25. Lia
Chapter 25
Lia
My finger scrolls through the new footage of the night of the police raid, because no matter how many times I scroll through the different feeds, I can't find Amara exiting the club, only of her outside, running down the street.
"Who was Amara with in the club?" I ask Cade when he comes and sits by my side. He's chewing on a delicious smelling rasher of bacon and my stomach growls. "I can't find her inside."
"We had a blackout on some cameras, so I'm not sure. Also, as Amara knows about my facial recognition software, she knows to wear a mask that changes her face so we don't track her."
"How long were the cameras down for?"
My eyes strain as I continue to scroll through the footage.
"You need to eat," he replies instead. "I'll get you something."
"No, stay here. I can't face food at the minute. I'll get something later." My finger moves frantically across the trackpad, rewinding and fast-forwarding through countless hours of surveillance.
“Damn it,” I mutter under my breath, frustration building with each passing second. No matter how many times I review the footage, Amara remains elusive inside the club. It's as if she's a ghost, appearing only when she bursts out onto the street, her face a mask of panic.
I lean back in my chair, rubbing my tired eyes. The smell of Cade's bacon wafts over, making my empty stomach protest loudly. I try to ignore it, focusing instead on my sister.
"How long were the cameras down for?" I ask again, turning to face Cade.
He swallows a bite of bacon before answering. "About thirty minutes. It's not uncommon for the system to glitch occasionally, but the timing was ... convenient. But it was also the same time Rafe was kidnapped, so it might not have been related to Amara."
I frown, turning back to the screens. "Too convenient," I mutter.
As I continue to scan the footage, something catches my eye. I pause, leaning in closer to one monitor. There, parked on the side of the road, is a car. Its headlights are off, but I can make out a shadowy figure inside, waiting.
My heart races as I spot Amara in the distance, her tall, slim form unmistakable even from afar. She's alone, moving quickly down the sidewalk, constantly glancing over her shoulder.
"She is running from someone." I slide my finger over the trackpad to watch her running down the street again. Pointing my finger on the screen, I say, "Why is she looking behind her?"
"It does look suspect," Cade agrees.
I lean closer to the screen, my eyes narrowing as I track Amara's movements. "Wait," I murmur, "where did she go?"
Cade leans in, his shoulder brushing mine as he peers at the monitor. "What do you mean?"
"Look," I say, rewinding the footage slightly. "She turns down this beach access path... and then she's just gone."
We watch intently as Amara's figure disappears down the narrow path leading to the beach. Buildings partially obstruct the camera's view, leaving us blind to whatever happens next.
"How long is she out of sight?" Cade asks, his voice low and focused.
I check the timestamp.
"About five minutes," I reply, a knot forming in my stomach. What could have happened in those five minutes?
When Amara finally reappears, she seems more cautious than before. Her movements are quick but deliberate as she emerges from the beach access, her eyes darting around warily.
"Something's changed," I mutter, more to myself than to Cade. "Look at how she's acting now."
We watch as Amara makes her way back to the road. Suddenly, headlights appear in the distance, and without hesitation, she ducks behind a row of parked cars.
"Smart girl," Cade says approvingly.
I nod, pride mingling with worry, because I know her outcome. My sister has always been street-smart, but seeing her need to use those skills makes my heart ache, especially as for some reason she didn't the next time.
The car passes slowly, its headlights sweeping across the area where Amara is hidden. For a moment, I hold my breath, irrationally fearing that somehow, this is the moment she runs into the road and gets knocked over.
But it isn't.
Once the vehicle is gone, Amara remains crouched behind the cars for several long seconds. She's clearly waiting, listening, ensuring the coast is clear.
Finally, she emerges from her hiding spot. With one last sweeping look around her, she darts across the road, her figure quickly swallowed by the shadows on the other side.
"What happened on that beach?" I wonder aloud, rewinding the footage once more to the moment she disappears down the access path. "What made her so much more cautious when she came back?"
Cade doesn't answer immediately, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "I don't know," he says finally, "but whatever it was, it spooked her."
I nod grimly, a chill running down my spine. Whatever Amara encountered during those missing minutes, it was the beginning of something bigger. Something that led to her disappearance.
"She was spooked in the club," I add.
"But that could be the cops. Her and friends are running. Maybe one was underage."
I nod. "We need to find out what happened on that beach," I say, determination hardening my voice as I stare at the black screen. "It might be the key to everything."
Suddenly, a car's headlights flare to life, twin blades cutting through the darkness. My breath catches in my throat as the vehicle lurches forward. Speeding up, its engine roaring as it hurries towards my sister.
"Cade!" My voice is tight with urgency as I grab his forearm. "Look at this!"
I feel him lean against me. Together, we watch as the car bears down on Amara. She crosses the road, her heels in her hand as the distance between them shrinks rapidly.
Her arms wave in the air. My eyes widen. "She's trying to flag the car down."
"Fuck, it's getting closer and faster!"
I nod, my eyes widening as I watch the car suddenly speed up towards Amara. My heart races, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.
"No, no, no," I mutter, leaning forward, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. "Jump." But I already know the outcome.
Cade tenses beside me, his breath catching audibly as we witness the unthinkable.
The car slams into Amara, the impact sending her slender frame flying. She hits the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop, motionless. There's no sound, but I sense the sickening thud echoing in my ears.
"Oh God," I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth. "Amara!"
We watch, frozen in horror, as a dark figure emerges from the car. The person moves with an eerie calmness, approaching Amara's prone form deliberately.
"They're checking on her," Cade says, his voice tight with tension. "It must have been an accident."
But something doesn't feel right. "They were speeding."
"Drunk … maybe. Trying to escape the police."
But when the figure leans down, obscuring our view of Amara. We can't see what they're doing, can't tell if they're helping her or not.
"What are they doing?" I whisper.
Before Cade can respond, the figure straightens up and, with no sign of urgency or distress, returns to the car. They get in, and the vehicle pulls away, leaving Amara lying motionless on the street.
"They ... they just left her there," I say, disbelief and rage warring in my voice. "They hit her and then just drove away!"
Cade's hand comes to rest on my shoulder, a gesture of support that does little to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. "Lia," he breathes, "we need to stay focused. Can you zoom in on the license plate?"
I nod numbly, my fingers moving automatically to adjust the footage. But my eyes keep darting back to Amara's still form on the road. At my normally unstoppable sister, lying broken on the cold street.
"I'm going to find who did this," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "And when I do..."
I let the threat hang in the air, unfinished. Because right now, watching my sister lying helpless and alone, I'm not sure what I'm capable of. And that scares me almost as much as what I've just witnessed.
"Can you get a clearer image of the driver?" I ask, my fingers trembling slightly as I try to zoom in on the vehicle.
Cade takes control of the mouse, his movements precise as he manipulates the footage. "I'll try, but the quality isn't great at this distance and in low light."
A chill runs down my spine. Whoever was in that car, they were waiting for her.
"We need to find out who that is," I say, a hardness in my voice. This wasn't a random encounter. It was a calculated move. "Her being knocked over wasn't an accident."
When Cade stops the footage, I study the screen for a moment.
"Let me take a copy of the car. I'm going to send a copy to Jove. If anyone can tell me the identity. He can."