Protective Arms (Completed)

9. Which Direction

Never seen this coming. For the small amount of time I have seen Athena, she always seemed like it didn't bother her much. That was one of the first things I noticed about her, is the ability to hide her emotions.

Not so much now, it seem to hit her hard when she opened the text message and it is a picture of her. Bethany and Chasity rush over to where she is sitting in the chair.

All Athena can do is mumble out about the picture to Bethany, who turns pale. Chasity follows a moment later, as she hears the words.

Bethany wraps her arms around Athena, and a small bit of jealousy runs through me that I can't do that myself. I brush it off and pull my phone out. Putting in a call to Officer Gaperal, I forward everything to him.

Right after there is only one other thing I can do, this case just took over the status of others. This is now being moved up to the highest level, because of the threat yesterday and now today, means he is moving much faster than before seven years prior.

These words are the exact same from the last victim. This can conclude we do not have a copycat but the original suspect.

I put my next call into Brit.

"I need you to pull any feed from the cameras around Hair Expressions. The suspect was here this morning at their opening time of eight this morning." I don't even get a hello in as soon as he answers, but this has happened many times when we are working a case.

"You got it. Give me thirty minutes and I will call you back." Brit hangs up.

This can be the hardest part with our department only having the two of us as detectives and none others. We will get the carjacking case took care of but it is not at the threat level this one is so it has to be back burned currently. The one thing as detectives we hate doing, because all cases that need to be solved but we have to prioritize them.

I step back up to the women and it seems like Athena has calmed down some and back on this time with us.

"How are you doing?" I ask, stooping down to her level. Never ask if the victim is okay, because odds are they aren't and it could just send them back into panic.

"I am here. I just don't understand why me?"

"Hopefully that is an answer we will find out and soon."

"I know you have told me no before, but I am staying with you tonight Athena. Dason will be just fine on his own for the night." Bethany looks right at Athena.

"Count me in too. It never hurts to have more people with you." Chasity speaks up with determination.

It makes me proud of my younger sister for how she is with her friends. I am glad she has finally found her place in town and not so lonely.

Athena nods her head and doesn't put up any fights with them over this. Something I am grateful for.

"That is a good idea. Then that way Chasity can call me and I will be over immediately." I agree with them.

I go to move but stop when something hits me.

"Acutally let me have your address. That way I can come by and check things out periodically."

Athena nods but still doesn't seem to be focusing. My heart sinks that she is this scared and I want to do more for her.

Bethany gives me her address and I am quick to write it down.

One thing none of them need to know is that I plan to stay at the end of her street overnight. It will ease me and I won't be able to sleep no matter if I am home or not. So, I can get all the files and go over them trying to find more of a link while they rest tonight.

My phone rings and Athena jumps.

"It is okay. This is my partner calling me back." I rub her shoulder and it seems to relax her, with the small sigh and slump she does.

I give a small smile and stand up to answer the phone. Moving over to the other side of the salon.

"Gatlin."

"I got a view of a person dressed in all black, but none of the towns cameras picked up a face. The suspect knows the alleyways to stay hidden. The black outfit though, seems to be of some uniform from a factory possibly."

"Did any of the cameras pick up his movements or did he just vanish into an alley?"

"Seem to have vanished, but it is the morning rush. If he hid it would be easy to strip out of the one piece and go walking like any normal person on the sidewalks."

"Which direction did the perp take off in? It could have been done, right before the perp went to work. " My mind go over the different ways to the factors.

"Shows him headed south."

Damn, there's not any factories that direction.

"I got Gaperal caught up on this too. He has been re-running the phone number to see if there is any other activity on it other than messaging Ms. Greg."

"Thanks man. Keep me posted. My sister and their friend is going to be staying with Athena tonight. I got her address and plan to park it at the end of her road in hopes of catching something off."

"Be safe. Call me if you need me to join. I will let Gaperal know."

I hang up and the others seems to be putting things at their stations away.

"We don't have any clients for the afternoon. Bethany and I think it would be best to get Athena to her house to relax." Chasity looks up at me.

"Sounds good. Do you need me to go to your place for clothes?"

"No. I keep my spare hygiene items in my bag and Athena said her clothes would fit Bethany and I so we are just going straight to her apartment."

I stay with them until they get in Athena's car and leave. With moving as fast as I can without being noticed, I make it home and grab the files then set out to the address Bethany gave me.

A/N---
Hey Hey Guys!!!

Zack is wanting nothing more than to solve this case and quickly.

Is it smart of him to be parked out overnight?

Seems maybe those feelings are growing and becoming more understandable for him?