Author's Note: Angst is the name of the game! With everything going on, things couldn't get more complicated, right? Right? Uh...you don't know the extent of my wit! Lol 

Read to find out how the web keeps getting more and more tangled up!

***************

HQ...

"How many does that make now?" Hicks asked, as he approached Chris' side of the room.

"Three in the last days and one this morning, so... four victims that we know of." Chris reported. 

BLEEP BLEEP

"I stand corrected, five! Victim confirmed from two nights ago just came forward!" she reported, while Hicks rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh of frustration. 

"Jesus!" he exclaimed frustrated, he turned to the incoming young duo, "Street, Tan, tell me you got something."

"Not much, sir. These guys avoid any and all cameras. Dress in black, long sleeves, ski masks, glasses, gloves... completely covered up!" Tan reported frustrated, "They attack the victims, then drag them out to where there's no surveillance."

"No specifics either. We've tried to figure out their targets, but these women have nothing in common!" Street added, shaking his head in frustration. 

BLEEEP

"An update to the social media page." Chris reported, turning her attention to the tablet.

"Sir!" Luca called as he and Deacon rushed into the room. 

Hicks turned to them immediately,  hoping for good news, "Enlighten me!"

"I just got off the phone with the 77th and Deacon here called two of the spots where the perps hit. We may have a list of possible description of the perps' getaway cars."

"Also, LAPD just reported that Lieutenant Moore's compact car was found with everything in it. Wallet, badge, weapon... just like Hondo."

"Street and I did some digging" Tan reported, joining the conversation from the other side of the room. "We found some pictures posted this morning near the hit spot last night. Seems the burger joint near the store at Camden had a huge opening night."

A set of two blurry pictures was shown on the main monitor, grabbing everyone's attention. The group focused on the visual and the officer's explanation. 

"We spotted a guy with a duffle bag walking with a group. They headed into an alley and out of the picture, but...it looks like he's walking alongside them. He walked with another guy and both followed two men running away with some type of heavy bag. The guy we assume is Moore walked normally, along with another guy. Picture's too blurry and both have their backs turn to it, so no facial recognition."

"We can assume that's our victim." Hicks said, tilting his head slightly, to get a better look.

"Moore's going willingly...as if he's part of it." Chris added, suspiciously.

"Do we think he's... dirty?" Luca asked skeptically.

"That could explain why Hondo's missing." Deacon reported, "If he's their muscle and Hondo tried to intervene, then they could've gone at it."

"Ok, I found his jacket." Tan reported. "Records show Sherwin Moore worked at Tucson Police for just over ten years, after a decade as a sales rep in his hometown outside of Phoenix." he paused to read, then continued. "Listen to this:  He was a sought out recruit for his impressive showing in SWAT recruitment trainings in Tucson. His tactical, physical and mental abilities were considered among the top three percent of the incoming class of officers."

"So...he was SWAT?" Luca asked, looking over Tan's tablet. 

"No, never made it." Tan answered quickly. "Asked for transfer right after the recommendation was signed."

"What? Why?" Chris asked confused. 

"Moved in with a Holy Lorraine Blazer, three blocks from 77th Station." Tan answered. 

"Oh my God! He truly is a helpless romantic!" Street said with certain disgust. 

"You say that as if it was a bad thing!" Tan snapped. 

"Guys, focus!" Hicks called annoyed. 

"And...I may have the reason why Moore decided to get involved." Deacon said, clicking on his tablet, approaching the main monitor. Suddenly a picture of the officer in question popped up. "The victim of the robbery last night goes by the name of Franky Jess Seager, similar to Lieutenant's daughter: Frankie Moore."

"No wonder why he wanted to help her! He sees his daughter in that lady." Luca said, placing both hands on his hips. 

"So...how do we find them?" Chris asked. 

"I know Hondo. He's gonna try to communicate somehow with us. He's just...taking more time than usual, so..." Deacon said, wondering off. 

"Yeah, but without a cellphone to trace? It's kinda tough and this city is too big to just go out patrolling everywhere!" Street said frustrated. 

BZZZZT BZZZZT

Luca felt the strong vibrations in his pants, which made him lose focus for a second. Concerned that the vibrations could be sensed by his team, he clicked the side button to turn it off. He moved to the monitor with the map and tried to follow the group discussion when the vibrations began again. 

BZZZT BZZZT

"Guys!" Chris called out, cellphone in hand. "New post warns about a possible new victim of the snatch-and-go crew. They said the cops are keeping it hush hush... people are saying some witnesses recorded when it happened, but couldn't stop it." 

BZZZZT BZZZZT

Luca tried to follow the discussion, but the vibrations were hard to ignore. So, he slid to the side and took out his phone. After some hesitation, he opted on answering the call.

"Hello?" he answered. 

Out of everyone in the room, only Street kept glancing at him, curious about the conversation. 

"Yes, sir. That's me."

Silence.

"Uh.." he mumbled, now moving closer to the group. He stuck an arm out to get his teammates' attention and succeeded, having everybody quiet down and stare at him. 

He pulled the phone away from his ear and clicked on the screen. SPEAKER. 

"Officer, we need to speak with Hondo...like now!" the woman's voice demanded desperately. 

In the background, sirens, people chatting and other noises were noticeable. 

Luca turned to Hicks, who shook his head, then returned his attention to the device on his hand, "I'm sorry, but...he's not available at the moment! Can I help you?"

"He has to know!" the lady's voice began to crack, revealing sadness and desperation. "Please"

Luca asked concerned, "What's wrong, ma'am?"

"The police-" she began to sob quietly, now making her speech somewhat difficult to understand.  "They wanna keep it quiet, but...I -I-I just- I can't! He has to know!"

"Know what? Did something happen?" Luca asked, now more desperate than before. The rest frowned and got closer to the mobile. 

"It's Nichelle...we can't find her!" the woman cried. 

A collective gasp was heard, as the officers exchanged worried looks. Everyone froze, not knowing how to proceed. One thing they knew was that they had to act, now more than ever!

BEEP BEEP

Hicks' phone interrupted the silence. The older gentlemen waved at Luca, whispering to keep the situation under control. He knew panic wasn't going to help at all. 

"Hello" he answered to the phone. He waited a second, then nodded and clicked on the screen. Luca quickly finished the conversation and lined up next to his teammates, all attentive of the boss. 

"Guys, we have incoming!" he announced. 

He proceeded to the middle table's main control panel, clicked on its small screen and a new window popped up, in the middle monitor. A man dressed in a white suit shirt appeared sitting behind a very messy desk, behind him was a wall with the official logo of LAPD, smaller lettering that read 77th Station underneath it, and an old folder cabinet. The man looked very tired and the background noise revealed much movement around him. Suddenly another man appeared and stood behind him, this one dressed in police uniform.

CLICK

"Commander Hicks?" he called. "Detective Alexander Juno, newly appointed lead detective here at 77th Station. Here with me is Sergeant Emerald Cuny -interim- assigned to this case. We have lead position on the open investigation involving Lieutenant Moore's disappearance, as well as the kidnapping and assaults that have happened within the last week." he paused, "It has come to our attention that a SWAT officer is also involved?"

"Yes, sir. Name's Sergeant Daniel Harrelson Jr, leading officer of one of our most elite units. This is his squad, 20 Squad. We have been going over every piece of evidence, every testimony, every image...we could really use your help!"

"I understand. It is our top priority to make sure everyone is returned home, safe and sound." the man said, "We have been contacted by the FBI, specifically Agent Jermaine Carter from the Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit (CACHTU) here in LA. His team has been following the latest attacks happening in the city and they just shared with us news concerning the case."

"Ok." Commander Hicks responded, while the others listened in quietly. 

"These guys go about their business trying to avoid any kind of trace. They walk where there's little to no surveillance, they attack common citizens -usually in surprise and following no apparent pattern- and they avoid using formal communication devices." the detective paused to grab a document from the desk, "Truth is, the only lead we have comes from small clues that we think Lieutenant Frank is leaving behind."

 "We spotted the red tag in the duffle bag."

"Exactly. Also the combination of diesel and gas with a peculiar substance found near the dumpster. The chemical reaction created a pungent smell, but it also leads us to believe the perps are using a new drug to gag the victims, in order to drag them out unconscious and without putting up much of a fight." he paused, "We were able to trace it to older crimes of narcotics and sent the info to FBI. They confirmed the identity of one of the fellows involved off one of the images captured on tape near a drop out spot. Guy that goes by Spider -aka Caleb Amani Davis- has a track record longer than a toilet paper roll!"

"Commander, we believe he is the one leading the charge, acting in collaboration with another two groups. We have evidence to believe that these are just pawns of the trade, though. Pawns in a huge game of money and modern slavery." Sergeant Cuny added.

"Agent Carter and the FBI" Detective Juno continued, "shared with us several other names that we are running. Also, our investigation revealed that the victims of these crimes usually are women between 20 and 40 years old, with slim or athletic bodies."

"According to the information we have received", the sergeant added, "these guys profit from the sale of women, especially if they're considered prime pieces. Young girls with less sexual experience or women who are pregnant tend to be favored...we think they might be supplying specific buyers."

"Exactly! Men who seek specific types usually are willing to pay upwards of thousands of dollars for their fetich!"

Luca leaned closer to his side, where Deacon stood attentively and whispered, "Didn't Hondo say he and Nichelle are trying to have a baby?"

"Oh, dear! You think she's...?" Deacon whispered, opening his eyes wide and turning to him.

Luca met his gaze and shrugged his shoulders, whispering, "No idea, but the perps might think she is!"

By the time they turned back to the conversation, Sergeant Cuny was wrapping up the conversation, "Anyway, FBI wants to take the case, but we fought hard to be part of it and presented the need to collaborate between units, especially because two LAPD officers are involved."

Commander nodded and said "I appreciate that."

BEEP BEEEP

From the other end of the line, a ringing cellphone was heard. Sergeant Cuny immediately reached for his pants pocket and said, "Excuse me"

As he stepped out, the lead detective took a deep breath, "Commander, that's not the real reason why we called. There's", sigh, "there's something you should know. It's about your officer."

Commander frowned intrigued and leaned forward, closer to the screen. "Yes?"

"Um...could we speak in private?" the detective requested, taking a look around. 

The rest of the officers exchanged nervous frowns, while Commander took a deep breath. He shook his head and said, "This is his squad. Whatever you need to tell me, you can tell them." he paused, took a quick glimpse at the rest and added, "We're in this together, detective."

"Alright" the man responded with a nod. "We feel there's something important you should know. However, it's best if you hear it straight from the source. Allow me."

The team exchanged confused frowns again, as they waited impatiently. A man dressed in scrubs, holding a clipboard appeared on the other side of the split screen. 

"Uh...Dr. Patrick Green, from the Department of Medical Examiner. Doctor this is the team of the officer you were telling us about. Could you please inform them what you told us?"

"Certainly!" answered the doctor, with a quick nod of his head. Some seconds went by as the man put down the clipboard and grabbed another bunch of papers. "Gentlemen -and lady- we received the jacket that was found in the scene of the crime just after lunch time."

"Yes" Hicks mumbled. 

"We ran some tests on the jacket. We were able to recover some samples, which revealed the patient is suffering from extreme dehydration. This man is literally running on fumes! If he has not collapsed by now, he will soon. This is very serious! He's running purely on adrenaline!"

"What?" Commander asked in disbelief. 

The rest of the officers exchanged nervous looks. 

"Sir, based on the low levels of electrolytes and the traces we found of green phlegm in lose cotton inside one of the front pockets -which we presume was from a napkin- we believe he may be battling a serious infection."

"Oh my God!"

"Bottom line, this patient needs IV fluids and a round of antibiotics!" the doctor said sternly. "Excessive sweating doesn't necessarily mean fever is breaking and the presence of mucus can be a sign of a serious infection that can range from the common cold... or any number of respiratory infections... or worse."

Commander sighed, then asked, "You mean Covid? Influenza?"

"Any of the above." the doctor immediately responded. "The problem is that most of the symptoms are  similar, but if left untreated, they can lead to serious complications."

 Hicks shook his head in frustrated, "I mean, we're under intense evaluations this week. I asked him to come in on Saturday, but doc I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I should've -I-- mean-"

"Sir, if in fact it is the work of a virus, it is very likely his symptoms had been noticeable for several days. The stress -the pressure- may have exacerbated the process, but the result is essentially the same. He needs to be treated, and the sooner the better."

"How much time do you think we have before the symptoms get worse?" Chris asked.

"It's too hard to tell without  a blood exam. I did send the sample to a lab in the CDC offices here in LA to see if there is enough to rule out common respiratory viruses. However, complications of extreme dehydration can include headaches, dizziness and in more extreme cases seizures, swelling of the brain, kidney failure, shock, coma and even...death. That is why it is imperative the officer be located and immediately get the care he needs, which will definitely be IV directly through the veins. However, I cannot  definitively state a maximum of time due to the little information we have" he paused, "but as soon as the local CDC office provides any information on the sample we sent, you will be my first call!"

"Thank you doctor." Commander responded. 

"Of course!"

"Thank you, Pat. We'll keep it touch!" the detective said. As the doctor disconnected, the detective turned to the audience, "I assure you commander, we are doing everything we can to locate all of the hostages, including Sergeant Harrelson. You have our office and this station at your full disclosure."

"Thank you!" Hicks said, with slow nods.

"I will give you a call as soon as we have more news."

"Alright, then. Thank you again!"

"Ok, bye!"

CLICK

Commander turned to the group and took a long deep breath. A moment of silence permeated the space, as the group pondered on the news just revealed to them. 

"I mean, how could I have not seen it? This week -I understand we're under a lot of pressure, but c'mon now! Hondo, he's got to be better than this! If he knew he was sick, why didn't he speak up?" Hicks said out loud, while the others exchanged nervous looks, "We could've talked with the board or made some arrangements. I mean - geez, Hondo!" 

Sigh. With Hicks venting out his frustration, the sudden silence of the room felt eerie. The older officer stopped and noticed the behavior of his officers. He frowned suspiciously, then it hit him. 

"You knew! You knew he was sick...and didn't tell me anything?" Hicks asked, more hurt than angry.

Silence. 

"Guys! Did you know Hondo was sick? Yes or no!" Hicks demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and sharing an angry frown. 

Deacon raised his stare to Luca, who bowed his head, then glanced at the youngsters who stared right back at him. 

"Yes, sir!" Deacon mumbled.

"What? Deacon!" the angry officer scolded. 

"I may have - I don't know- I-", he stuttered, "On Friday, Tan, he and myself went to lunch and he couldn't really taste the spiciness of the sauce in Tan's taco meat. I -I- didn't think much of it, especially coz he kinda waved it off, so..."

"Yeah, and on Saturday, when I came to help him with the inventory, I noticed the cough drops in his pocket." Chris added, "I wanted to ask him about them, but he kept changing the subject."

"Yeah, and...uh...the reason why he was going to the store was because he was complaining of a bad headache." Luca said, "He said it was no big deal, so I told him to get some aspirin."

Silence.

"Guys, we gotta do better than this! You gotta take care of each other! You know how hard headed he is!" Hicks said annoyed, placing both hands inside of his pants pockets, "We have to find him and pray to God his condition doesn't worsen til we do!"

"Yes, sir!"

"When we find him and the ambulance shows up, he's getting his ass to the hospital even if I have to cuff him to the gurney myself!" Hicks said angrily. 

The rest lowered their head momentarily, waiting for the boss to calm down and hoping they figure this out fast. 

Hicks paced nervously in front of the monitors, as he continued, "Ok, so...let's go back to surveillance. Detective Juno said Lieutenant is leaving clues behind. Let's go back to the scenes and double check. Also, let's dig into the suspect, Caleb Davis. Find out if he has any other connections here in the city. Let's also check with FBI database for information on previous cases. Maybe those can she light into the movements of these people."

The officers busied themselves with the gadgets, some jotting down the instructions, while others went straight to their tasks. 

Several seconds wait by in silence, as Hicks kept thinking and staring at his officers. Suddenly...

"Oh! And one more thing!" he said, getting everyone's attention at once. 

They all raised their gaze to him and waited patiently. 

"Just yes or no...honest answers!" he warned sternly, "or I swear I'll write you