"What are we gonna do?" Rylee cried, curled up to Carl in their bed as he rubbed her back soothingly.
"We're going to find him." He assured her, his own worry evident in his voice.
"How?"
He paused, trying to think of a way to reassure her, but finding himself at a loss, especially when he can't work with the team trying to find his son.
"We'll find him." He repeated quietly. " I promise."
"How does a daycare just lose a kid? They didn't even see anyone take him." she sobbed.
"I don't know, baby." he kissed her head gently, "Well figure this all out. I'll figure it all out."
They stayed there for a while, falling into a sad silence. Carl continued to comfort Rylee until she eventually cried herself to sleep next to him.
Shifting carefully, as to not wake her, Carl slipped out of the bed. He covered Rylee up with a blanket, then quietly left the room. He entered the living room and pulled out his phone to call Penny.
"Any new information?" He asked as soon as she answered.
"Not without a witness or recent similar case." She signed, "were doing all we can."
"I know." He rubbed his hand over his face in defeat. "Thank you."
"Is that all you called for?"
"No, actually." He said, "look into the daycare providers again. Somethings not right."
"Alright I'll have maxx check again and get back to you." Penny agreed.
"Can you go to her house?" He asked quickly, "You know, look for anything suspicious."
"We can knock on her door, but without a warrant, we can't search."
"I know I just..." Carl sighed. "I don't know what to do, pen."
He took a deep breath as the lump that had been building in his throat unraveled and tears began to fall down his face. "My boy's gone, and there's nothing I can do. I don't know who has him or what they're doing. What if they're hurting him-"
"We are going to find him." Penny interrupted his dark thoughts. "You're doing everything right, and we will find him."
"Thank you." he mumbled before hanging up. He leaned forward, putting his face in his hands, trying to rid his head of thoughts that somebody might be out there hurting his little boy. He couldn't stand the thought; not when they'd just gotten out of the woods from Meyer.
Carl sighed and wiped the tears from his cheeks as he stood up from the couch, and walked down the hallway towards Will's bedroom.
He stood in the doorway for a moment before walking in. He picked up Will's favorite stuffed dinosaur as he walked to his bed. He sat down on the small bed, pulling the blanket up to his face, still hugging the stuffed dinosaur.
Carl stayed there for a while, holding onto hope that his son was somewhere much more pleasant than the places coming to his mind, until he was interrupted by a knocking at the door. He jumped to his feet, running to the door, immediately hoping that Will was back home.
"Will?" Carl breathed as he swung open the front door, only to be greeted with a small package on the ground.
Signing in defeat, Carl picked up the unlabeled package with furrowed brows, confused as to how he didn't see the person who delivered the package to their door.
He ripped open the edges of the box, greeted with a box full of photos. Photos of Will, in an empty, unidentifiable room, with his mouth covered and his hands bound behind his back.
Carl couldn't believe what he was looking at. This couldn't be happening, not to will. Not his son. He had seen these things so many times before at work, and always thought of will, but he never truly understood what it would feel like. Not until now.
"God damn it!" he yelled loudly, throwing the package at the wall. He slid down the wall, his face falling into his hands as he began to cry once again.
David walked down the hallway toward his apartment, slowing down when he sees the scene unfolding in front of him.
"Carl, hey, what's wrong?" He leaned down to Carl's level as Carl motioned to the photos scattered along the floor beside them.
David's face fell when he saw what was going down. "Did you see who-"
"No."
"What's goin on?" Rylee asked groggily as she walked into the hallway, wiping her eyes.
"Oh my god." She gasped, eyes frantically falling along the pictures of her son, leaning down to pick one up as tears began to fall down her cheeks slowly.
Carl stood up, prying the photo from her hands. "Ry, don't look at that."
"Oh my god." she repeated. "Who's doing this to our baby?"
"We're going to find him I promise you." Carl pulled her into his chest, lightly rubbing her hair. "We'll get him back."
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