The Dangerous Storm

Five

Upon returning to the district after some time to himself, Antonio walked up to the bullpen where he saw everyone at their desks searching for clues.

Hearing voices coming from Voight's office, he proceeded towards the office to speak with the sergeant. Antonio overheard part of Voight's conversation with Benson, who was leaning against the wall.

'Let's hope putting this on the news will help us find Erin faster,' Voight remarked, to which the woman nodded in agreement. As Antonio was about to knock on the door, Al called everyone to his desk, informing them that someone had found the Toyota Highlander.

Antonio and the others gathered around the old detective's desk as Voight and Benson emerged from the office and walked over. Voight inquired, 'Where?' Al, looking at the computer, replied, 'It's at a gas station a little ways out of Chicago. Yates seems to have abandoned it and taken another vehicle, making it harder for us to follow his trail.'

Voight proposed, 'Let us proceed there to gather fingerprints and other evidence that may aid us in reaching Erin.' He signaled to Antonio to accompany him, prompting everyone to follow the two men down the stairs.

Upon reaching the spot where the Toyota Highlander was parked, which required a half-hour journey, Antonio swiftly exited the truck and headed towards the forsaken SUV.

'This vehicle was reported stolen from a woman named Alice on the night prior to Lindsay's abduction,' informed the police officer who had reported it to Antonio, guiding him on a tour around the vehicle.

While Voight opened the front door, Antonio ventured to open the back door as instructed, 'Search for any potential leads that could assist us,' directed Voight. Antonio complied, while Al ushered Jay, Atwater, and Ruzek towards the gas station to gather information or eyewitness accounts regarding the incident.

Antonio retrieved an object from the sheet and examined it under the flashlight, wincing when he realized it was Erin's red hat. 'I found Lindsay's hat,' he informed Voight as he handed it over. Voight acknowledged the discovery with a simple 'Good.'

As Antonio continued to search, he recoiled in pain as his hand grazed a sharp object protruding from the floor. He retracted his hand, illuminated the area with his flashlight, and identified a needle. 'Voight, there's a needle on the floor,' Antonio informed, picking it up along with a bag of bandages.

'Looks like Yates attempted to stitch Erin up,' he speculated as he stepped out of the SUV and presented the items to Voight and Benson for inspection. 'There's blood on it,' Benson observed.

'It could be Erin's, although I did skim my hand with it a bit, but nothing too serious,' Antonio explained as he used a tissue provided by Fin to clean the blood from his hand. 'Still, it would be wise to get checked, just in case Yates contaminated the needle,' Voight advised.

Antonio nodded, indicating that he was indifferent to his health concerns but understood the importance of avoiding potential illness from a contaminated needle with regards to Erin. He directed his gaze towards the gas station and inquired, 'Have you found anything from the Clark?' he asked.

'Jay and Ruzek are currently engaging in a conversation with the manager; however, they reported that everything appeared to be normal,' Al stated as he approached the group with Atwater.

'Nonetheless, I instructed Jay and Ruzek to collect the camera tapes.' Antonio acknowledged this information and turned his attention to Voight and Benson, stating, 'Excellent, let's arrange for this to be towed and sanitized after we finish collecting fingerprints,' Voight suggested as Fin nodded and contacted a towing service.

The detectives were preparing to return to their vehicles and head back to the district when they were hailed by someone calling out, 'Detectives.' Antonio shifted his gaze towards a middle-aged man who was emerging from a semi-truck and approaching them.