Three days had passed, but it felt like a lifetime to Amadeo. Sleep evaded him, every waking moment consumed by the ache of not knowing where Elle was. His mind played the same scenes on loop — her voice, her smile, the desperate scream that echoed through his memory. Every second felt like a ticking bomb.
Levi Wilder stood over a large city map pinned to the wall, red threads connecting various locations — some leading nowhere, others stopped abruptly. A single name was circled in the middle: Elle.
Dylan burst into the room, nearly tripping over himself. "Sir, I've mapped the area where Elle was last seen. There's a highway camera nearby. We might have something."
Amadeo stood up immediately. "Let's go."
They drove in silence, the weight of desperation hanging heavy between them. The control room for the highway cameras was tucked into a secluded building beside the expressway. When they arrived, a sleepy technician pulled up the footage.
The screen blinked. Playback loading.
And then—nothing.
"What?" Levi leaned in, squinting. "Where's the 3:42 to 3:57 slot?"
The technician shrugged, confused. "It just… isn't there."
Dylan paled. "Sir…" He pulled Levi a few steps back and whispered nervously, "This could be a mafia thing. High profile. You never know who you're stepping on. Maybe we should back off before—"
Before he could finish, Levi slapped the back of Dylan's head. "Don't talk like a coward. We don't back off because we're scared."
Amadeo's voice cracked, raw with desperation. "Please, sir… don't give up. If you don't help me… I have no one else."
Levi placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find her. Don't listen to this monkey."
They stepped outside. The sun was setting, casting an orange haze over the neighborhood. As they scanned the area, Amadeo's eyes fell on a parked sedan across the street. Something about it felt… off. Too clean. Too still.
He walked up to the adjacent house and knocked.
The door creaked open and an elderly man peeked through. His face was wrinkled, eyes sharp. "What? What do you want now?"
Amadeo blinked. "Now? This is the first time we've met."
The old man looked puzzled for a moment, then scoffed. "Is that car yours?" Amadeo asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Could I see your dash cam footage, sir? I'm investigating something."
The man sighed, muttering, "Is my house some kind of treasure hunt? Every day someone's digging for something."
Levi stepped forward, flashing his badge. "Who else came asking for footage?"
The man sighed again, as if finally registering the seriousness of the situation. "Two days ago. Two guys, suits, IDs around their necks. Claimed they were from some insurance company, said an accident happened outside and they needed the footage."
"And you gave it to them?" Levi asked.
"They paid," the old man muttered. "Then some other guy came later, said he wanted to service the car. I didn't let him in — smelled fishy."
Dylan scribbled every detail furiously.
"Do you remember their faces?" Levi asked.
"Oh, I remember all right," the man growled. "They messed with my CCTV, said it glitched. It never glitched before that day."
"Then you're coming with us. Help our sketch artist draw them," Levi ordered. "Also, your dash cam footage. Now."
The old man disappeared inside, then returned with a set of keys and a memory card. Levi inserted it into his tablet.
The video began to play.
They watched silently. Cars passed. The timestamp hit 3:50 p.m.
And then it happened.
Two black van blocked the view momentarily — and when it passed, Elle was gone.
But Levi's sharp eyes narrowed at something—he lunged forward. "Stop! Stop right there!"
He zoomed in.
On the rear windshield of one of the cars, barely visible,was a man's side profile.
"Here he is," Levi whispered, his voice tense. "I've seen him before… But I can't seem to remember where... Where have I seen him?",he asked himself.
Amadeo stared at the frozen frame, his heart pounding. He eagerly looked at Levi for some clue,some lead that can connect them to Elle and help them in finding her....
And somewhere in a locked room, Elle's cry still echoed in the dark