Noble Causes

Chapter 2

For that first week I was never more than an arm's length away from my mobile even when I was in the shower.  I would think that I heard it ring over the sound of the running water and reach for it only to find that it was my imagination.  Still, most of the world got some idea of what was happening to Edward before I did.

I know that it was all for my own protection but I felt like a prisoner in my own home.  I was constantly surrounded by police officers and the private security arranged for by my management company.  I can still see the incredulous looks on the faces of two constables standing in my living room on the morning that everything started to change.

"What is it?" I asked, obviously surprising them.

"Ma'am, I'm sure the inspector will be along shortly.  I'm sure he'll want to discuss this with you." One of the officers answered as they both quickly pocketed their mobiles.

"And I'll discuss whatever he wants with him when he gets here.  While I'm waiting for him, what is it?" I pressed nervously.

The two officers exchanged furtive glances before the first officer pulled his mobile out of his pocket, unlocked it, and offered it to me.

I stared at the screen in disbelief as the sounds around me faded out to nothing.  The mobile was displaying a web page.  At the top of the page was a single photo of Edward.  He sat on a chair in the middle of a white room.  White walls, white floor, and probably the ceiling too.  Edward sat on a chair with his hands behind his back.  Someone stood behind the chair, pulling Edward's hair back to force him to look at the camera.  A caption at the bottom of the picture read, "The Show Is About to Begin."

I must have said something or reacted overtly because the officers moved forward quickly to usher me in to a chair.  I didn't resist and sat down, more flopped down in the chair, gripping the officer's mobile.

I stared at the image trying to make sense of it and trying to absorb every detail.  Edward didn't look like he was hurt and I was grateful for that.  His beard, normally trimmed casually but smart looking was ragged and rough but, other than that, he looked fine.  I remember thinking, at the time, that he didn't even look particularly scared.  If anything I'd say that he looked smug.  The person standing behind him was the stuff of nightmares.  They wore a green jacket, something like you'd get at a military surplus store, thick looking wool gloves and a black balaclava.  The mystery person looked like every terrorist in every video I'd seen on the internet in the last ten years.

My front door opened and Inspector Dennell stepped inside in an obvious rush.

"Ms. Crawford, I..." Dennell trailed off as I handed the officer his mobile back.  Dennell did not look impressed with his subordinate.

"Ms. Crawford, obviously there's been a development and I'd like to speak with you."  Dennell composed himself and continued.

"What is going on?  What is this?" I stammered.

"At some time shortly after midnight this image was posted to several popular social media sites.  Our digital forensics people are going over the image and the accounts that posted it as we speak."  Dennell said as he settled into a chair across from me.

"Who are they?  Who took him?"  I demanded.

"We honestly don't know right now."  Dennell replied.  "But, ultimately, this is good news for us."

"What?  How is there anything good about this?"  I exclaimed.

"Fingerprints, of the digital variety I mean.  Any time you do anything online you always leave a trail.  Every post on every site, there's always something to trace back."  Dennell explained with a tone of practiced confidence in his voice.  "We can use this photo and the accounts that posted it to track these people.  I'm going to find them, don't you worry." His eyes wandered as he spoke, the way people's eyes often do when they're thinking as they speak.  For a moment, as his eyes fell away from mine and stopped on my chest and I thought that was it, that he was thinking.  He might have been but it wasn't about what he was going to say next.  He looked like he might have continued speaking had Kim and Avery not come bounding through the door.