"Campfire! In the screening room, we got another surveillance clip." Harris poked his head in, pulling Max out of his intense focus. 


After Hannah's absolutely graceful exit, Max had begun looking into the devices, scanning through various social media sites, chat rooms, and other less-than-mainstream websites - hoping to identify any leads to get more information about how these kids were obtaining them in the first place. 


While he searched the web, Jenna was making calls, trying to follow up with HomeSec, which avalanched into various other calls to their thir party partners involved in different aspects of their system. 


As well, the team had unanimously agreed that Sarah was deserving a change in her internship. She had already proven herself valuable of actually doing the work, not just shadowing. They even had her set up at a desk in the team cubicle at this point. 


Their decision was beneficial in another way also. Sarah was not the typical person to be interested in their line of work. She not only was focused on out of the box casework, she was an out of the box type of person. As she grew more comfortable with the team, she'd proven to be a constant source of comedic entertainment. Not because she sat around treating the room as a comedy stage - simply because she was random, chaotic, and had no filter for her reactive humor. 


Having the precinct laughing all day had lightened up the dark suffocation of doom that Max had been left with. 


Stammets had recruited Sarah to dig through dispatch logs, in case her 'spidey senses' latched on to any more suspicious video reports. Apparently, she got another hit. 


Max drug himself away from his computer screen, and followed Harris back to the darkness of the theater. Taking his seat next to Jenna, he noted Stammets also sat one row behind them, and he could feel eyes burning at the back of his neck. Surely, word of Hannah's tantrum had gotten shared with the Captain, and of course he would want to observe Max's reaction to it all. 


The light dimmed, and the video played. 


"All surveillance shifts we have observed here, contain these momentary flashing images, this logo, and some extra commentary from the suspect." Jenna was clearly noting for Stammets' benefit. "We believe the suspect has a personal connection to Detective Clyde, but as of yet, we do not have enough to identify specifically what that connection is." 


Max sat back firmly against his chair, and focused intently on the screen. They watched as the footage reverted to a location they hadn't observed yet. This was neither a receiver or one of the burglary victims. Was this a new target, or the suspect? 


That would make it too easy. Max thought. 


They watched as a door opened. A hooded individual slipped out and stepped over to the patio table, pacing as they lit up a cigarette. The figure remained with the back facing the camera, but Max could clearly tell this wasn't the same figure shown in the break-in. He noted this is possibly a new target - or a second suspect. 


It was too hard to tell at this point.


The figure reached into their pocket, fumbled with the item they pulled out, and held it to the side of their face, as they removed the hood revealing their shortened, dark brown hair. Their hands were feminine in figure, but the length of their haircut left their gender up for debate. 


They watched as the figure paced sideways, back and forth making their phone call. Several minutes passed, and every time they thought a face would be revealed, the figure turned back to face away from the camera. 


Another figure emerged from the door, an older gentleman, connected to an oxygen tank, waved over at the hooded figure, and spoke words. Jenna tried to assume what he was saying. "Hey, in her red. Come say a play. It's a most sold." She paused confused. "I don't know, his mouth is hard to read at this angle." 


Stammets on the other hand, noted it looked as though he was letting her know that dinner was ready and getting cold. The team silently agreed as they continued to watch the interaction.


They watched as the figure nodded, snuffed out the cigarette, and placed their phone back into the pocket of their coat. As the figure turned, a feminine figure revealed itself as it turned to reach for the door. 


Max shifted forward as she turned to nervously watch over her shoulder for anyone possibly watching her. His heart dropped as he made the recognition.


"Max..." Stammets calmly pushed, as if to relay his own recognition, in case he didn't see it.


"I know, Captain. I see it." 


There she was. Right there, on the other side of whatever device was watching her. So close, and yet unreachable. 


He began to piece together the tidbits left by the suspect. It was her. The gift was her. And the suspect clearly wanted Max to be made aware of her existence. 


They were taunting him, letting him know that she was there, just out of reach. They were screwing with his head. 


Jenna reached her hand to lightly squeeze Max's arm for support, realizing the connection being made. "Harris, can you find a way to trace where this footage originated from?" 


"I am currently running diagnostics on all the surveillance clips, but that may take a bit of time. But we're not done here." 


Harris continued tapping away at his computer, while they continued to watch as she continued in to the residence, and disappeared. 


The video then shifted back to the blinking images, and the logo. The disguised voice returned yet again. "Max, I hope this gift finds you well, but unfortunately, our mutual friend here has been a very naughty girl. I promise I will help you punish her for her violations. In time, you will have everything you need to lock her in a cage. I suppose that's the only way you'll be able to keep her close, am I right?!" The booming laughter returns, and fades back to the home of the newest surveillance receiver. 


Max sat in shock, trying to wrap his mind around what just happened. Is this a riddle? Is she in danger? What has she gotten herself into? Who is doing this? Where the fuck is she? 


Clearly the suspect wanted Max to see her crimes. They wanted Max to be convinced she wasn't such a great person.


He hadn't even thought that to be a possibility. He'd continued to imagine her as that sweet, innocent bubble of darkness that she was. Realistic enough to embrace that life sucked - but giggly enough to embrace that it really didn't matter what sucked. 'It could also NOT suck.' - was always her way of getting Max to try to see a better side to everything. He couldn't imagine her growing up to involve herself in criminal activity. 


But, then again, she ran away at 16. Being alone out there at that age, would definitely present many challenges, that could in fact lead a kid to the wrong side of the tracks. It's certainly possible. Even though he really didn't want to believe that to be the case. 


What mattered most at this point, was that there she was. He knew she was alive. He knew she was okay. She didn't disappear. She does exist. And he was very close to being able to confirm that in person. He could look her in the eyes soon. He could stand face to face with her. Hopefully not to put her behind bars. 


"Clyde. My office. Now." Stammets insisted. Max couldn't tell if he was about to get removed from the case, psychoanalyzed, or worse, hugged. 


As they reached the end of the hall, and closed off contact to the onlookers out on the floor, Max took a seat, and rubbed his eyes to settle into the brightness of the fluorescence. 


"Are you fit to handle this case?" Stammets hurriedly got right into it. 


Max took a moment to consider the emotions piling in. "I have to. But, yes sir, I realize the complexity of the situation. And as much as I do feel the feelings right now, I want to note I don't trust any other team to handle this. Even if I need to step away from it, do not pass it to Jenkins and Carmichael. Let Jenna stay on." 


Stammets paused, considering Max's plea. "Good. I want my best men on top of this one. Failure is not an option, do you hear me?!" The temperature of his voice was hot, and Max got a sudden jolt that reminded him of the tone his Mother gave when Max used to go out looking for danger in bar fights and thrill races. 


Max wasn't quite sure what to think of the sudden 'father-to-son' tone, but he assumed The captain must be back on his goal of passing down Captaincy to Max. Screwing up on this case would definitely delay that happening. And there's a lot of risks this time. 


"Loud and clear, sir." Max straightened, and continued. "I do have one thought though, Captain." 


Stammets gave a knowing look, "Yes Max, we will do our damndest to fight for her. If she is guilty of anything, we have to follow by the book. But she will not be alone in this." He paused. "She means too much to let her fight this alone." 


Stammets resonated with the reality of what he'd just said. To this day, he continued to bring about the legacy of his best friend, Daniel Clyde. 


And of course, it helped that Max had a heart just like his father. 


It was very well possible that Evelyn could be a suspect, or an accomplice, or even a target. They had to get the facts. But they also needed to make sure they had ALL of the facts. 


Max settled on that, and dismissed himself back to his office, where Jenna waited with her coat and coffee canister ready. "Harris traced our girl. Let's go get her!" She winked, hoping it would brighten whatever just went down in the big man's office. 


Max grabbed his things, and nodded firmly, but wasn't quite sure whether he was motivated, or terrified. He supposed he was about to find out.