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Chapter 9

Danny pov

I'm feeling sick. Ryan is in serious troubles now, and I can't stop thinking that it's my fault. We involve him in this case, and the next morning the cook is attacked and Ryan is nowhere to be found.

It can't be a coincidence. And I feel incredible guilty.

And even worse, I'm not allowed to search for him. Jack thinks that whatever happened to Ryan could not be connected with our case; so, for the moment the NYPD will follow his case.

Vivian, Sam and Martin tried to help me, to make Jack understand. But Jack is too stubborn. If something bad happens to Ryan I'll never forgive him.

I came in the bathroom an hour ago, I'm too confused to stay in a room so full of people. In this time I vomited twice and I washed my face five times. I'm trying to calm down but I really can't seem to do it. If I could at least search for Ryan, I know my head will be a little clearer.

I hear the bathroom door opening, but I turn around only when Martin talks.

"Hey." he says softly. "I know that it's probably the last thing you want to do now; but Vivian suggested that you go home. Not necessarily for long…just try to rest a little."

I almost roll my eyes at him. "Martin, I don't want to go home." I say exasperated. "A person I involved in this has been attacked and now he vanished. I don't care what Jack said. This isn't a coincidence!" I almost shouted. I need to calm down or Jack will take me out of the case.

"Danny." Martin says, with a sympathetic expression. "Jack is the only one who thinks it's a coincidence. We can't work on Ryan disappearance… but I really think we should talk again to the cook of the restaurant, we could have missed something about the girl's body…"

I look in Martin's eyes again, and my lips curl in a little smile. It's in moment like this that I'm grateful I work with people I can call friend.

Seeing Tom in a hospital bed is not making me feel better about Ryan. If the people that have him can reduce a 'bystander' like this.

The cook is pretty banged up, he have a ugly gash on the right temple, lots of bruises, four broken ribs, a fractured leg and a light concussion.

I feel a little bad about questioning him again, but then I think that Ryan right now could be in worse conditions.

"Hi, Tom. We meet yesterday. Do you remember me?" I ask, trying to be as gentle as possible.

"Yeah. I remember." He answers me. His words are a little slurred. I'll try to be fast.

"I know the police questioned you yet. But I'll try to be fast. It's about Ryan."

He looks sad. "Yeah, Ryan. I feel so bad about it."

"What do you mean? It's not your fault." I ask, feeling a little confused.

"Not exactly, but when they asked me where to find Ryan I told them to fuck off…Then they started hitting me. I don't remember much after that; only that Ryan attacked them."

"Ryan attacked them?" I ask.

"Yeah, Ryan is not the kind of person that let a friend being beaten to death." The cook says sarcastic.

"I suspected as much. It's just that I thought they could be connected with the body dumped at your restaurant yesterday… But I have no idea how to proof it."

"I have no idea. You're the FBI agent. The only thing that I can add is that they were five white man, at least two of them were under drugs and they talked about a 'boss' and a 'woman'. That's all I can remember. I'm really sorry. I would like to do more for Ryan."

"It's not really much. But we can work on it. I'm sure we'll find him." I say trying to convince myself.

I watch the cook again. He's sleeping, so I quietly exit his room.

Martin is waiting for me. "So, how did it go?"

I shake my head. "I don't know. I'm convinced it's connected with the drug case. But we don't have any proof."

"I know. I talked a little with the police, but they don't have anything."

"There's only one thing I don't understand… Why Jack is so sure it don't have anything to do with our case?" I ask confused.

Martin sighs. "Ryan was in the CSI's in Miami in a period of contrast with the Russian mafia. From what I read in his file he's been kidnapped and tortured by them. But in the end the Russian didn't get what they wanted, and they don't forget. Jack is sure it's some kind of Russian revenge."

"Wow," I say feeling strange. "That explains the scars."

"What scars?" Martin asks.

"Nothing." I say. "Maybe we could talk to Ryan ex colleagues, they could tell us if the idea of Russian revenge is realistic."

"Yeah, it could be a good idea." Martin agrees, taking out his phone. "I ask Sam for the number of the crime lab."

I feel a little better, like finally we are going somewhere. I just hope it won't be too late for Ryan.

tbc