The Missing Teen

Chapter 4

Andrade Almas lived in a small single storey house that was lacking anything in the way of attention, Cole saw as he parked one of the Intelligence Division SUVs outside of it. A low rider car sat on what had at one time presumably been a front lawn. The car currently had no wheels, and was sitting on stacks of bricks.

"Well, he won't be going anywhere in that thing," Rollins said as the team got out of the SUV. Also with them were commander Thorne and officer Martinez.

No one responded to the attempt at humour, least of all Thorne, who had the most fearsome of game faces on. Cases involving children and teens were always tough. There was a chance that they were about to get a break in this one, and Cole was going to stop at nothing to make that happen. The first thing they needed to do was arrest Almas.

"Cole, Rollins, go around the back," Thorne ordered as the group walked up the short, cracked, oil stained driveway. "Martinez, with me. We're going to arrest this bastard on suspicion of kidnapping. We'll leave the questioning until we're back at the station."

"Got it, boss," Rollins said.

Coke led the way down the side of the house. They found another car on the rear lawn, this one with the hood up and no engine inside. It provided good cover for Rollins to get behind, while Cole flattened himself against the house beside the back door.

Rollins raised his digital radio and said, "In position."

At that, Thorne pounded her fist on the front door. The sound easily carried around to the back. "Stamford PD! Open the door!"

A few moments later, the back door flew open. A Hispanic man with a ponytail and a beard came running out, until Rollins stood up from behind the car and pointed his gun at him.

"Stop right there! Get your hands up!"

The guy, presumably Almas, looking in two minds about whether to try and run for it. Cole calmly stepped up behind him and touched his gun to the back of his head. "On your knees," he said.

"Alright, alright," the man said, complying with the instruction.

"Andrade Almas?" Cole asked as he heard Thorne and Martinez making their way through the house after kicking the front door in, clearing it room by room.

"Yes. What the hell do you want? I haven't done anything," Almas protested from his kneeling position.

"Yeah? Then why did you run?" Rollins asked as Cole patted Almas down. Finding no weapons, he handcuffed him.

Thorne appeared in the back doorway, with Martinez behind her. The commander's order was delivered with intent to scare Almas. "Get him in the cage."

Andrade Almas sat in one of the cells, or cages, in the Intelligence Division basement. His hands were cuffed behind his back, and there was a pissed off look on his face. Cole and Martinez were over on the other side of the basement. It was the first time since Martinez had joined the division that someone had found themselves potentially on the receiving end of the kind of interrogation that Lucy Thorne favoured when she needed important answers quickly.

"Bayley, you need to understand what's about to happen if this guy doesn't talk," Cole said quietly.

"I think I've got a fair idea," Martinez replied.

"If you're not comfortable with it, you should go upstairs and send Charlotte down here in your place."

"There's a missing teenage girl out there. I'm not going to have a problem with how we find her," Martinez assured him.

Cole nodded. "Good."

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs attracted their attention. It was Thorne. Cole and Martinez joined her as she walked over to the cell.