Bullpen, 60 hours missing
Danny sat with his head in his hands at his desk. Strewn on his lap and over two tables were files of registered sex offenders, car descriptions, and Amy's chat description. On top of the pile was Amy's school photo; a beaming, hopeful student smiling back at him.
Jack sat down across from him, 'Do I need to send you home?'
Danny looked up, 'No I'm fine, I think we're close to a lead here.' He began hastily sorting through files attempting to miraculously find something at that very moment.
Jack grabbed his arm, 'Danny, it's been 60 hours. We're not even sure the exact time she went missing, all we're going on here is the word of an irate teenager. You know the policy.'
After 48 hours the window of opportunity began to shrink enormously. No leads, no body, no reason. Although they never stop looking, the case was usually put aside for more recent ones.
'I know she's still alive, she's with this guy and he's keeping her until he can find a good way to get rid of her. He's spooked from the flyers and the news reports, which buys us some time.'
Jack sighed as he sensed the hopefulness in Danny's voice. Before he could interject Sam came running down the hall and into the bullpen.
'Carter is Paul Carter, age 41, a registered sex offender living in Brooklyn.' She threw down the file she was clutching in her hand, and Danny gaped at the picture clipped to the front. A tall blonde haired man stared back at him. He scaled every inch of the photo, recognizing the false kindness in Carter's eyes that could easily trap a teenager's trust.
'And,' Sam added, 'Carter has a pickup truck registered under his name, paid for by mommy after his jail sentence for molesting a 13 year old girl was served.'
Jack stood up, 'I'll put out a state-wide search for Paul Carter and his silver pickup truck.'
The optimism and brightness in Danny's eyes made Jack worry, he knew Danny was already wounded from the suicide of his previous case. He was doubtful on the status of Amy, and was uncertain that Danny could take another hit.
70 hours missing
They had received more than 50 leads after the description of the pickup came on during the 10 pm news. The clock counted each second longer, and even Danny began to notice that 70 hours was too long, the chances of finding Amy alive were slim.
Unable to stand the clock's ticking, he stood up in his chair and quickly walked into the men's washroom. He stood over the sink and vomited as scenes of the teenager lying sprawled on the street below after Danny had been unable to talk him off the rooftop of his apartment complex. He remained lying on his stomach, his arms hanging over the edge of the building after making a last attempt to grab the boy and bring him down to safety failed. It had been Jack that had come to talk to him on the rooftop, sat with him for a while and talked him through, told him to go home and take a rest, and booked a psychiatrist meeting the next day for him. He didn't know what he would do without Jack's constant support.
He looked into the mirror and saw himself staring back. The image of Amy's school photo flashed in his mind and he punched the mirror, shattering glass into his knuckles and onto the white tiles of the washroom. He focused on the pain and wrapped his hand in a handkerchief before returning to his desk.
Jack spotted him returning and approached him, 'We've got a hit at an apartment building in Queens. The landlord said a silver pickup's been parked in the visitor's area since Tuesday night.'
Sam walked up to Jack and handed him another file, 'I just got off the phone with a resident in the same apartment, she said she went to complain about the noise coming from one of the rooms and when she approached the door she could hear someone crying out. There was a man shouting to shut up, and then silence.
Jack frowned as he opened the file. It contained the floor plans of the West Tower Apartment, and the vacant rooms highlighted. He turned to Danny, 'I want you to ride along with me, Sam and Martin, you two go now.'
Danny nodded and grabbed his badge and gun from the locked drawer of his desk.
West Tower Apartments Unit 65B
72 hours missing
Jack signed to Danny to move forward as his kicked in the door of one vacant apartment. He pointed his gun while searching each room and gave the signal that it was clear. The apartment reminded him of his own childhood housing, how he lived in poverty with his older brother and waited for his father to return home from the bar every night. He radioed to Sam and Martin, who were one floor down searching another room.
'Let's move quickly, he could be tipped off by someone that we're here.'
Danny led the way out the door and pointed his gun to the floor as he climbed the stairs two at a time. They stopped on the 9th floor at number16. Jack pressed his ear to the cracked door and could hear someone crying out. There was a man shouting to shut up, and then silence. The only sign of life was the sounds of a television inside booming an advertisement. Danny subconsciously gripped his gun tighter and Jack slowly turned the door handle to test if it was unlocked.
'It's unlocked, and Carter's going to be armed and nervous. We need to silently move in, there's no time for backup,' Jack whispered into his radio to Sam before turning it off, 'You look for the girl, I'll find Carter.'
Danny nodded and drew his gun as Jack silently turned the handle and pushed open the door.
The apartment was dark and the wooden floors were cracked and dirty. Jack pointed his gun into the kitchen and gave the all-clear signal. Danny stepped into the living room where one stained sofa and a small grey television sat on the floor. The news was on with the volume turned up, identifying Amy's kidnapper as Carter. He realized that Carter was growing more and more anxious to rid himself of Amy and prayed she was still here.
He heard a floorboard creak behind him and his instinctively pointed his gun. When he turned around Jack pressed a finger to his lips for silence and pointed to the bedroom just beyond the living room. The door was slightly ajar and Danny kicked it open, his gun drawn.
'FBI! Get your hands up!'
Carter was standing beside the bed, shirtless and wearing a pair of dirty jeans. His mouth was open in shock as he stared at the two agents. Jack rushed forward and pointed his gun at Carter's head.
'Where's Amy?'
Carter put his hands in the air,'The bitch is in the laundry room in the basement. I'm done with her anyways.' He smiled crudely at the two. Jack kicked him down to his knees and handcuffed him.
Without any instruction from Jack, Danny ran from the room and down the hallway, his heart pounding. He wasn't sure what Carter meant but the only thought in his mind was
finding the teenager.
Danny opened the door to the basement laundry room and tucked his gun into his pant waistband. There were washing machines and dryers along both sides of the long room, and only a single light hanging by a wire illuminated the darkened area. He slowly walked to the far side of the room where the dryers ended and storage began. There were cardboard boxes and car parts scattered along the walls and floor. He saw two bare feet bound with tape between two boxes and held his breath as he approached.
'Amy?' He waited for a response and felt every muscle in his body tense, his heart was pounding deep inside his chest. Amy pulled her legs into her chest and let out a quiet cry.
He let out a sigh of relief and kneeled down beside her. She was wearing her white uniform shirt and underwear, with her hands and feet bound with duct tape. Her mouth was taped and tears were running down her cheeks. She looked up at Danny and closed her eyes, expecting the worst.
'It's okay, I'm Danny with the FBI. It's all right I promise.' He brushed the hair from her forehead and gently pulled the tape off her mouth. He took off his shirt and covered her with it, noticing the cuts on her arms from her struggle and where Carter had probably drugged her.
He spoke into his radio, 'Jack, I've got her in the laundry room in the basement. She's okay.'
He didn't know what 'okay' meant, but judging by what Carter had done to her, he knew she was traumatized forever.
He leaned over and picked her up to carry her out to the awaiting paramedics. He rested her on the gurney and let the paramedics take over. They draped a blanket over her and immediately gave her an I.V.
After a few minutes Jack came out of the apartment doors holding Carter. He led her past Amy's helpless body and slapped him on the back of the head. He put him into a squad car and walked over to Danny.
'We found her,' Danny spoke to Jack but kept his gaze focused on Amy.
'I know, you did well,' Jack patted him on the shoulder briefly before walking away, 'they need us back at the office Danny, there's another case, another person to be found.'
