"Have you checked the list of dostic workers and the list of litigants Evan has recently handled?"
Rossi asked, taking the laptop from Reid to review the call log and the series of question marks in the notes.
"The local FBI office has sent a detailed report, but given the kidnappers' knowledge of the Davenport family, we should investigate further."
Reid took another laptop and began working.
"Tell your thoughts," Rossi asked, gesturing for JJ to follow Cheryl, who had run into her room to avoid crying in front of everyone.
Jack quickly organized his thoughts and slowly began to speak.
"Tracy sounded sowhat disoriented on the phone, possibly drugged. She said she saw the moon, but I suspect it was a light source, probably one of those cheap, bare light bulbs from a basent or garage."
"What worries is that Tracy can see, aning she's not blindfolded, and the perpetrator is right next to her. If she saw his face, he might…"
Seeing Evan Davenport leave his daughter's room, he imdiately fell silent; this wasn't the ti to provoke the victim's family.
Rossi quickly changed the subject, analyzing the call log and combining it with Reid's notes.
"When the kidnapper made demands, it was like a pre-written script, lacking emotion and pauses."
The word 'scripted' flashed through Jack's mind.
"But when he spoke to Cheryl, his tone made very uncomfortable."
Fortunately, others shared similar feelings, and Reid nodded in agreent, "That's why I think the kidnapper and the Davenport sisters know each other."
At this mont, Cheryl, having released her emotions, walked out of the room accompanied by JJ, managing a weak smile for everyone.
"I'm ready."
Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and the phone rang again.
"Everything will be done by Cheryl alone. Cheryl, pack the money, Cheryl, deliver the money. If she has a tracking device or uses a double, Tracy is dead."
"Cheryl will drive her own car, no one is allowed to accompany her, no one is allowed to follow her, no aerial surveillance, all such surveillance is unacceptable."
"While Cheryl is driving, I will issue orders via mobile phone. The money must be delivered at 3 AM sharp, otherwise, Tracy is dead!"
As the other end of the line hung up, everyone present fell silent. After a long while, Rossi spoke to Evan Davenport.
"How long will it take you to raise a million?"
Evan Davenport's eyes were glazed, and it took him a while to react.
"I already had the accountant prepare it, and we should have everything ready by tonight."
Don't let the title "Administrative Assistant" fool you; Evan Davenport is a mber of the legitimate Arican civil service.
His position is protected by the civil service system and he won't be dismissed if the elected prosecutor loses the election, thus ensuring the stability and continuity of the prosecution service.
In other words, the entire Arican prosecution service is supported by over 3,000 administrative bureaucrats like him.
The assistants appointed by elected prosecutors, whose terms are only two or three years, are mostly politicians who play gas with voters and do virtually nothing.
So, while $1 million in cash was a significant blow to the Davenport family, they could manage to scrape together the money.
This was also why a seemingly ordinary kidnapping case could prompt an ergency deploynt of a BAU task force still in its infancy, with its personnel not even fully in place.
"Jack and JJ, get ready. We can't let Cheryl go alone," Rossi instructed.
"But they said if they see anyone else…" Evan Davenport was sowhat worried.
Seeing that he was so anxious he had lost his mind, Rossi reminded him, "Cheryl is your daughter too."
Jack also comforted him, "Don't worry, we'll use a regular car with tinted windows to follow them, we won't be detected."
Evan sighed dejectedly, still tense and uneasy, "Please be careful, if we're discovered, Tracy will be dead, and if my daughter dies, I…"
Cheryl stepped forward and hugged her father, softly comforting him, "It's okay, Daddy, I believe them, besides, we have no other choice."
Leaving Davenport and his daughter inside, Rossi gave the BAU mbers a look, and the three of them followed him out of the house into the backyard.
"This isn't right, this is all very wrong, I strongly suspect the kidnappers aren't after the money," Rossi said with certainty.
"Tell , Jack, if you were the kidnapper, what would you demand?"
Jack desperately recalled relevant plots from various cri dramas, combined with the knowledge he had learned at the FBI Academy.
"No calling the police. The cash must be old bills with non-consecutive serial numbers. No tracking devices or dyeing devices in the money bag."
Reid suddenly realized, "But the kidnapper didn't ntion any of that. In the second call arranging the ransom, he kept emphasizing Cheryl's na. He really wants Cheryl."
"Then we can't let Cheryl go. She'll be in danger," JJ said urgently.
"No, he's in control now, holding the biggest bargaining chip. The deal will proceed as planned. We can't disregard Tracy's safety." Rossi said, looking seriously at Jack.
"If the kidnapper is only one person, are you confident you can guarantee Cheryl's absolute safety?"
Jack's tone was relaxed and full of confidence. "If he wants to kidnap Cheryl as well, give an AR-15. I can shoot four or five of them in three seconds, let alone one."
"No." Rossi raised his hand in a negative gesture.
"We have to keep him alive. We can't take this risk until we find Tracy. You just need to ensure Cheryl's safety."
Jack shrugged. "No problem, I can scare him away, but then what? We still won't find Tracy."
Rossi smiled mysteriously. "Once he makes his move, it'll be our turn."
At 2 a.m., Cheryl, carrying a large bag of cash, got into a yellow Volkswagen Beetle and drove towards the location designated by the kidnappers.
Jack drove a black rcedes, with JJ in the passenger seat. They maintained a distance of more than 100 ters from Cheryl's car.
Modern cars all have GPS tracking, and Cheryl's phone was also on listening mode. With Reid providing updates over the communicator, they only needed to follow far behind.
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