A few hours later, Nigel could be found searching each face he came across in the hotel security videos, trying to find some clue as to where Alexis could be, when his phone rang. In his anxiety, he almost dropped it as he ripped it out of his pocket.

'Nigel, it's Matt. Is Alexis there?'

He sucked in a breath of fresh air, and tried to calm his pounding heart. 'No. She's – she's not here. Why?' He wasn't quite sure why he didn't tell Matt - Woody would certainly tell him sooner or later – but perhaps it was because saying it aloud would make it even more real.

'We've got a bit of an emergency down at the hospital. Jessica's disappeared.'

'What?'

'Yeah. We don't know how it happened, but the hospital personnel must've let her out for a walk or something, and someone grabbed her.'

Eyes still on the security tape, Nigel suddenly say up taller and asked, 'Tall guy? Red hair?'

'Yeah, that's right. I'm sending over the security footage now. How did you know?'

'Because he… he kidnapped Alexis barely two hours ago.'

'Wait – what? I'll be right there.'

'Whatcha got, Nige?' Jordan asked, bounding into the room laden with samples.

'We got him. Look.' He pulled up a picture of a tallish man with cold blue eyes and bright red hair standing warily in the hotel service elevator. And beside him, practically passed out, was Alexis.

'Oh man,' Jordan breathed. 'He doesn't look too nice, does he?'

'He's Jessica's pimp, I think. I'm searching the database for him.'

'So? What's going on?' a voice barked from the other side of the room. 'Have you gotten the security footage from the hospital yet?'

'Hey, Seely. No, but Nige here's found him.'

'Where?'

'Here.' Nigel rewound the footage and pointed them out. 'Wait… what's that?' He stopped the tape, and zoomed in to focus on the man's wrist. 'Well I'll be…'

'What is it?' Jordan asked, leaning over his shoulder.

'It's a tattoo of a tugra,' he replied, cropping the picture and putting it into a search engine.

He received blank stares from the other two.

He sighed, and said, 'The signature of a Turkish sultan – a very ornate, detailed picture?'

'How do you know these things?' Seely asked looking closer as well.

'We don't ask, Seely. It's just one of those things that we have to contend not knowing,' Jordan told him, clapping him on the shoulder.

'Ah,' Seely muttered, still not quite comprehending.

'See?' Nigel pulled up the results of the search and pointed to the caption. '"Tugra - imperial monogram of Sulayman the Magnificent of Turkey."'

'Can you check if this's been found on anyone booked in the last little while?' Seely asked, rubbing the place where Jordan had smacked him.

'Of course I can.'

'Good man. I'll go meet up with Woody, see what he's got. I'm sure we'll find them. Get some rest, Nigel, you look like crap. Let the BPD handle it.'

Nigel sat back in the chair and groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

'He's right, Nigel. You'll do her no good half dead from lack of sleep.'

'But –'

'I can handle it. And if all else fails, I'll grab Bug-'

He groaned again. 'Bug's gonna kill me.'

'You haven't told him yet?!'

'...he'll kill me.'

'Yeah, but you should still tell him.'

'How about if I leave, you tell him?'

Jordan rolled her eyes, and said, 'Fine. But go home. To bed.'

'But-'

'I'm calling Bug now…'

'Okay! Okay, I'm gone.'

With that, he bounded out of the room and into the service elevator. It was only when the door shut and he felt it lurch into motion that he leaned against the back wall and allowed himself to loose control and let a few tears escape.

She was right. Alexis. Her words echoed in his mind, and only now he realized fully the truth behind her words. 'How is it that it's only been a few days, and yet..?' And yet his heart was breaking to think of her, alone and scared, away from his comforting embrace? Was it true, what he said to Bug? Was he in love?

Yes, was the answer, and it resonated in his mind, over and over. This just made him realize how true that statement was. What would he give, at this moment, to know that she was safe?

Pulling him out of his revere, he jumped when his cell rang in his pocket. Again, he almost dropped it out of shock.

'Hello?' he muttered, not registering the caller ID.

'Nigel?' The voice was female, and barely there. But, despite that, he knew who it was instantly.

'Alexis?' He stood up straighter, and continued, 'Alexis, are you okay? Where are you?'

'It's… it's Taylor, Jessica's pimp, he followed us to my hotel. He only just left. I'm downtown, I think, close to the diner. I-' She stopped, and he heard her gasp.

Nigel held his breath, and frantically pressed the up button on the elevator panel. He could track her, he could track her.

Then, he heard heavy footsteps, and a cold voice in the background. 'So. Alexis is it?' Nigel heard her mumble something in reply, and then heard a harsh, resonating slap. 'You wanted to get rid of my best girl. You took her, and see, now, that was a waste of good money for me. And you told her her brother was dead. So. Because of that loss of revenue, I think you and I will have to reach an agreement. How about a good run with me, and we'll consider you square...'

'No…' Nigel muttered, stopping, eyes wide in repulsion.

She muttered something else in reply and there was a sharp, humourless laugh. 'You're a virgin? Well then… that's something that some guys will pay a fortune for, did you know that? You wait right here, and I'll be back…'

Finally, Nigel reached the morgue level, but before he could take two steps, he heard a voice roar in anger, 'NIGEL! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!'

'No! Bug! I found her!' Nigel cried drastically to counter his friend, but froze when he realized that he had yelled into the receiver. And there was only silence on the other end.

'What was that?'

'N…nothing…!'

'Oh, really…' There was a rustling, and then Nigel heard the phone picked up. 'Hello?' Nigel couldn't answer. He heard Alexis squeal in pain in the background. The male voice laughed cruelly, and hissed, 'I know you're there. And just because I know you're listening…' There rang out the sound of another harsh slap, and then a faint scream as the dull sound of a punch reached Nigel's ear.

There was silence.

Then the phone line went dead.