*****
Harry woke up with the splitting headache. In fact her whole body ached. She tried to sit up and panicked feeling she couldn't move. Her first thought was she was paralysed. At least that's how her body felt. What was more, she felt dizzy, there was this strange metallic taste in her mouth and when she tried to open her eyes, she felt pain piercing through her eyes down to her brain. She tried to opened them again as she wanted to know where she was. She grimaced with pain but with all her effort she kept her eyes open till they adjusted to the surrounding. It looked like a basement, there was hardly any furniture, just a chair and a small table. She tried to sit up again and just then she realised she was tied up to the bed on which she was lying. She pulled her hands in horror , but the knots were tied tightly. Her mind was in turmoil. She didn't know where she was or how she got there. Her whole body ached and she felt sick.
"Hello", she called out. "Is anybody there?"
Her voice echoed in the empty basement and seemed to be the only noise there. She pulled her arms sharply again and felt the hopelessness of the situation getting to her.
"Dempsey", she whispered. "Where are you?"
*****
Dempsey lifted his head sharply. He had fallen asleep with his head on his desk and he woke up with a sudden fright. He looked around the office. He was the only one there. A fake light was coming from Spikings' office but there was no sound coming from there either. Dempsey ran his hand through his hair and then wiped his face. He had been dreaming about Harry. He could see her face, her sad blue eyes looking at him and heard her call his name in despair.
He stood up and went over to the coffee machine. It was already cold, but he didn't care. The door to the office opened and he saw Chas rush in with some files.
"What are you doing here?", Dempsey asked looking at the clock which displayed 4.20 a.m.
"The same thing as you are", Chas replied.
"You didn't have to…"
"I did", Chas replied. "Harry … she's my friend too"
"Thanks Chas", Dempsey smiled.
"I think I've found something", Chas said waving the file.
"What is it?"
"I might have the surname we need", he said and knocked at Spikings' office.
"Let's not disturb the boss. He might be…"
"Come in", Spikings called out.
To Dempsey's surprise Spikings was reading some files and making notes, not sleeping as Dempsey would expect.
"Have you got it?", Spikings looked at Chas.
"Yeah", Chas replied. "Just like you thought"
Dempsey listened to the exchange and had this sudden surge of sympathy towards the two men who were working overtime to help find Harry. He knew they cared, but he hadn't expected them to do this.
"So what have you got?", he asked Chas.
"I think we've got the surname of the people Harry's friend had mentioned", Chas said. "Boss talked to some people and one of them remembered the case of Anthony…"
Chas opened the file and found the name, "Embry"
"Anthony Embry?", Dempsey widened his eyes. "Who the hell is he?"
"He's the guy whose sister went to school with Harry and who's been asking questions about her. Her name's Sarah Embry"
"Sarah and Tony", Dempsey remembered. "Sarah Embry. Doesn't ring a bell"
"Well, she might have got married and changed her name by now", Spikings remarked. "Did you find any connection to Harry?"
"Not yet", Chas replied. "But I've got all the files I could find on Anthony Embry"
"He's dead so what help would that be?", Dempsey asked.
"I don't know, but his sister was asking about Harry. Maybe it was just of usual friendly interest, but maybe not. We don't have much on her so the only thing we can do now is check on him", Spikings said. "But before we do, I think we should all go home for a bit and get some sleep"
"You go", Dempsey said.
"I meant you too lieutenant", Spikings said. "You need to be in full working condition for this one. When we know where Harry's being kept, there will be no room for mistakes"
"I won't sleep a wink"
"Then just go and have a bloody shower, something to eat and good coffee", Spikings said. "I want you out of here, understood?"
"Yeah", Dempsey said quietly.
"So just go home"
The trouble was Dempsey felt like he had no home. The idea of going back to his place seemed so strange at that moment, and Harry's place, where he had spent the last few days, reminded him of her so much that it was unbearable. Eventually he drove there. He opened the door with the spare key and went inside, half hoping he would see her in the living room sitting on the sofa and reading a book, but the house was painfully empty. He decided to have a shower before anything else so he climbed the stairs. As he was passing by her bedroom, he took a look through half open door and stopped. There it was - her bedroom empty now with only her robe lying on the bed as if she had just had a bath and got dressed. He went inside, took the robe in his hands and sat down on the bed. He looked at her robe in his hands and slowly moved it up to his face. He breathed in its sent closing his eyes. The scent of her shampoo, lotion and perfume mixed nicely and he smiled imagining her face smiling at him at breakfast in the morning. He opened his eyes and sighed, disappointed and hurt she wasn't there. He lay back on the bed and nestled his face up in the robe breathing in the scent and thinking of her. He remembered her laughter, the look in her vivid blue eyes when he told her he loved her and her face expression when she said he was her boyfriend. These pleasant memories at present caused him so much pain as they reminded him of the cruel truth she was gone. He held on to the robe tight and curled up in her bed. The emotions, the loneliness, the pain and the tiredness all mixed and he felt his body gave in.
"I'll find you", he whispered before the sleep caught him.
About two hours later, the phone rang and he grabbed the receiver.
"Yo", he said hoarsely.
"Dempsey? It's Chas here", the familiar voice said. "I think we've got a break through so you'd better come down here quick"
"You found her?", Dempsey asked with hope.
"No, not yet", Chas said. "But I'm sure with this info we will"
"Ok", Dempsey said. "I just need a quick shower and I'll be there"
*****
Harry opened her eyes hearing someone entering the room she was in. She opened her eyes, but the room was dark so she just saw a figure of someone coming closer to her.
"Who are you?", she asked.
The person moved closer without a word.
"Why are you doing this to me?", Harry asked, but there was still no answer.
Harry noticed a flash in the dark and realised the person was holding something in the hand. She couldn't tell what it was, but the person leaned over her so Harry concentrated on the face. She grimaced with pain feeling a sting and then unpleasant sensation in her left hand.
"What's this?", Harry asked realising it must have been an injection. "What did you give me?"
"Just something to let you stop thinking too much", the voice said. After a moment Harry felt the wave of heat and increasing dizziness.
"No", she hissed. "No. Let me out of here"
She tried to fight, but in vain as she was still tightly tied up and her body quickly reacted to the drug the person had injected. Her breathing became shallow and her head fell to the right inertly.
