The Crimson Silence

Unraveling Threads

Midnight had already settled in, blanketing New York City in a mix of streetlight halos and shadows. Jake lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the events of the day playing on a loop in his head. Katie's sudden entanglement with the FBI, and the strange undercurrent that seemed to ripple through the city-it was all too much. Just as he closed his eyes, his phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Sam.

Jake sat up instantly, swiping the phone.

"Hey, Jake... sorry if I woke you," Sam's voice came through, strained and tense.

"No, no, don't worry about it," Jake replied, trying to shake off the sleepiness in his voice. "Is it over? Where's Katie?"

A pause on the other end.

"The situation is far worse than we thought, Jake. They took Katie. I haven't heard back from her since."

Jake froze, feeling his heartbeat quicken. "What? Did you ask Angela?"

"Angela is the one who took her," Sam's voice cracked slightly, betraying the fear that had been simmering under the surface. "I'm worried, Jake. I can't live with myself if something happens to her."

Jake took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Calm down, Sam. Keep it together. Look, I guess we should call a lawyer after all."

"Yeah," Sam said, sounding hollow. "I guess you're right."

"I'll take care of it," Jake assured. "I'll call someone in the morning."

"Okay, Jake. Thanks."

The call ended, but Jake remained still, staring at his phone. He didn't like this-none of it. Katie, taken by the FBI, and now Sam was spiraling. They needed answers. They needed someone who knew how to navigate this legal labyrinth, and Jake knew exactly who to call.

Throwing off his covers, Jake got dressed, pulling on his jacket and grabbing his helmet. It didn't matter that it was late. This couldn't wait.

Jake pulled up in front of James Martin's house, parking his bike and rushing up to the door. He knocked rapidly, his heart pounding in his chest. James was his oldest friend, a lawyer now, and the best bet they had to figure out what the hell was going on. But after a few knocks, the door opened-not to James, but to his mother, Rita Martin, the District Attorney of New York.

"Jacob?" Mrs. Martin asked, her voice groggy with sleep but sharp as ever. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Hi, Mrs. Martin," Jake responded, catching his breath. "I need to talk to James. Is he home?"

She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "He went to Boston for a conference. Won't be back until tomorrow night."

Jake's stomach dropped. James was out of reach. But then Rita gestured him inside, her brow furrowed with concern. "Come in, Jacob. You look troubled."

Inside, she led him to her study, a well-worn room filled with leather-bound books and the smell of aged wood. "Sit down," she said softly, as she went to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water.

Jake took a sip, his mind racing with how to explain the situation. Finally, after a beat of silence, he spoke. "Mrs. Martin, something happened today at the café. The FBI came for my friend, Katie. She's involved in something... and now they've taken her. I just talked to Sam, her brother, and we're both really worried."

Rita's face grew more serious as she took in the details. She stood from her chair, pacing slowly in front of the desk. "So you need a lawyer, is that it?"

"Yeah, I mean... we should, right?" Jake replied, unsure.

Rita stopped, turning toward him with a piercing gaze. "She's only being questioned, right? What's the rush?"

"Sam's freaking out, and honestly, I'm worried too. This doesn't feel like routine questioning."

Rita let out a long sigh, looking at Jake thoughtfully. "I'll call the FBI director in the morning, but don't worry too much. They have their procedures."

Jake stared at her, his worry gnawing at him. "Could you call her now? It's just... we need to know Katie's okay."

Rita paused, then nodded, taking out her phone. She stepped into the hallway, her voice low as she made the call.

Minutes passed, and Jake sat in the study, tapping his foot anxiously. Finally, Rita returned, her expression calmer but still guarded. "Katie is fine. She's being held in protective custody at the FBI headquarters."

Jake let out a sigh of relief, though his chest still felt tight. "Thank you."

Rita sat down across from him. "But it seems she'll be spending a little more time with them. You'll need to take her some personal items tomorrow. Call Sam."

Jake nodded, though his mind was still racing. "I'll make the call."

After a few more words exchanged between them, Jake left the Martin house, pulling out his phone to check for any messages. As he unlocked his screen, a new text popped up from Sam:

"Hey Jake. I finally saw Katie. I'm heading back to the apartment. Can you meet me there?"

Jake exhaled in relief, typing back quickly:

"On my way."

With that, he pocketed his phone, got on his bike, and headed to Sam and Katie's apartment.

Jake arrived at Sam and Katie's apartment a little past one in the morning. The air was crisp, and the streets were eerily quiet for the city that never sleeps. Sam opened the door almost as soon as Jake knocked, pulling him into a tight hug, relief etched on his face.

"You okay?" Jake asked as they stepped inside.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. I just got back from seeing Katie. She's shaken, but she's okay."

Jake sat on the worn couch, glancing at the packed bags by the door. "So, what's the plan?"

Sam rubbed his temples, exhausted. "We'll rest for a few hours, then head to the FBI HQ in the morning to give her some things."

Jake nodded, but there was something more lurking behind Sam's eyes. "How long is she going to be there?"

Sam hesitated, his face pale. "Until they find the serial killer."

Jake's blood ran cold. "Serial killer?"

Sam exhaled, pacing the room. "Yeah, Jake. While I was at the FBI, a lieutenant from the NYPD dropped off a case file. Angela was going through it. They've connected Dalton's murder to a series of other unsolved cases."

"NYPD? Why would they work with the FBI for Dalton's murder?" Jake asked, confused.

"They're not just looking into his murder, Jake. There's a pattern. Katie's being questioned because of her involvement in some hacks related to these cases."

"Hacks?" Jake's mind spun.

"They haven't released any of this to the public yet," Sam explained, his voice low. "But I overheard them talking. There's been a string of murders over the last five years."

Jake felt a strange tension rise within him-not fear, but something else, something that made him feel more alive, more alert. He swallowed hard, his voice steady.

"Wow... that's something."