" 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 . A red rubber ball rolls toward my feet . A little girl calls out , " Ms. Reed , can you kick it back ? " I steady myself and gently toss the ball back . These kids have no idea what's happening - they're still playing innocently . But will my child ever get to play with toys this happily again ? I can't bear to think about it . I check the time and shout calmly , " Eighteen minutes left . Any leads ? " Officer Williams ' sigh marks the failure of negotiations . The hostage negotiation expert from the state arrives . This 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 . If necessary , take the shot . But Officer Williams still holds onto a sliver of hope , thinking things haven't escalated that far yet .. Based on his understanding of me and years of experience , that woman doesn't seem like a hardened criminal - more like a desperate mother who's lost her child . " Did we pull up the surveillance ? Did that kid actually leave this preschool or not ? " The tech team responds , " We recovered the deleted footage . It shows no sign of Luna Reed leaving the preschool , " 1- Timas Oranges " -Come Now ! 11.7 % Chapter 2 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 . "