"David."
Ulrich's voice was flat—but deep.
"Do you know this guy?"
David kept staring at the laptop screen. The blurred CCTV was just clear enough to show a man standing in the middle of a vortex. But that wasn't what made his heart pound. It was the posture. The way he stood. Even the silhouette of his messy hair—like he hadn't slept in three days—was too familiar.
David shook his head.
"No," he replied briefly.
But his jaw clenched.
Ulrich narrowed his eyes. "You sure? 'Cause your face just now looked like you saw a mindless monster."
David inhaled.
"…Maybe I'm wrong. But—I want the footage. Can you send it to me?"
Ulrich raised an eyebrow. "What for?"
David looked him straight in the eye, his gaze sharp, but his voice soft.
"There's a woman… looking for her son. I just want to help her confirm… whether this is him or not."
Ulrich went quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"…Alright."
---
Meanwhile… in a hug far too literal—
