Taken Away

CHAPTER 9

Later that day, I called Joshua to see how he was doing and to share the progress I'd made in the case. "Josh, anything new?" I listened intently as Joshua continues to explain what he's been up to. "I did a little trip on the parks where the killings took place, and asked some people who are familiar with the area," Josh said, his voice sounding calm and collected as ever. I nodded along, appreciating any information I could use to help with the investigation. "Did you find anything important?" I asked, curious to know what he'd uncovered. Josh paused for a moment, considering his answer. "I did find some possible leads," he finally replied. I sat up in my chair, wanting to hear more of this possible lead Joshua uncovered. "And those leads are...?" my heart beating faster with anticipation. Josh replied almost immediately, sounding sure of himself. "An old guy described him exactly as we saw in the surveillance footage," he said. I paused for a moment, processing this information. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my chin as I tried to make sense of this lead. "I'm in my apartment, I gotta show you something," "Alright, I'll be over shortly," he replied. I made my way to the kitchen, poured two cups of coffee, and set them down on the table.

I sat at the table, my mind racing with anticipation and curiosity as I waited for Josh to arrive. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place and I'm eager to show Josh what I've found. I looked at my watch, feeling the seconds tick by. I wanted to share my findings with him as quickly as possible. Finally, I heard a knock at the door, I hurried to the front door and opened it to let Josh in. He steps inside, closing the door behind him as he walks toward me. I slid the two coffees towards Josh, the steam rising off the hot drinks as he took a seat. I reached across the table, pulled out a map, and laid it down in front of him. I pointed to a spot on the map labeled "Water Avenue," where I circled the location in red mark. "This might be it," I said. He takes a sip of coffee, nodding along as he scans the map. "But, before we go there, we gotta have a plan," I looked at Josh. I paused for a moment, contemplating what that plan should be. We need a solid strategy if we're going to apprehend The Heart Collector, and we need to be as careful as possible. "How do we approach this? Any ideas?" "We gotta ask the chief first and surround the neighborhood with officers," I thought through the steps that would be needed to execute this plan. "I have a question though, how did you get his location?" I paused for a moment, considering how to answer Josh's question. "I'll tell you everything when we catch him."

We decided to search for "Water Avenue" on Google Maps instead of going there to not raise any suspicion. After a few moments of digging through, we locate the exact location of Water Avenue. We zoom in on the map, studying the area and familiarizing ourselves with the location before we make our first move. We notice that Water Avenue is a quiet and unassuming street bordered by residential homes. It was the perfect location for our plan. We'll be able to corner The Heart Collector and apprehend him with as little collateral damage as possible. We searched for the house that had the number "60," quickly finding a home that matched the criteria we were looking for. It was a small bungalow surrounded by other homes on the same street, blending in perfectly with the rest of the neighborhood. We studied the home for a moment, taking note of any possible entrance and exit points. "That's it, let's go to the station," I repeated, grabbing my jacket as I prepared to head out. I hope things turn out in our favor, as the stakes couldn't be higher.

"Wait, so you're trying to tell me you found The Heart Collector's location?" the chief asked, a look of disbelief on his face. "Yes, sir. We've pinpointed the exact location where his home is and we're ready to make our move." I watched as the chief leaned forward in his seat, holding a pen in his hand. I begin to feel the pressure of the chief's gaze, I hold my breath for a few moments, nervous about what the chief will decide. After what felt like an eternity, the chief finally spoke. "And you did that by yourself?" I watched as the chief raised an eyebrow. "If our plan doesn't work, I will take full responsibility, sir," I replied, making my statement strong and firm. I watched his expression, trying to read his thoughts as he weighed the pros and cons of our investigation. After a few moments, the chief finally spoke, his tone sounding decisive. "Alright, you two have my approval to proceed with the plan," "First, we will go there exactly at midnight. We will surround a few police cars far from the area, I will go to the house...alone." I watched as Joshua reacted to my plan, his expression a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Alone?!" he asked, a look of disbelief on his face. "The Heart Collector will sense any other presence, and it could ruin the entire plan. I know what I'm doing, trust me." I paused for a moment, hoping that my words had convinced Josh of my ability to handle The Heart Collector on my own. He watched me for a few moments before finally nodding along.

We spent the rest of the day planning and preparing for our move. We made sure to cover all of our bases and consider all of the possible outcomes. As the time drew closer, the anticipation grew, and we both felt the nerves beginning to set in.

We discussed strategies, routes, and techniques for apprehending The Heart Collector without raising any suspicion. We both knew that this mission would be crucial to putting an end to the serial killer's reign of terror, and we were determined to succeed. We approached the neighborhood, the street lamps casting pools of light on the quiet and secluded street. The atmosphere was still and calm, making it seem almost serene as we drove by. The sound of tires on asphalt and the hum of the engine were the only noises that broke the silence. I looked over at Joshua, knowing that we were both thinking the same thing and that this might be the moment we'd been waiting for. The tension built as we got closer to our destination, the possibility that this night would be the end of The Heart Collector's reign of terror growing with each moment. "This looks like a rich neighborhood," Josh remarked, observing the lavish houses and properties that line the streets. "Stop here," I watched as Josh brought the car to a halt, stopping just down the road from the target house. "If you hear a gunshot, come quickly," I reached into my jacket and pulled out a loaded gun, quietly loading the weapon with the necessary ammunition. I took a moment to steady my nerves, the weight of the plan beginning to sink in.