Into Thin Air

LEGEND; 1 HOUR MISSING

The entrance to the Cohen drive was cornered off with police tape. The house and driveway was flooded with police officers, FBI officers and crime scene investigators.

Anne Rockwell was informing one of her colleagues, Dave about Georgia, notes which she read off a notepad, walking into the house. "Georgia McRoberts, 15. Lives with her mum and dad; Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. Two brothers are visiting from college. The family was all inside when she was snatched so they didn't see anything. The only person who did was Bonnie Hartley she lives next door."

"Only one witness?" Dave questioned.

"Yup and we got lucky with Mrs High Maintenance over there." Anne said sarcastically. "Well she said a male assailant forced her into the car parked outside their driveway and drove away."

Anne and Dave walked into the kitchen where Sandy, Kirsten, Seth and Ryan were all being held unwillingly. Kirsten was sitting on top of the kitchen island leaning on Sandy's shoulder but she never stayed that way for long as Sandy kept moving around, asking different officers the same questions. They all looked to Anne and Dave when they came in. Another investigator, Dan, joined them.

"Got an APB on the van and the plate; A Merc Benz Sprinter." He stated tapping his notepad with his pen.

"Good engine." Ryan said crossing his arms. "They can go fast?"

"Very." Dan said. "If he's going at max they could be a hundred miles from here by now."

"Fast car, you want a fast road. Odds are, head straight for the freeway." Ryan said, thinking logically…or like a thief.

"Helicopters are on it, son." Anne said. "We set up a concentric search flaring inward from several exits."

"Is there anything we can do?" Kirsten asked anxiously.

"No ma'am, I'm sorry." Dave told her. "We'll need statements from you all, a few questions."

"Of course." Kirsten said.

"Have you gone to the media?" Sandy questioned them authoritively.

"Yes sir. On the news in all of California now. Word of her abduction have also been put on the freeway information boards."

"What about a cell phone? Does she have one on her?" Dave asked.

"No." Seth answered dully.

"That unfortunately means we can't track her. We have at least one witness however. Perhaps that means our luck will change."

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LEGEND; 1.5 HOURS MISSING

As Ryan was interviewed in the kitchen he could see camera crews set up their equipment in the Cohen driveway and reporters snapping photos and yelling out questions.

"Did you get a look at the assailant?" Dan asked him.

"Uh no. By the time I got outside around the car was already driving off."

"Did anything seem strange that evening? Did you notice anything or anyone out of the ordinary?"

"I didn't see anyone." Ryan started. "You know, we were just ... it was a normal day. Georgia has never done anything wrong. How could this happen?"

"I know her mum from cardiobar. I haven't seen her in a while, since you know she was in the bombing at a supermarket. So I can't be sure what is exactly going on in her life." Bonnie told Anne.

"Yes but what about the assailant? Did you get a good look at him?"

"No sorry." Bonnie said.

Bonnie continued. "I was on my way for an early yogalates class when I heard a scream. They were struggling. He had her by the arm and I just screamed."

"And that's when she screamed?" Anne asked, between taking notes and looking at Bonnie.

Bonnie shook her head. "Um, no. It wasn't until he was pushing her into the car."

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LEGEND; 4 HOURS MISSING

"So I have three varieties on our suspect." Anne said down at the missing person's headquarters, files open in front of her with Dave and Dan by her side. "White perhaps not white. Light-haired or thin on top. Tall or average height."

Dan shook his head. "You gotta love eyewitnesses."

"Tell me about the witness who knew the victim. Bonnie." Dave said.

"Well she told me that Georgia recognized the assailant."

"Maybe recognized; she didn't scream right away. And he most likely just charmed that out of her she is a 15 year old girl." Dan corrected her.

"However a little suspicious, don't you agree?" Dave said.

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LEGEND; 5 HOURS MISSING

The doorbell rang and Sandy answered it, Kirsten in her chair behind him. "Do you have news?" He asked.

"The police found the van." Dan said.

"Where?"

"In the middle of an access road. Crop fields."

THE ACCESS ROAD; 4:15am. The patrol captain stood next to a police van and barked out instructions to the other officers assisting the search for Georgia. Officers were given out information sheets and a recent picture of Georgia which had also been handed out to press. The access road was crawling with officers who would be used to look for Georgia.

"She's fifteen years old!" The patrol captain shouted out. "She is wearing a light blue vest top and baggy jeans! If she managed to get away she could be three kilometres in either direction. Divide up. Good luck."

The road quickly emptied as officers ran off in the dark to look for Georgia. A CSI detective, Connley Ray who stopped in line with the abandoned van – 20 or so metres away- thought for a moment, then began to walk down the centre of the road by himself.

He looked on the ground and saw something glistening on the dirt road right beside the backseat passenger seat of the ditched van. He bent to look at what appeared to be a necklace. He saw a silver heart on the thin chain with 'hope' engraved on it.

He realised that the necklace can't have been dropped, it had to have been placed in the position it was; pointing to the side, in the trees. "Georgia you clever girl." He mumbled to himself. Connley Ray began to walk alone done the well-trodden path between the trees. "Now what are you trying to show me?"

'Why would he go along here?' Detective Ray questioned himself. He walked further down. He found a patch of footprints and wet soil hidden behind a tree. He shined his torch on it. "Urine." He said out loud. "He stopped to take a leak before they switched cars."

Detective Ray questioned himself again. 'So why didn't she run?' He judged the distance between the van and where the kidnapper stood. He thought that Georgia would have been easily unseen and could have had the chance to run. Unless there was someone else in the car with her.

"Evidence showed the kidnapper and Georgia switched to a smaller car after dumping the van. It also appears there were two men in the van." Dan followed up.

Kirsten closed her eyes trying to prevent her mind thinking what the kidnappers were doing to their daughter. "Do you know who these people are yet?"

"We've got DNA from one of the men, it's in the labs right now, should be matched by the hour."

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LEGEND; 5.5 HOURS MISSING

"Connley!" A lab worker called out at the crime scene investigation headquarters. Connley Ray turned around and saw the lab worker.

"Keith." He said. "Walk with me."

"I got the urine results back and it matches to a Michael Hawk." Connley stopped. "Isn't that the guy wanted for planning that bombing in a Publix that happened a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah…why?" Keith asked.

"Georgia was in that Publix at the time." Connley paused. "Keith, I believe we just found our motive."

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LEGEND; 6 HOURS MISSING

The doorbell rang again and it seemed Sandy and Kirsten got faster at answering the door every time. This time Connley Ray was standing there.

"Mr and Mrs Cohen?"

"Yes may we help you?" Kirsten asked.

"I'm detective Connley Ray I'm a crime scene investigator."

"Do you have news on Georgia?" Sandy asked.

"The DNA we found matched to a Michael Hawk."

Kirsten gasped. "Oh no. The man who bombed the Publix."

"Mm-hmm." Connley nodded. "Now I believe that Georgia was friendly with Braden Jones, am I right?"

"Yes but what does Braden have to do with this?" Sandy asked.

"Hawk is Braden's stepbrother."

Sandy's eyes went wide. "What?" He shouted angrily.

"I think that Georgia knew this and that's why Hawk went after her. He thought she would go to the police so he either wanted to make sure she didn't or wanted revenge because he thought she already had."

There was a knock on Seth's door. Seth sat up on his bed quickly. "Mom?" He asked.

Summer walked in. "Hey Cohen, I got your messages." She sat down close to him on his bed. "Any news?"

"No. You know I don't even understand what anyone would want with Georgia. She's never done anything to hurt anyone. She's a good kid. I swear when they find this guy I'm gonna punch him so hard his nose will fall off. Or I'll get Ryan to do it for me."

Summer put her hands on his knees. "Every police officer in Orange County is out there looking for her. I'm sure they'll find her. They've got to."

Seth nodded but then looked up at her. "What if they don't?"

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