TAKEN WITHOUT A TRACE.

CHAPTER TWO:ECHOES OF THE PAST.

Clara’s gaze softened for a flicker of a moment. “Maya, I know what you went through. But don’t let your grief cloud this investigation. If you want to help, you need to stay objective.”

“Objective?” Maya’s voice cracked. “My sister’s been missing for ten years. Now another girl’s gone the same way. Don’t tell me to be objective.”

The bullpen fell quiet. Officers shifted uncomfortably at Maya’s raised voice. Clara sighed and leaned closer. “Look, if you want to help, fine. But do it my way—quiet, no stunts. Understand?”

Before Maya could answer, a deep voice cut in. “She’s right, Detective. This isn’t random.”

Maya turned to see a man standing near the entrance. Tall, broad-shouldered, his dark hair cropped short. His eyes were sharp but shadowed, like he’d seen too much.

“And you are?” Clara asked coolly.

“Ethan Cole. Private investigator.” He handed over a card. “Ex-military search-and-rescue. I’ve been tracking these disappearances for two years. Last night makes the seventh.”

Maya blinked. “Seven?”

Ethan nodded grimly. “Different towns, different states. Always the same method—broad daylight, no trace left behind. And always a message for someone connected to the victim.”

Clara’s suspicion deepened. “You expect me to believe you’ve been sitting on this without coming forward sooner?”

“I didn’t have proof until now,” Ethan replied. His gaze shifted to Maya. “But whoever this is—they know you. That makes you the key.”

Maya’s pulse quickened. For the first time in years, she felt both fear and hope tangled together. “Then we work together.”

Clara raised her hands. “Absolutely not. Maya, you’re already too close to this. And Mr. Cole, this isn’t your jurisdiction.”

“Maybe not,” Ethan said evenly. “But do you want to stop him or let him take number eight?”

Silence stretched. Clara’s jaw tightened. Finally, she muttered, “Fine. But if either of you step out of line, you’re done.”

As they left the precinct, Maya studied Ethan. “Why help me?”

His expression was unreadable. “Because I know what it feels like to lose someone and get no answers. I’m not letting it happen again.”

Something in his voice told her there was more—pain buried deep—but she didn’t push. Instead, she focused on the resolve in his eyes.

Together, they drove to the spot where the girl was taken. The street was ordinary again, the plaza buzzing as if nothing had happened. But Maya’s skin prickled with unease. She scanned the sidewalk, every shadow a threat.

Ethan crouched near the curb, studying faint tire marks. “Fresh tread. Whoever they are, they switched routes fast.”

Maya’s throat tightened. “Like they vanished.”

He looked up at her, his gaze steady. “No one vanishes without a trace. You just have to know where to look.”

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed again. Another message. She opened it—and her blood ran cold.

It was a photo. The missing girl, bound and terrified, with today’s newspaper held up beside her face.

Beneath it, a single line:

“Tick-tock, Maya. Your time runs out tomorrow.”

Maya’s breath hitched. Ethan leaned over her shoulder, his jaw clenching. For the first time, his calm cracked, and she saw the storm brewing behind his eyes.

“This isn’t just a game,” he muttered. “He’s daring you to chase him.”

Maya’s fingers tightened on the phone. Fear coiled in her gut, but resolve burned hotter. She looked at Ethan and whispered, “Then we’ll chase him.”

Neither of them noticed the camera hidden across the street, its tiny red light blinking as it captured every word, every expression.

Somewhere in the dark, The Shadow watched—and smiled.

The abductor sends a real-time photo of the missing girl, making it clear this is personal, urgent, and dangerous.