Chapter 2 'Absolutely not!" The words burst out of me instinctively. Officer Williams quickly says, "We're trying to contact Lucas Hayes, but haven't reached him yet." Ms. Reed, we'll definitely find your daughter. Please let the kids in there go first. I promise we'll spare no effort to find her." Even if we find your daughter, how can you face her after this? Do you want her to know both her parents are criminals?" My resolve wavers for a moment. red rubber ball rolls toward my feet. little girl calls out, "Ms. Reed, can you kick it back?" steady myself and gently toss the ball back. hese kids have no idea what's happening-they're still playing innocently. ut will my child ever get to play with toys this happily again? I can't bear to think about it. check the time and shout calmly, "Eighteen minutes left. Any leads?" Officer Williams' sigh marks the failure of negotiations. he hostage negotiation expert from the state arrives. his case has shaken the entire city. Reporters and social media vultures are swarming like flies to blood. Orders came from above: not one child can be harmed. f necessary, take the shot. ut Officer Williams still holds onto a sliver of hope, thinking things haven't escalated that far yet. ased on his understanding of me and years of experience, that woman doesn't seem like a hardened criminal-more like a esperate mother who's lost her child. Did we pull up the surveillance? Did that kid actually leave this preschool or not?" he tech team responds, "We recovered the deleted footage. It shows no sign of Luna Reed leaving the preschool." Officer Williams falls deep in thought. Could Luna really still be in the preschool? But where could she be hiding? There's nowhere to hide in the classrooms, and they've already searched the offices, principal's room, and kitchen. What did they miss? Colleagues search inside and out again but find nothing. His partner Sam says frantically. "Did this kid just sprout wings and fly away? There's no other explanation-every inch of this place has cameras with no blind spots!" A lightbulb goes off in Officer Williams's head. "Wait, do the bathrooms have cameras too? Check the restrooms!" The preschool bathroom is indoors, and Luna was last seen in Classroom 2. But Classroom 2 is exactly where Peach is holding hostages. Her voice rings out again. "Fifteen minutes left. Are you cops totally useless? Can't even find one kid."