I'm here. (Tim Bradford)

20

Tim Bradford.

It has been over a month of us nonstop looking for Maya. This whole time I haven't let myself rest due to my nonstop search for her. This feels like the weeks I would spend looking for Isabel. Everything just seems to be in a loop. I spend my 6am-5pm in the office, running searches online and going out on patrol to find her. But all I've seemed to be able to find are the teasing letters from Aaron.

Those broke my heart the most; the feeling of knowing she must be somewhere nearby but just out of reach is fucking disheartening. All I can think about is what is happening to her. Sometimes I even think she might not even be alive anymore.

This was always the worst part about being apart of the police department. You never know when you might find something you wish you wouldn't have.

Maya was something I couldn't lose faith in though; I can survive not sleeping and spending my days restlessly searching as long as I find her.

Everyone has been on my ass about needing rest and to eat, but they always get blown off. I will eat and rest when I have her by my side. She is my home, and without her I'm just completely lost.

As I finally escape my thoughts, I look to my screen and see a particular building that stands out to me. This building was abandoned, but there is a bunch of activity that's been coming from it recently; a majority of the people entering and leaving have been men.

I've brought this building up to Grey before, but he tells me that I shouldn't be overthinking it and that there has probably been someone who recently bought it and is currently trying to renovate it.

But I feel as though this might be something on the more illegal side. it's never really the same people who go in and out, Meaning they are either selling drugs;
it could be a sex ring or a hidden sex club. In LA, you are never truly sure until you check it out.

There's a sinking feeling in my stomach. Every time I watch the surveillance though, I feel like I do need to check it out just to know if it's a safe environment for the neighboring buildings and homes.

Just as I was about to get up and go check it out, my phone rang. just like normal it was an unknown number I couldn't trace but knew it was Aaron.

This time it was different though; it was a photo of Maya lying face down on the ground. Her clothes were missing, and she was covered in dirt and what I could only assume was blood.

This isn't good. I need to find her, but it seems like she's gone off the face of the earth.

Instead of responding to Aaron, I ran to Grey's office. I didn't even care to knock.

This became the ritual, Everytime I got a message from Aaron I went to Grey.

When the door slammed into the wall he looked up to me; I could tell he hadn't slept either.

"Let me guess, another cryptic text from Aaron?" His tone was harsh. He was getting more and more irked by these messages too.

"It's not a text this time; it's a photo." My voice came out as a whisper. I'm not sure if I really want to show him the photo, but I know I have to.

I slowly made my way closer to his desk, sliding my phone across it with the photo still pulled up. I hated seeing her like this; I hate how easily he took her from me.

Grey looked at the photo, trying to find anything that could give us a clue as to where she was.

Before I could speak, the unknown number called me. I looked at Grey, trying to find answers or whether I should answer or not.

"Answer the phone; do not get upset. Keeping your composure is the only way we are going to get Maya back." He explained as if I hadn't heard this all before.

"No promises." I grunted out.

He slid accept on the call; we both listened, waiting to hear any sort of voice.

"H..hello?" Maya's voice was barely above a whisper into the phone. I can tell she had been crying.

"Maya?" My voice cracked; I was petrified now.

"Tim.. you have to stop looking for me. I gave myself over to him; the more you look for me, the worse it's gonna get for everyone. I need you to promise me you will stop. Please just remember San Francisco." She muttered softly.

She used our key word. She wasn't safe, and someone was listening in.

"I can't.. I can't promise that." I quaked.

The other side of the line went silent before I heard a scream, and the call disconnected.

My body was shaking; I felt like the oxygen wasn't reaching my lungs.

"Do not self-destruct on me, Bradford. We will find her alive." He commanded.

"Y..you don't know that. You don't understand.." I murmur before walking out of his office.

Everything was crashing down, and I'm not sure if there is any way out of it now. 

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!! It was kind of rushed so I am so very sorry for that:) thank you all for all of the support and kindness you have shown my story<3 every single person who reads this story or my others; have helped me stay motivated!