Upon returning to the district after some time to himself, Antonio walked up to the bullpen where he saw everyone at their desks searching for clues.
Hearing voices coming from Voight's office, he proceeded towards the office to speak with the sergeant. Antonio overheard part of Voight's conversation with Benson, who was leaning against the wall.
'Let's hope putting this on the news will help us find Erin faster,' Voight remarked, to which the woman nodded in agreement. As Antonio was about to knock on the door, Al called everyone to his desk, informing them that someone had found the Toyota Highlander.
Antonio and the others gathered around the old detective's desk as Voight and Benson emerged from the office and walked over. Voight inquired, 'Where?' Al, looking at the computer, replied, 'It's at a gas station a little ways out of Chicago. Yates seems to have abandoned it and taken another vehicle, making it harder for us to follow his trail.'
Voight proposed, 'Let us proceed there to gather fingerprints and other evidence that may aid us in reaching Erin.' He signaled to Antonio to accompany him, prompting everyone to follow the two men down the stairs.
Upon reaching the spot where the Toyota Highlander was parked, which required a half-hour journey, Antonio swiftly exited the truck and headed towards the forsaken SUV.
'This vehicle was reported stolen from a woman named Alice on the night prior to Lindsay's abduction,' informed the police officer who had reported it to Antonio, guiding him on a tour around the vehicle.
While Voight opened the front door, Antonio ventured to open the back door as instructed, 'Search for any potential leads that could assist us,' directed Voight. Antonio complied, while Al ushered Jay, Atwater, and Ruzek towards the gas station to gather information or eyewitness accounts regarding the incident.
Antonio retrieved an object from the sheet and examined it under the flashlight, wincing when he realized it was Erin's red hat. 'I found Lindsay's hat,' he informed Voight as he handed it over. Voight acknowledged the discovery with a simple 'Good.'
As Antonio continued to search, he recoiled in pain as his hand grazed a sharp object protruding from the floor. He retracted his hand, illuminated the area with his flashlight, and identified a needle. 'Voight, there's a needle on the floor,' Antonio informed, picking it up along with a bag of bandages.
'Looks like Yates attempted to stitch Erin up,' he speculated as he stepped out of the SUV and presented the items to Voight and Benson for inspection. 'There's blood on it,' Benson observed.
'It could be Erin's, although I did skim my hand with it a bit, but nothing too serious,' Antonio explained as he used a tissue provided by Fin to clean the blood from his hand. 'Still, it would be wise to get checked, just in case Yates contaminated the needle,' Voight advised.
Antonio nodded, indicating that he was indifferent to his health concerns but understood the importance of avoiding potential illness from a contaminated needle with regards to Erin. He directed his gaze towards the gas station and inquired, 'Have you found anything from the Clark?' he asked.
'Jay and Ruzek are currently engaging in a conversation with the manager; however, they reported that everything appeared to be normal,' Al stated as he approached the group with Atwater.
'Nonetheless, I instructed Jay and Ruzek to collect the camera tapes.' Antonio acknowledged this information and turned his attention to Voight and Benson, stating, 'Excellent, let's arrange for this to be towed and sanitized after we finish collecting fingerprints,' Voight suggested as Fin nodded and contacted a towing service.
The detectives were preparing to return to their vehicles and head back to the district when they were hailed by someone calling out, 'Detectives.' Antonio shifted his gaze towards a middle-aged man who was emerging from a semi-truck and approaching them.
Antonio inquired the man, who arrived panting at the detectives, while observing the truck driver's nervous glances towards them.
'Are you searching for leads for that female detective?' he inquired. Voight acknowledged with a sharp movement towards the man, who swallowed nervously at the intense gaze of Voight and Antonio.
'Did you witness anything?' Voight queried, hands tucked in his vest. 'I have seen fragments of it, as I heard some commotion while resting for the night,' the truck driver started, stepping back from the intimidating stares of the men.
Before Antonio could press the truck driver further, Benson intervened, 'How about accompanying us? Once you share what you know, we can drop you back.' The female sergeant's offer appeared less intimidating than that of the two men.
Antonio expressed his agreement by stating, 'I will accompany you if those two individuals would step back,' as the truck driver directed a pointed gaze at Antonio and Voight, who retreated upon receiving a signal from Benson. Once Benson motioned to them, the truck driver was allowed into the back seat, and they proceeded to return to district twenty one.
Upon returning to the district, Antonio applied bandages to his hand and began eavesdropping on the conversation between Benson, Al, and the truck driver in the integration room.
Antonio turned to Voight, who was standing next to him with crossed arms and a tight jaw, and inquired, 'Do you place any credibility in this individual's statements?' Antonio continued to listen intently as Voight responded, 'I am uncertain, as I am unsure whom to trust at this juncture.' Antonio nodded in acknowledgment and resumed focusing on the conversation.
Benson leaned against the table as she talked to the truck driver with Al who had his arms crossed over his chest" So tell his what you heard the night before." Benson said as Al took out two pictures to show the man who leaned in his seat to look at the picture.
Relying against the table, Benson conversed with the truck driver alongside Al, who stood with his arms folded across his chest. 'Please share with us what you heard the previous night,' Benson inquired, as Al presented two images to the man, who leaned forward in his seat to examine them.
Pointing at the photograph depicting the woman, the man recounted, 'When I glanced out of the window upon hearing raised voices, I observed her fleeing from this gentleman,' indicating Yates.
'Initially, I presumed it was a domestic matter, but it wasn't until I saw the news that I realized the severity of the situation. I refrained from intervening because I did not wish to appear intrusive by monitoring their interaction,' he explained.
Al and Benson exchanged glances. 'In that case, you should have contacted us promptly when you witnessed the incident, as the woman's safety is now at risk, and time is of the essence,' Benson asserted. Despite her concerns about reaching Erin in time, she found solace in the resilience she had observed in the young brunette on multiple occasions.
"I regret to inform you that I caught a glimpse of the other vehicle to which he took her, which may be of assistance, but I am unaware of their destination," the truck driver stated in the hope that this information would persuade the individuals to step aside.
Benson produced a pen and notepad, pushing it towards the man on the table. "Please jot down the car's make, model, and color here," she instructed. "Afterwards, one of our officers will escort you back to your truck."
The truck driver nodded, penning the details. "It is a white Ford Fusion, a small SUV smaller than the one they were previously in," he conveyed, returning the notepad and pen to the woman. "Thank you," Benson acknowledged before guiding him out of the room.
Al assigned Burgess and Roman to accompany the truck driver back to the truck stop, then joined Benson near Antonio and Voight who were waiting. "What information do we have?" Voight inquired.
Mr. Benson stated that he refrained from being intrusive and was able to provide us with the information about the car Mr. Yates is currently driving," as he handed the paper containing the car's make and model to Voight, who acknowledged it by nodding.
Voight expressed, "This brings us a step closer," as he directed the group back to the bullpen. Antonio then approached the whiteboard and documented the details of the new vehicle that Yates was driving, a 2012 White Ford Fusion.
Voight instructed Mouse to track down this vehicle before he went into his office after receiving a call from Justin. When Mouse inquired about plate numbers, Benson replied with a sigh, "No," highlighting his frustration over the situation with Erin.
Jay chimed in, "I wish he would do more than just observe while Erin is fighting for her life," with a disapproving stance. Al reassured gently, "The truck driver was scared, but at least we were able to acquire some information from him, which is more than what we had before."
Antonio ran his hand down his face. 'Anyway, let us continue,' he began, but he was interrupted by Voight exiting the office. 'Let us all go get some rest; it is getting late, and we will not be able to help Erin if we are tired and get sick,' he said.
The second-in-command's eyes narrowed as he looked at Voight and acknowledged that he was correct, although rest was the least of Antonio's priorities. 'Alright, but I will continue looking for leads at home,' he stated, emphasizing that he would not stop until he found more information to work with.
Voight gazed at Antonio and nodded. 'I will do the same, but ensure you rest at least for some time,' he remarked as he proceeded downstairs with the others. Antonio nodded and followed, heading home for the night.