AROUSING DESIRES

Episode 46

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"I just don't f*cking get it!" Kevin groaned leaning back in his seat with a sigh as he rubbed his temples.
They'd spent almost an hour going through the CCTV footages dating back from three weeks ago but they found nothing worthy to be considered suspicious.

"Maybe we should rewind it, one last time" Martin suggested after a while but Kevin kept mute.
What was the use anyway? How many times were they going to keep rewinding?

He let out a frustrated sigh as Martin began to switch through the footages at intervals. Kevin kept his gaze fixated on the computer before them.
There had to be something.
Anything.
Anything at all that could serve as the tiniest of clues. There were cameras everywhere so why wasn't there any footage of Ryan leaving the premises through either of the gates?
He couldn't have magically vanished into thin air right?
Unless...
Unless someone tampered with the CCTV cameras while Ryan was being whisked out of there.

Just then, Kevin noticed the break in the footages. The screen was blank, but only lasted for less than thirty seconds.
The same thing occurred throughout four other footages and the most recent one that was captured that afternoon before Ryan went missing.

Ryan was seen playing alongside three other boys his age when Mrs McLain appeared nudging all the kids on the playground back inside, telling them it was time for their afternoon nap.
Martin and Kevin watched, Completely aware of Becky's presence behind them as Ryan got off the floor,dusted dirt from his shorts and started to follow his friends inside when he suddenly stopped walking and turned staring at something that wasn't captured by the camera. Whatever it is he was watching, Kevin figured it was a person because Ryan turned to stare at Mrs McLain who's attention was else where, calling the rest of the kids who had wandered further and then turned back to whatever he was staring at and shook his head from side to side as if to say no.
Ryan stood for a few more seconds and then grinned. Ryan then took a took step forward, then two, three and four when the footage suddenly cut again just like in the previous footages, showing a blank screen for a few seconds. And when the video resumed, there were only a few kids left who were still grumbling about having an afternoon nap but Ryan was no where in sight. Anyone would think, Ryan had gone inside but Kevin knew better.
The frequent footage cutting in most of the videos couldn't be just a coincidence.

Someone.
Someone had been coming to visit Ryan and had managed to become friends with him making it easier to take him away without applying force.

Biting his lip, he rotated his chair so he was facing the guy in charge of the control room.
"How long does it take for the generator to power on in case of power outage?"
The man squinted his eyes, confused by the question. Nevertheless, he answered.
"A few seconds Sir. It's been fixed to automation so the moment there's light out, the generator powers on"

"Hmmm" Kevin hummed.
"And has there been power outages recently?"
"No" the man shook his head
"Not for several weeks"

Not for several weeks is it? If that was the case then someone definitely tampered with the CCTV.
Kevin opened his mouth to ask more questions when from the corner of his eye, he spotted Becky shifting from one foot to the other, fidgeting uncomfortably.
He frowned slightly and then turned.
Mrs McLain, the caretaker, was also fidgeting.
Great. This could only mean one thing.
Becky knew something as well as Mrs McLain. And he was going to find out.

Letting out a dramatic sigh, Kevin waved the man off.
"Never mind. They're just stupid assumptions. There's really no evidence whatsoever here. We'll have to search for Ryan through different means. Come on Martin, let's go" Kevin got up, nudging his friend.

He noticed Becky sigh in relief, like she'd been holding her breath, afraid of what was to come.
He shook his head slightly.
The b*tch.