The van used in the kidnapping was found, hidden in a secluded alley. The NYPD quickly cordoned off the scene. When Jack and his team arrived, medical examiner Lanny Parrish and technicians from the CSI New York lab were busy at the van.
The presence of a medical examiner at this time was not a good sign. Brian remained relatively calm, but Castle was completely furious.
"Don't do anything to disrupt the scene," Jack warned as he led the two through the cordon and handed them rubber gloves.
The van's side door was open, and Lanny was bent over working on the test kit. The large pool of blood inside the van was shocking.
"Oh my God!" Castle's legs gave way at the sight. If Brian hadn't reacted quickly and caught his arm, he would have collapsed to the ground.
"Whose blood is that? Is there someone dead in the car, Lanny?"
Castle's sobbing voice prompted Jack, equally frightened, to open the passenger door and peer into the driver's seat, carefully observing the situation.
"Cassell, no body found. Lanie and I just got here." Beckett arrived just a step ahead of them and was questioning passersby when he heard Castle's screams and rushed over to comfort him.
"The bleeding isn't life-threatening. Blood drips from the driver's seat and into the car. It looks like the driver was injured. Hasim shot him at least once."
Jack whispered to Brian, who nodded slightly, his expression visibly improving.
"Hey, Castle, what's Alexis's blood type?" Seeing the great writer beside him crying with anxiety, Jack turned and asked.
"A, A."
Jack looked at Brian again after getting the answer.
"Same."
"Give me a minute, it'll be done soon," Lanie replied without looking up from dripping the ABO blood type standard dilution solution into the test hole.
Jack winked at Beckett, who understood and led Castle away from the van. Simply testing blood type is much faster than testing DNA, and the entire process can be performed in less than five minutes if you are proficient.
Seeing Lanny's expression when she looked up, Jack already knew the answer. Only the bewildered Castle continued to tearfully ask, "Does the blood type match?"
"Type B, it's not your daughter's blood." Lanny's words made Beckett, standing nearby, visibly relieved.
"Okay, get out of the way here and let Lanny and the others do their thing." Jack pulled Castle out of the cordoned-off area.
"No, no, no, she might be around here. She's definitely around here." Castle wiped his tears vigorously, looking around blankly.
"She's gone now," Brian said, rising from his crouch at the front of the van. "The blood trail stopped here. They changed cars."
"It was a black Yukon," Beckett nodded. "A witness saw that car scramble away shortly after the van entered the alley, knocking over a trash can on the side of the road."
The Yukon is a full-size SUV from GMC, often used as a nanny car for celebrities due to its spacious interior.
"Agent Tawal!" Sarah's parents, the Elmasri couple, also rushed to the scene. They were stopped outside the cordon and waved to Jack anxiously.
Jack nodded to the two officers, signaling them to enter. "What's your daughter's blood type?"
"Type O," Sarah's father replied, his voice trembling as he fought back tears.
"Then she should be fine for now. The blood found in the car was type B." Jack's words brought a sense of relief to the couple.
The three girls' parents stood together. Sarah's mother looked at Castle, who, like her, was wiping tears from his eyes. "So there's still hope, right?"
Castle smiled through his tears and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, that's right."
"I'm sorry to have dragged your daughter into this," Sarah's father said apologetically to Castle and Brian.
Castle simply waved his hand, as if he didn't want to say anything more. Brian, after a moment's hesitation, asked, "You really don't know who did it?"
"I wish I knew," Sarah's father replied through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of murderous intent in his pupils.
A wealthy businessman who faces hostility from another faction for associating with a politician is certainly not a good person. To be regarded as an enemy by one faction itself is a sign of strength.
"My family in Egypt is investigating. I'll notify the FBI as soon as I have any information."
Brian nodded silently, returning his gaze to the van with its windshield riddled with bullet holes. For someone like him, a veteran of the operations, the feeling of holding a gun but not knowing who the enemy is, and being left to stare blankly, was extremely difficult.
Stella Bonasiella was personally leading a team of technicians collecting evidence inside and outside the van. Jack had just introduced them to each other. Now all he could do was hope that forensic science would uncover some useful clues.
—
"Jack, Jack, watch this video."
Instinctively making a defensive move, he parried Castle's hand reaching for his shoulder and scrambled off the sofa.
He and Brian had slept on Castle's couch last night. Most of the Most Wanted team was also there. Hannah and Clay had gone to the hotel where Brian's ex-wife and her current husband were staying, and a team of FBI agents was staying with Sarah's parents.
"What happened?" Jack straightened his jacket and looked at the laptop Castle held out. A video was playing on it: a personal vlog by Alexis.
In it, the girl happily shared about her new friend Kim, mentioned a climate change talk she and Sarah would be attending, and her upcoming travel plans. She also thanked her enlightened father for helping her take such a long leave from school.
"The kidnappers must have learned their whereabouts from this video!" Castle excitedly grabbed Jack's arm, his eyes bloodshot. "Have your people track down any IP addresses that accessed Alexis's profile after 2:36 PM the day before yesterday!"
"How do you think I knew Alexis had planned to travel with Kim for a whole week?" Jack yawned and poured himself a cup of coffee from the coffee pot on the table.
"We've already checked the IP address. Alice and her people have circled the globe three times, following various virtual jump servers, and they haven't been able to find the source."
Jack didn't mention that he'd also contacted Justin directly, but so far nothing has been found. It's not that they can't find it, but they haven't had enough time.
"You're not going to help find Alexis like this," Jack said, nodding at Brian, who was sleeping on the other sofa. "He's a worried father just like you."
"Actually, I can't sleep either, but I know that being like him will only lead to poor judgment at critical moments due to mental confusion," Brian said calmly, opening his eyes on the sofa.
(End of Chapter)