Chapter 157: The Abandoned Bag (1/2)

It was seven in the morning and I was still sitting in front of the computer screen, watching the live-stream. It was horrifying, to say the least, but I felt like these women would be killed if I looked away. No, what was happening to the woman in the frame was horrible. She probably wanted to die, but I knew… I knew that death was the final fate. You could recover from everything… you had the chance to recover if you survived.

So, I watched.

Nash pressed his hand against my shoulder. ”Evie, stop,” he pleaded.

I didn't look away. ”I can't. I need to make sure they don't die,” I whispered. ”When we catch these people, we can find the other victims, but for now, my sole responsibility is to make sure these people don't die a horrible death.”

”You need food,” he pressed.

”Would you mind bringing something for me? I really can't leave,” I said. I gave him a small smile.

”Got it,” he said slowly.

I looked back to the screen and huffed. I suddenly remembered that I needed to look at the people who were trapped with me and phoned Sebastian.

”Are you awake?” I almost whispered. I heard him take a shuddering breath and groan.

”Yeah, I was awake a bit longer after I spoke to you. I had some thinking to do about the cold case I am handling,” he said, his voice groggy.

”Anything you can tell me?” I asked casually.

”No, nothing concrete. I am just looking through all the evidence. I think I am getting somewhere. I should be able to crack the case, soon,” he assured.

”Wow, my fiancé is going to solve one of the longest unsolved cases in the world, huh?” I praised. I knew the pride in my voice was uninhibited.

”Indeed, I'll crack it in a couple of days. I have the profile ready. Just going through some extra speculations. Are you calling me to wish me good morning?” he teased.

”Absolutely not. I am calling you to ask a favor of you,” I responded.

”Favor?” I could tell that he was off the bed and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

”I was thinking back to what Alicia said. If I had dinner with the accomplice while I was captive, I must have thought he was kidnapped just like me,” I told him.

”Or you don't remember him at all,” he responded.

”Well, if none of the faces I remember are missing, I will be certain it is not a memory I can actively recall. I will go to Dr. Knight and ask him if there is another way to do it, then.”

Sebastian was silent. ”You can't do that,” he said firmly. ”I'll bring the file, but if nothing comes from it, you will stop.”

And that was that. ”What? You'll solve it without tormenting my broken mind?” I asked. I tried to joke, but I knew my words were scathing.

”Yes, as always,” he said firmly.

”Okay, just bring the files,” I replied. We'd see what needed to be done when the time came. ”See you in an hour!” I chirped.

I hung up the call and went back to watching the footage.

Nash rushed in after a few minutes and placed a bag of food on my table alongside files. ”I got two copies. We identified some of the men and women,” he said excitedly.

”Okay, so we have a location where they were disposed, right?” I asked.

Nash blinked. ”This is the weird part. Some of them are alive,” he said.

”They are alive?” I asked. ”These people were kidnapped and kept for so long and they still appeared alive?” I asked.

”Yeah. We already called some of them up. One of the victims is from another state, but I think we could get her on a video call!”

I pressed my lips together. I flipped through the pages and grimaced further. ”Some of them went missing while hiking and never came back… bodies never found. Others just appeared in ditches and people sent them to hospitals…”

I gaped. ”Yeah, people thought they overdosed and everything,” Nash explained.

”So, he drugged them to acclimate them and keep them compliant,” I muttered. I looked at the video again and felt my heart grow cold. ”Then he must have given the girl drugs too, right? I don't know much about medication but this could lead to organ failure and other complications, right?” I asked.

Nash nodded. ”That's why we are looking at talking to the living victims. If they remember some detail,” he said.

”How about I talk to the victims while you see the locations they were taken and discarded. Maybe we'll get some clues?” I suggested.

”I'll do that.” That was the thing. I was good at helping victims speak and open up. But Nash had a world of experience in profiling and locating criminals. I was mostly a nuisance, in my opinion, but I would try my best to help out in the case.