The kid's name was Brendan Holt. Him and his buddy, Jason Matthews, frequented the warehouse whenever they wanted to smoke weed. It was why they were there that night.

And it was why Hailey is alive and Brendan is dead.

Jason, currently in the interrogation room, is noticably shaking, fists clenched and eyes bloodshot.

"Why didn't you come to the police?" Nick asks, more of an accusation than a question.

"I freaked out," he blurts, hands scrubbing his face before he continues in a scratchy whisper. "Brendan already called 911, but then that man came out. He stabbed him," he exhales shakily, "I don't think he saw me. Just got in his car and left."

"You said the man didn't see you," Nick interrupts the now sobbing kid. "Did you see him? How about his car?"

On the other side of the glass, Ellie and Benson wait with baited breath, hoping for an answer they could work with.

"Kind of, I don't know," the boy sniffs. "It was dark."

"If I showed you some pictures, do you think you could ID him?"

"Maybe," he nods.


The photo array was not as helpful as they had hoped. Jason couldn't identify Daniel, the kid who hit on Hailey at the party, instead only saying no, the guy was older. He also mentioned the car being a black convertible.

So, it wasn't a complete bust, at least.

Currently, the whole squad is going through footage of nearby street cams, blinking through dry, stinging eyes and gulping down coffee as if it were water. Thanks to every third car being a black convertible, so far, they have nothing.

"Why couldn't the perp drive a yellow hummer?" Fin groans, frustration leaking through his tone.

The detectives all nod absently when, suddenly, Rollins gets a call. "Hailey." The name, coupled with the confusion and concern lacing the blonde's voice, is enough to pique everyone's interest. "I'll be right there," she says, hanging up the phone. "She remembered something."

"Go," Benson instructs, turning her gaze to Ellie. "You, too, Parker."


"I told you before that I couldn't see what he looked like because of the blindfolds," the girl trembles, "but he did talk."

The detectives arrived at the hospital in less than ten minutes, and Ellie was not ready to face the sight that greeted her.

The victim - Hailey - had a sickly pale complexion, a platform that contrasted sharply with the dark bags under her red, puffy eyes. Her body appeared so frail, so weak, covered in cuts and scabs, burn marks from the wires and, apparently, from cigarette butts, too.

Ellie was used to seeing all sorts of gory sights from her time on Chicago PD. Blood, lifeless eyes, still, unflinching bodies... beaten, battered, mangled, executed - she's seen them all. But the fact of the matter remained unchanged: they were dead.

But this girl, although scared and vulnerable in more ways than one, is not dead. No, she is very much alive, reliving the trauma through every second of every day, and will continue to do so for years. Perhaps for the rest of her life.

No one can change the past or prevent the hell she went through, but they can certainly help get her justice - something not just Ellie but the entire squad vowed to do.

Hailey didn't say anything after that, the shaking overtaking her body and wracking it with waves of sobs. Rollins gently takes the girl into her arms, rubbing her back in soothing circles and murmuring words of comfort. Ellie watches from a few feet away, wanting to do the same but thinking it best not to overwhelm her, especially since it's their first time meeting each other.

Soon, the loud cries soften into a few occasional hiccups, and Ellie steps closer to the pair, speaking in a sympathetic tone. "I can only imagine how difficult this is for you right now, Hailey," she says quietly, carefully. "But whatever you remember, no matter how small or insignificant you think it might be, might help us catch the man who did this to you. And I hope you believe me when I say we're doing everything we can to do just that."

At that, Hailey looks up, the newfound determination in her blue eyes only slightly betrayed by the tremor in her voice. "He said he's been wanting to do this since the moment I stepped into his class."