The babysitter

Find her

Tim stood in the command center, his eyes locked on the large monitor in front of him. Every minute that passed felt like an eternity. The clock seemed to mock him, ticking away the seconds that Lucy was still out there—alone, vulnerable, and at the mercy of Louis. He gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles white from the force.

"Where is she?" he muttered to no one in particular. His voice, raw with desperation, echoed off the walls. He had no time for doubt, no time for hesitation. He had to act now.

He turned to his team, his expression steely. "We've got a BOLA out on Louis, but we need more. I want every available officer on this. We can't afford to waste any more time."

Angela Lopez, standing nearby, nodded. She had been working with Tim closely since the beginning of the search for Lucy. She knew how much she meant to him—how much they both meant to each other. Angela was one of the few who understood just how far Tim was willing to go to keep Lucy safe.

"We'll find her," Angela assured him, her voice firm but compassionate. "We've got the best team working on it."

Tim's eyes flickered to the computer screen, where a map of the city was displayed. Red dots pinpointed the locations where Louis had been in the past, places that could potentially be his hideout. But none of those dots brought him any closer to Lucy.

"Every minute counts," Tim said, his voice low, but determined. "We need to move faster."

Just then, his phone buzzed. He grabbed it, praying for any bit of good news.

It was a message from Weasley Evers, the lawyer who had helped Lucy in the past. Tim's heart skipped a beat as he opened the text.

"I found something. Louis has a hideout. It's an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The address is here. Get there, fast."

Tim didn't wait for any more details. He grabbed his jacket, quickly pushing past Angela and Jackson, who had been discussing the next course of action.

"We're going after him," Tim said without hesitation. "Get the team ready."

As Tim rushed out of the building, he felt a mix of dread and determination. Louis had been unpredictable, dangerous. And now, with Lucy in his clutches, Tim couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Every second mattered. His team, his allies, all of them needed to work in sync.

Meanwhile, in an old, decrepit warehouse on the outskirts of the city, Lucy sat tied to a chair, the cold, unforgiving concrete floor beneath her. She had lost track of time, but the pain in her body reminded her of the hours that had passed since she had been captured. Her arms were bound tightly behind her back, and every movement sent a shock of pain through her sore muscles.

Her body ached from the beatings. Bruises colored her skin in shades of purple and blue, and her face was swollen from the blows she had taken. She could taste blood in her mouth, but she refused to let it show. Lucy knew better than to show weakness in front of Louis.

"Where is he?" she muttered under her breath, her voice hoarse from crying out earlier. The fear of the unknown gripped her tightly, but she fought it back, holding onto the one thing that kept her from breaking: Tim. She had to survive. She had to survive for him, for Emma.

The door to the small, dimly lit room creaked open, and Louis stepped inside, a sick smile stretching across his face. He walked slowly toward her, the sound of his boots against the floor echoing in the silence. She lifted her head to meet his gaze, trying to ignore the nausea that twisted in her stomach.

"Hello, Lucy," he said, his voice smooth but dripping with malice. "I see you're still trying to be strong. How cute."

Lucy didn't respond. She couldn't give him the satisfaction. He stepped closer, circling her like a predator stalking its prey. He seemed to relish in her silence, in the tension that hung thick in the air.

"You think you're tough?" Louis continued, his voice growing darker. "You think you can just walk away from me? You think you can leave me behind, move on with your little life?"

Lucy clenched her jaw, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him. "You're a coward, Louis. You're nothing but a pathetic excuse for a man."

Louis's smile faltered, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Pathetic, huh? You think you can talk to me like that after everything I've done for you?"

He reached down and grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look up at him. "You think I won't finish what I started?" he hissed.

Lucy spit in his face, the anger she had been holding back now fully unleashed. "You'll never win. You'll never have control over me again. I'm stronger than you think."

Louis wiped the spit from his cheek, his anger flaring. He slapped her across the face, the force of the hit making her head snap to the side. The sting radiated through her face, but she didn't flinch. She refused to give him the satisfaction.

"You'll pay for that," Louis snarled.

But Lucy remained silent, her eyes locked onto his. She wouldn't break. She couldn't. She had to believe that Tim was out there, that he was coming for her.

Louis stepped back, studying her for a moment. "You think Tim is going to save you? You think he's going to swoop in and make everything okay? You're nothing more than a pawn in his game, Lucy. He'll never choose you over his career, over his job."

Lucy's heart sank at his words, but she shook her head defiantly. "Tim will come for me," she said, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her. "He's not like you. He's not a monster."

Louis laughed, a cruel, bitter laugh that sent a chill down Lucy's spine. "You really believe that, don't you? Well, we'll see how far that belief gets you."

The door slammed shut behind him, and Lucy was left alone in the dark room, the echo of his words still ringing in her ears.

Her mind raced as she struggled to come up with a plan. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't let Louis win. She had to find a way out. Her thoughts turned to Tim, and the memory of his face, of the way he had looked at her when he promised to protect her. She held onto that memory as tightly as she could.

Tim and his team raced toward the warehouse, the tension in the air palpable. Every minute felt like an eternity. His mind kept flashing back to Lucy's face, to the look in her eyes when she had told him she loved him. He couldn't fail her. Not now. Not when it mattered most.

As they pulled up to the building, Tim's heart pounded in his chest. This was it. He had to get inside. He had to get to Lucy before it was too late.

The team disembarked, weapons drawn, and took their positions around the warehouse. Tim's breath came in short bursts as he waited for the signal. His fingers tightened around his weapon as he scanned the area. Every part of him screamed for action, but he had to stay focused.

Inside, Lucy was still struggling against her restraints, her heart racing as she heard the faint sound of footsteps outside. She didn't know if it was Tim or someone else, but she could feel something shifting in the air. Hope flickered in her chest.

The door creaked open once again, but this time, the person who entered wasn't Louis.

It was Tim.