Chapter 9 The Blinded Lens
The Train Police leaned in, eyes narrowing at the frozen frame.
“What’s wrong with it? That’s where the feed dies.”
“The problem is the last few seconds.”
The image flickered violently before going black.
“Miaomiao is five. She’s not invisible.”
“She didn’t vanish into thin air.”
“If someone took her, they couldn’t leave evidence.”
The Train Police nodded sharply.
“They killed the cameras on purpose. To cover their move.”
The conductor checked the other Carriages. All cameras perfect.
No damage anywhere else.
“But how?” the conductor asked. “They couldn’t get into the driver’s cab.”
I took a slow breath.
“These last frames are the answer.”
I played it again. Someone finally noticed the wild flickering.
“Cameras have sensitive light sensors. A high-powered laser pointer aimed close-range burns them out fast.”
Everyone looked stunned.
But the Train Police stayed tense.
“Knowing how they did it doesn’t bring your sister back.”
“The only suspect has no trace of her.”
He glanced at the time. “Forty minutes since she disappeared. Next station soon.”
Time was slipping.
I closed my eyes and replayed everything since boarding—seating, toilet trip, the dark-faced man passing, Miaomiao gone, meeting the Train Police, fake crew, tracker dying, trafficker leaving, station arrest, no Miaomiao, cameras destroyed.
Every face, every word, every second.
It all connected.
I couldn’t miss a single thread.
Her location was in there.
I opened my eyes.
“I know where Miaomiao is.”