Chapter 6:
Queens, Barry Preston's house
30 hours missing
They all nodded and unholstered their guns. Danny and Martin went by the back with two policemen, while Jack and Samantha smashed the front door. They entered the house but there was nobody in the first room, then they heard a shot and a struggle which soon stopped. Jack looked at Samantha with an anxious glance. They ran in the direction from where the shot had been heard. Jack was the first room, and saw Martin in the middle of the kitchen, a gun aiming his head. Behind Martin was the imposing man, it was Barry Preston. Then Jack's eyes focused Danny, lying on floor, unconscious.
-Put the gun down! Jack yelled to the man.
But Barry Preston remained silent. Jack tried to calm himself. Then at the corner of his eyes he could see that Danny started to move and progressively open the eyes.
-I say, put the gun down... Jack retried.
When Danny completely opened the eyes, he realise what was happening. He slowly took his gun, and stood up not without difficulties and aimed his gun towards Barry's head.
-Have you listened? Put the gun down, Danny whispered in Barry's ear.
Then Barry released his gun, which was soon picked up by Danny. Martin ran towards his gun and picked it. Barry kneeled down, three guns aiming him.
-Where is she? Jack yelled.
-I don't know!
-You don't know? Martin joked, we found your fingerprint in the eagle's apartment.
-I swear, I... I don't know! She escaped after I got out of the apartment! I swear to God that I don't know where she is! Barry shouted.
-Cuff him, Jack said to two policemen behind him.
One of them took his shackle, handcuffed Barry Preston and took him out of the house. Danny put his gun back in his holster and touched his head.
-Ouch... I should stop making me hit at the head, Danny said with a grimace.
-That's a good advice, Samantha said with a grin. Let me see that.
Danny lowered his head to the height of Samantha.
-There's only a bump. It will be okay?
-Yeah, don't worry.
FBI, missing persons unit
32 hours missing
They had already come back from Barry Preston's house.
-Okay, there's no trace of Celia in his house but they found the fingerprints of Celia on his Jacket, so he was telling the truth... Jack said.
-We must find where she is, Danny completed.
-Bingo.
-But why doesn't she went to the police or try to find some help? Samantha asked.
-In her diary she said that her father left her, that she abandoned her... Danny answered.
-And when Kelly said her that she was moving, she had a strange reaction, Jack added.
-She thinks everybody abandoned her, that she is alone and loses completely trust in everybody, Danny concluded.
-So, where she is? Martin asked.
-Viv see if someone called and saw her near there, Danny, Martin continue to look in her stuff, Sam, you come with me we're going to talked with her friends.
They all nodded as Jack told them what to do. Vivian went to her desk to make some call, Danny and Martin stayed at the table during, and continuing to see what there was in her laptop, in her diary and in her things. Jack went to his office, made a call to have Leelee and Ulrich address.
Parker's house
Jack and Samantha knocked on the door, and then two minutes later Leelee came to open the door.
-Hey Leelee, huh... can we ask you more questions about Celia? Sam said to the young teenage girl while smiling to her.
-Of course, come in.
Leelee led them to a spacious living room, the main color of the room was the white, from the lamp to the carpet with some green plants almost everywhere. They all sat on the couch, and Leelee bring them glasses of water.
-Thanks, so can we have a start?
-Yeah.
-Did Celia ever tell you about her desire of commit suicide? Sam asked while taking her notebook.
-What? She... she never tells us that... Oh God...
-But you didn't notice any strange behavior?
-No, huh... in fact yes but I thought it was nothing...
Flash Back
-What do you think about that? Leelee asked while playing guitar.
They were on the roof of Leelee's house. Celia was looking at the grass, under them.
-Celia?
Celia jumped and turned to face Leelee.
-Yeah?
-Hey, are you okay?
-Yes...
End of the Flash Back
-It was strange..., her eyes... looked empty. No emotion, nothing... I thought she was just in trance or something like that. Oh I feel so guilty... I didn't see anything...
-It's not your fault, you couldn't know, Sam said with a reassuring smile.
-Do you know somewhere she could be? Somewhere reassuring for her?
-Huh, I don't know... Maybe the hut she made when she was 11 with her dad.
-Where is this hut?
-In the tree in front of the house of her childhood.
Old house of Celia
Jack and Samantha got out of the car, Samantha was hoping that Celia was in the hut, alive and in good health. While approaching the tree, her heart started to beat faster and faster.
-Celia?
No response. Jack approached the ladder that lead to the hut and started to climb it. Then he arrived in the hut, the hut was small but very comfortable, there were a couch, a guitar, a table with food on it, and a lamp. But there was nobody in it, and then Samantha arrived in the hut too.
-Wow, a real little house, she commented.
-Yeah... But there's no trace of Celia... Jack said while looking the room.
FBI, missing persons unit
36 hours missing
Jack and Samantha came back to the office, hoping the others had found something.
-We went to the hut she made with her father when she was 11, but there wasn't any trace of Celia, Samantha said to Danny and Martin.
-We found nothing, she didn't speak about places in particular... Danny said, while putting down the diary.
-I found something! Vivian said while walking towards them.
Everybody turned to look at her.
-The police found her backpack in a warehouse in Tribeca. There were only her school things but, there was a bloodstain on it. I've already send it to the forensic, Vivian continued while writing on the board.
-So, she's maybe injured, Martin said.
-But why did she let her backpack there? Samantha asked.
-Maybe she thought she didn't need it so she let it there.
-But why did she go to Tribeca? Danny asked.
-She thought she will be alone there, Jack answered. But where did she go after?
Then an agent came towards Vivian.
-A man saw a teenage girl who looked like Celia Wilson in Chinatown, the agent said.
-When?
-10 minutes ago.
-Where exactly?
-On Baxter Street.
Baxter Street, Chinatown
The team went on Baxter Street in a record time, they all got out of their car and looked at the long street. There was a lot of people all speaking in Chinese, but no trace of Celia.
-Danny, Martin, you go in this direction and we go in the opposite direction, Jack said while showing the direction with his hand.
They all nodded and went in the direction Jack said.
-Have you seen this teenage girl? Martin asked to a passer-by.
-No, sorry.
Then he continued to walk, and looked at Danny who was at the other side of the road. Danny shook his head, while looking at Martin, and they continued to walk. At the opposite direction of Danny and Martin, Samantha asked the same question that Martin asked, to a passer-by but he didn't see Celia. When they arrived at the end of the street, they walked back to the cars.
-She's not there, Jack began.
-Either she was there and she is somewhere in Chinatown or it wasn't her, Vivian concluded.
-We can't see in all the streets of Chinatown, Martin said.
-Let's go back to the office, Jack said.
FBI, missing persons unit
38 hours missing
They went back to the office and sat around the table.
-We don't have any lead, Samantha said while sighing.
-And tonight is going to be very cold... Danny added.
Then an agent came with a paper in the hand.
-Johnson, he said while tending the paper to Vivian.
-Thanks.
Then he went back, Vivian read the paper and looked at the team.
-It's Celia's blood, she said.
-So, she's walking outside with temperatures bordering the zeros, and injured, Jack concluded.
-We must have missed something... Danny said not giving up, while taking the diary.
-Danny... You've already read it, two times, Samantha said.
-Yeah, I know but I...I can't give up! I keep the hope that she is still alive...
-We're not giving up, Jack said with a loud voice. It's possible that she's going to kill herself.
-But she can do it everywhere, in the metro, on the roof of a building, with a knife that she stole... Martin said.
Then a great silent settled, but was soon interrupted by a young agent.
-The police saw Celia Wilson on the Brooklyn Bridge, he said. She wants commit suicide.
They all got up while taking their coat, and ran towards the elevator. Then they got in their car and drove to the Brooklyn Bridge...