children. Her mother has multiple jobs to support her family since their father deserted them when the last baby was born, about 7 months ago. Rue took care of the house and her siblings while she worked".

I can not help thinking that I lived a similar situation but this one is infinitely more dramatic with 5 little children and a father who left by choice.

"It's here. We have already arrived." Madge says.

We get out of the car and approach to a house which looks very negelcted, even one of the windows is broken and covered with cardboards and plastics. Madge knocks and a woman in her forties opens the door. Her eyes rimmed in red.

"Hello Mrs. Tree could we go in? We need to ask you some questions".

"Do you know anything about Rue? Any clue?" says the woman with hopeful tone, as we enter the sitting room. "Sit down please" says while removing blankets and pillows of a couch that has seen better days.

"To be honest we have nothing new about Rue, but yesterday another child dissapeared in this area and we have a witness who saw how someone forced him into a van. We're trying to confirm whether the same thing could have happened to your daughter or if they are isolated incidents." Madge looks at me and says "Agent Everdeen could you show some pictures of the boy to Mrs. Tree"

I nod and open the folder while I place the pictures of the missing child on the table. I clear my voice and start asking questions:

"Mrs Tree, we would like you to see carefully these pictures. The boy is 14 years old and his name is Paul Maynard. We have already found out that he wasn't attending Rue's school, but could you tell us if he seems familiar to you? Do you think Rue could meet him in any other place? Maybe they were friends or acquaintances"

The woman takes the photos and looks closer at them, one by one, taking her time. But when she finishes, shakes her head.

"I honestly do not remember seeing this kid ever. But if you want we can ask one of my daughters. Daisy" the woman cries as she turns around "could you please come?

A girl comes out of nowhere from behind the curtains, and walks slowly to us. I had not realized she was in the same room, eavesdropping. Clearly she is good at hiding. Daisy looks at the pictures too, but after a few minute, she also shakes her head with a sad look.

Madge says goodbye while we get up to leave when Daisy takes my hand and asks shyly:

"You will find Rue, won't you? I miss her so much. I don't know what to do without her, she took care of everything" she recalls, "I haven't met the boy before, but if you leave me a photo I can inquire at school and in the neighborhood. Possibly they explain more things to me that to the FBI. You know... people don't really like the police too much around here."

I can not help but smile and think that Daisy is a very bright girl. In that moment I have an idea. I bend down on my knees to be at its height and say:

"Daisy, we will do our best, but if you want to help us, Agent Undersee and me are going now to the grocery store that Rue went. Did you know if she always took the same path or if she took a shortcut? It would be easier if we could mark the route to search for evidence. "

"Of course!" she exclaims "I can lead you through the park where I used to go with Rue."

I look at Madge waiting for an approval she gives me almost instantly. And we left the house with the little girl.

Daisy takes us to a secluded and solitary path which crosses the park to the grocery store. Madge and I explore it several times and tag anything that may be of importance, even if ten days have passed: footprints, several cigarette butts and a can of soda. We wait till the crime investigation unit comes to collect them before we left.

When we are ready to go, it has become quite late, it's almost 5.00 pm and we have to return to Manhattan.

"I'm going to call the boys to see if they are at the office already or if they have stopped at Paddy's for a drink. Usually when we have a case as this one, we just go home to shower and sleep a few hours and we take lunch even dinner in the headquarter or down at Paddy's to relax a job can be stressful"

She connects the handsfree and calls Johanna, who confirms that they are taking some beer and nachos.

We arrived at Paddy's hour later and walked into the bar. It is an Irish pub, as it names indicates, with music and not much light. We see the rest of the team at the back, sitting around a table, talking animatedly.

"How was your day, rookie?" Finnick asks.

"All right" I say "I think we've made some progress, but do not know if it matters."

"In fact, Finnick, Katniss had a great idea. Rue's little sister went with us and showed us the path that her sister used to take in the park. So we gathered some evidence that the laboratory have carried to run some tests"

"I'm impressed" Finnick says, and winks and smiles at me. "We have also been able to gather more information about the van. Beetee is looking for matches with recordings of the traffic cameras. By the way, I would like to introduce you Delly Cartwright"

"Hi," says a smiling red-haired girl "I'm Delly, sorry I have not been able to meet you before, but I was with Glimmer updating her with all the details for the press conference. Glimmer, is the mayor's press secretary."

"Geez! That's a description too friendly and simple of Glimmer "says Johanna." but you will see, Delly thinks the best of everyone. But Glimmer is ..."

"C'mon Johanna" says Delly laughing "leave Katniss alone, she will make her own opinion"

Just then a phone rings and we hear Delly talking to someone:

"Yes we are all at Paddy's. Don't be lazy and come here and you will meet the new agent".

"Tell him not be a chick! He is safe, his favorite press secretary is not here" says Johanna says while everyone laughs at her comments.

"He says he come now" says Delly "Katniss, you will love Peeta. He is one of our top consultants. And a gentleman"

Suddenly, I am dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

Peeta? Has she just said Peeta? I think. Sure it is not a very common name, but neither he has to be the only Peeta that exists in the world, right? It could be also, that I've understood wrong and she said Peter. When I notice how Johanna looks at me I close my mouth before saying something.

"I'm going to grab a beer, anyone wants anything else?" And I get up as quick as I can before someone else realizes my confusion.

Fifteen minutes passed before I can order at the counter, as the pub has been filled at this time, but I can't look away from the door. When I am about to go back to our table, I see as the door opens and a man in a gray suit walks in. He heads towards the unit is, while I stop dead, staring at him behind a column. Damn, I think he is the same man I stumbled this morning.

He is a blond man around my same age. He could be Peeta Mellark or not. Certainly he is blond and strong like him, but we haven't seen each other in so many years and with the poor light I could not prove me wrong. So I reach to the table while everybody is chatting, and realize that I haven't calm down since I first heard the name of the adviser. Delly looks at me and says:

"Peeta, let me introduce you Katniss".

At that moment the blond man looks up and looks at me. And I no longer have more doubts. I would recognize those eyes anywhere of the world. The advisor of our unit is Peeta Mellark, the boy with the bread.


Yes! Finally Peeta is here... and let me tell you he is going to be in almost every chapter at least till chapter 21 (that is all I have written till now in the spanish version).

Hope you enjoyed it and please apologize for my grammar errors and lack of vocabulary as I'm spanish native speaker, but I'm doing the best I can with the translation.

If anyone wants to help me and review the english version it would be great.

Please, read and review, your opinions really matters to me.

Thanks for reading!