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Chapter 11.

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'Time is running away'

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Judy was walking nervously around her desk. She already finished talking with Tom's mother. The poor woman was frantically worried about her only child. The worst was Judy couldn't tell her anything to calm and soothe her. She herself didn't know anything about Tom, and she didn't want to lie.

Now she was thinking intensively of the way to find the place of Guardian's stay or at least where possibly the ceremony was going to take place. They checked all possible deserted churches, chapels, buildings of not known use, even the undergrounds of the old brewers in the suburbs. They even searched again the place where Michael Cooper was found. Without luck. It seemed as if after sacraficion he was moved to another place, and the mess with blood and dead animals around was made only for show. Guardian was careful.

Her head was aching from the lack of sleep and hunger, both sensations distracting her thoughts effectively. Though she didn't dare to make a brake. They have to think of something to find Tom. Soon. It was late Wednesday today. A whole second day after Tom was kidnapped and everybody in the Chapel was becoming anxious about his fate with every passing hour. Fuller assumed they have time till Saturday afternoon to find Tom alive. He suspected they won't kill him before the ceremony no matter if he gives them whatever they want or not. Guardian likes to play his sick role of satanic leader with this ceremonies and human sacrifices at all.

Judy tried to force her mind back to the case, but worry made her thoughts aiming to Tom again. She finally decided to talk with Dennis about his progress in the case. Fuller cancelled most of the cases in the Chapel, willing as many people as possible to put all the efforts to find their missing friend on time. That way Dennis found himself in front of computer combing through police archives looking for any evidence of Guardian's presence and activities in the city.

"Got something, Dennis?" She asked hopefully.

"Nope." Dennis sighed heavily and leaned back on his chair. "It seems as if he didn't exist, he was never caught, at least never as Guardian." He looked at Judy's worried face. "We will find him, Jude."

"Thanks, but I don't have any more ideas how."

"Maybe you should rest. You are not looking very well."

"Oh thanks again, that was really nice" Judy answered with sarcastic tone.

"I am serious. You will think better after you rest."

"And what about you? You spent last forty eight hours in the Chapel as well. You need rest as much as me."

"No, I'm ok. Really. I slept on the couch in Fuller's office when you were out acting Doug's driver..."

"Hi guys!" Doug broke into their conversation as he entered quickly the room followed by Ioki. "Did you find something more? We checked the old mansion as you asked but there was nothing..."

"Well..."

"...And the undergrounds of swimming pool..."

"Doug."

"Did you know there was synagogue before?"

"Doug!" Judy finally shouted at her friend irritated of his never-ending tirade. Not only she noticed that after Tom's disappearance Doug became restless, he was notoriously looking for something to do, to move and not to think. That's why he was the only one who managed to spend last two days in his car going around the city from one to the another place looking for Tom. Only his drivers changed regularly.

"What?" Doug asked surprised of the sharp tone in her voice.

"You're talking and talking and nobody can say anything!"

"Well, I presume we have more common bad habits than I thought." Doug let to get a bit sarcasm to his voice though deep in his mind he had to admit he wasn't aware of his constant talk until Judy broke in.

"What do you mean?" The female officer asked sharply feeling anger filling her veins ready to explode.

Ioki seeing that their conversation is closing to disaster held Judy's arms and turned her towards himself and started to soothe her. "Judy, take it easy. Just calm down. And you Doug..." Ioki turned to his another friend as he noticed him opening his mouth "...be quiet for a moment, please."

"But she..."

"But he..." Both Doug and Judy started simultaneously.

"Stop! Both of you!" Ioki finally exploded, his own anger surprising himself. "Stop before we will be at each other's throats!"

"What's the noise about here?" Captains' voice came suddenly from the entrance door cutting the air and turning everybody's attention on his person. "And why are you not working?"

"Er..." Doug started uncertainly.

"Well..." Judy mumbled looking guilty at Doug. They already realized stupidity of their actions.

"They are going to kill each other, coach." Dennis helped them.

"Sorry, Captain." Doug and Judy found suddenly something interesting on the floor, because they started watch it very intently.

"Judy, when did you sleep last time?" Fuller's voice became concerned.

"I don't know" she shrugged her arms. "Something about... erm... two days ago."

"And you Doug?"

"Well..." Penhall realized surprised he didn't sleep from the day Tom was... Tom was... "Erm, I think I will be all right, Coach. The most important thing is to find Tom."

"Tom doesn't need us exhausted, unable to think straight and fighting with each other. Mind that you are not the only ones in the Chapel who are looking for him. Now, go home and rest. Come tomorrow morning with some good ideas. We will need a lot of them."

"Captain," said Judy quietly. "Does it mean federals didn't tell you anything?"

Fuller sighed deeply and lowered his arms as if resigned. "Yes, they don't know anything more than we do, or at least they say so."

"So we are back where we started two days ago," said Dennis gloomy. "And the time is running away."

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