The violent jolts forced Bella's eyes open, but darkness greeted her vision. She slowly realized that she was being driven somewhere, seated inside a moving vehicle.
Her face was completely covered with a mask, and a piece of cloth had been tightly stuffed into her mouth, silencing any sound she might make. Her hands and feet were bound with chains.
She had already tried earlier to free herself, and in those desperate attempts, her wrists and ankles had been injured. Now, as she struggled once again, the wounds reopened, and she could feel blood beginning to seep through.
Fear tightened around her chest as the vehicle continued on, carrying her toward an unknown fate.
**********************************************************************************************
Officer Ethan sat in his office with Noah and August, going over everything they had uncovered so far. After listening carefully, Noah spoke up, his voice thoughtful.
"Why don't we check the forest area once again?"
Ethan regarded him for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
Soon, Ethan, Noah, and August made their way through the forest path, heading toward the same abandoned factory they had investigated earlier. Noah and Ethan examined every detail with meticulous care, scanning the surroundings with practiced eyes.
Suddenly, a door on the left creaked open on its own, revealing a staircase leading downward.
Noah and Ethan exchanged a quick glance, then turned to August, who held a blue string in his hand. He shrugged, his expression sheepish.
"I only pulled the string a little," he said.
Without wasting time, the three descended the stairs. Once at the lower level, however, they found nothing—no drums, no drugs. The place was nearly empty. Only a few wooden crates and some machinery-related equipment remained.
"It was probably used as a storage area," Ethan said.
Noah and August nodded in agreement.
They had just begun to head back upstairs when Ethan's eyes caught a small red dot on the floor.
"One minute," he muttered.
He crouched down, switching on his phone's flashlight to examine the spot closely. August leaned in, his voice low.
"Dry blood."
Noah studied it carefully.
"But it doesn't look very old."
Ethan nodded.
"I'll call someone. We'll send this to the SID Medical Center. A forensic analysis can reveal whose blood it is—DNA profiling, blood group identification."
"No," Noah interrupted firmly. "There's no need to call anyone right now. If this blood belongs to Bella, then it means she was here." He paused, the weight of his words heavy in the air. "And that would also mean her kidnapping involved someone from inside SID."
Ethan and August nodded silently, the gravity of the situation settling over them.
Ethan straightened slowly, his gaze still fixed on the faded red stain.
"We don't have any forensic kits with us," he said quietly.
August pulled a clean tissue from his pocket and handed it to him. Ethan carefully folded the corner of the tissue and gently lifted traces of the dried blood, preserving as much as he could.
"This should be enough for a preliminary analysis," Ethan said. "If there's usable biological material left—plasma residue, or intact DNA fragments—the lab can still work with it."
Noah nodded. "Let's not waste time."
Ethan carefully wrapped the tissue, sealing it inside a small plastic cover to protect it from moisture and contamination. Without drawing attention, the three left the underground area and made their way back, carrying the fragile evidence with them.