Manhattan is a long, vertically oriented island. Streets running north-south are called avenues, while those running east-west are called streets.
New Yorkers generally refer to the area south of 34th Street as Downtown, the area between 34th and 59th as Midtown, and anything north of 59th Street as Uptown.
While Midtown and Downtown Manhattan aren't as safe as Uptown, they're still far better off compared to Harlem, which lies further north.
Jack brought this up simply to help track Sara's movements, hoping to provide Alice's team with more clues to speed up their vehicle-tracking efforts.
After all, both Columbia University and Sara's apartment were located in Uptown Manhattan, making it unlikely that Downtown was part of her usual travel routes.
However, her bodyguard, Hasim, was killed in a Downtown alleyway, run over by a car. Before he died, he emptied his entire magazine.
Jack had no particular opinion on the former special forces soldier's marksmanship, but he had to admit that Hasim was extremely dedicated to his job. Even in his final moments, he refused to stop fighting off the kidnappers.
This also indicated something crucial—Sara was likely kidnapped nearby, which was rather unusual.
Typically, kidnappings happen at night or by forcibly breaking into a residence. Why would someone take such a huge risk and make a move in broad daylight?
At this moment, Jack found himself wishing Person of Interest would start playing out in reality. He wasn't sure how the original plotline would unfold in this world, but if he had an AI assistant, cases like this wouldn't require an entire team painstakingly combing through traffic cameras frame by frame, trying to identify people manually.
The sharp clacking of heels echoed through the hallway. Despite already having two impressively long legs, Detective Beckett still insisted on wearing high heels. She walked into the break room, phone in hand.
"Kevin and Esposito are at Columbia University right now. They found Sara's best friend and roommate, Amber. She doesn't know anything about the kidnapping—just that Sara left today to attend some kind of science event."
"Got it." Jack pushed his coffee cup aside and headed to the main operations office, where Hannah was busy at her computer. He tapped her shoulder lightly.
"Search for any science-related events held in Downtown Manhattan this morning—exhibitions, lectures, anything relevant."
The keyboard clattered, and within moments, Hannah had compiled three results. "First, about eight blocks from where Hasim was killed, there's a sci-fi film marathon happening at an art theater."
Castle, who had tagged along out of curiosity, scoffed. "Strictly speaking, sci-fi movies aren't real science."
Jack chimed in, "At least, not American sci-fi movies."
"Science Fiction film—it literally has the word 'science' in it," Hannah, an avid cosplayer, protested.
In modern America, hard sci-fi had all but disappeared. Every so-called "science fiction" movie somehow managed to turn into a theological debate, leaving only superhero franchises barely clinging to the label.
Castle's scoff turned into outright disdain. "If you seriously think a milk-guzzling evil Superman qualifies as science, then sure, I'll admit sci-fi movies are scientifically relevant."
"That's more of a sociological discussion. And technically, that wasn't a movie—it's from a comic book and a TV series," Jack quipped, recognizing Castle was referring to The Boys and its character, Homelander.
Beckett shuddered at the thought, wanting no part in their nerdy debate. "What about the other two events?"
"A lecture on constellations by an astronomer, and a talk by a scientist named Hayden Posner, held at noon in the banquet hall of the Beaumont Hotel."
Castle's eyes lit up before Hannah could even finish. "Oh wow, Dr. Posner! He's an expert on climate change—Alexis loves his work! She even recommended one of his books to me, though I haven't read it yet."
The others were already used to Castle's random outbursts. Jack ignored the irrelevant parts and focused on the key detail.
"Sara's major is marine biology, right? That means she'd likely have an interest in climate change. Who wants to come with me?"
Of course, it was a rhetorical question. Everyone was busy, leaving only Beckett as the obvious choice. As for the extra baggage? He could be ignored.
—
Even with the hidden lights of his Hellcat flashing and the occasional burst of the siren, what should have been a ten-minute drive took fifteen due to rush hour traffic.
Upon arrival at the hotel, a butler in a black tailcoat and bowtie politely greeted them.
Upon hearing that the FBI and NYPD were investigating, he retrieved a sign-in sheet. "Yes, I remember her—an exceptionally beautiful young woman, Sara Elmasri, correct? I personally checked her in."
"Did you notice anything unusual about her? Any arguments, suspicious individuals following her?" Beckett asked.
The butler looked puzzled, as they hadn't mentioned anything about a kidnapping.
"No, the lecture ended at noon. She even had lunch in the buffet area with some friends before leaving."
"Friends?" Castle latched onto the key detail.
"Yes, two other young ladies, even younger than her. They looked under eighteen. I don't recall their names, but they should be on this list."
He handed the sign-in sheet to Castle.
"Can you describe them?" Jack asked, a bad feeling creeping in.
"Uh… blonde, a reddish tint, Caucasian. Both very pretty—cute types," the butler hesitated, trying to be precise.
"Both were blonde?" Beckett had barely spoken when Castle's eyes lit up as he scanned the list. "Aha! Alexis and Kim! Their names are right here!"
"Call them!" Jack's stomach dropped, and Beckett's expression turned equally grim.
Castle, still oblivious, pulled out his phone with a smug grin. "Didn't expect Alexis to help out on this one! Maybe she overheard something useful."
The moment he dialed Alexis's number, a phone rang in the distance.
Castle looked around in confusion. "That's her ringtone."
Following the sound, they were led toward the hotel bar. The ringing was coming from beneath the liquor shelf.
"What's this?" Castle leaned over, still not grasping the gravity of the situation.
"This is our lost-and-found storage," the butler explained as he pulled out a cardboard box filled with wallets, phones, and other personal items. One of the phones was vibrating.
"A guest just turned this in—they found it on a fire hydrant by the hotel's back exit leading to the alley."
Castle picked up the phone, his smile vanishing instantly. His face drained of color.
"The kidnappers took Alexis and Kim too!"
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.