She went back up to the pinned announcement and clicked on it.
Topic #215,637 by OP holdmyGrog911; pinned by gu@rdi@n104: Opened 8:16 p.m. EST
holdmyGrog911: I tried to make a running list, guys, but the new threads are coming in so quickly, I can’t keep up. If you’re trying to post information about a kid missing from the Richmond or greater Richmond area, please put it here in a comment so we can have all the info in one place. I’ve got someone helping me put together a better list so we can run it for pattern recognition. If we can find anything else these kids have in common besides the obvious, it might help us figure out what the hell happened.
We’re working on it, and we all want to help. As far as any of us knows, this is a first for this kind of thing Earthside. New territory here, but we’re all in this together. That’s why we came, right? O’gúleesh blood is thicker than the Border and stronger than anything we left behind. Don’t forget it.
Also, if anyone has any information they think might help and is not posting about a missing kid, send me a DM. I’m trying to follow every lead I get, but it’s not helping anyone to throw a bunch of conjecture out there just to stir the pot. This isn’t the time for that kind of shit.
Amendment at 8:21 p.m. EST by gu@rdi@n104: Anyone who tries stirring up shit on this thread or any of the previous Missing Kids topics before we find these kids WILL be banned from the forum for life. First and only warning. No excuses.
Cheyenne pushed herself back into the office chair, wincing at the ache in her back, and sighed. At least Corian hasn’t given up moderating.
She couldn’t help but scroll through the pinned announcement to skim through the comments. Two-thirds of them had the name, race, and age of one missing kid after another. Most of them had extra commentary on what the parents or guardians had already tried, but some of them were just left up there with the necessary details and nothing else.
The halfling hissed another breath as her eyes and nose stung. The comments blurred together, and she shook her head. Good thing I’m not a helpless bystander.
She took screenshot after screenshot, scrolling to capture every name and age and race and exactly how many kids had up and disappeared, according to the adults caring for them, within the last four hours. Then she slapped at the outer pockets of her jacket and pulled out the burner phone. Oh, come on. They really need to upgrade this thing.
Pulling up a text to Rhynehart’s number, she shook her head and got to work.
Got proof. Send me an email address and you’ll have it.
Cheyenne dropped the phone onto the desk and slouched in her office chair, staring at the useless piece of technology. It felt like she sat there for an hour waiting for a reply, then she pushed herself away from her desk and stood. I’m not waiting all night for this.
The phone buzzed. She snatched it up and almost ripped it in half when she flipped open the top.
Just text it to me.
“What?” Growling, Cheyenne loosened her grip on the phone and forced herself to take a deep breath.
You gave me a piece of crap phone without email, camera, or storage. No basics. Give me an email address, or I’ll go take care of this myself.
Rhynehart’s reply was instantaneous this time.
Cheyenne dropped back into her chair and pulled up her VCU email account to send it from there. Not giving the FRoE any personal info they don’t already have.
She pulled up a new email, attached ten screenshots of the Borderlands forum’s missing-kids announcement, and filled in the address and typed, Proof in the subject line. Then she sent the email and slapped a hand on her desk.
Groaning, the halfling spun in her chair and ran her hands down the sides of her face. “I should be out there right now finding them, not playing secret messenger.”
More rage and drow magic burst through her, and she launched out of the chair to stalk back and forth across the small strip of living room between the kitchen and Glen. From the apartment beside her, she heard whoever lived there tapping out a jerky, lazy rhythm on the table. The sound made her eye twitch as she paced.
Pull yourself together. Just wait.
The burner phone buzzed on her desk again, then kept buzzing as she raced around Glen to snatch it back up. She jerked it open and slapped it against her ear. “We have to go right now.”
“Woah, rookie. That’s not—”
“You said you needed proof. I just gave you a whole load of it. Now it’s time for you to follow through.”
“I don’t even know what you sent me.”
“Are you blind?” she shouted and picked up the pacing again, yelling into the phone. “There are dozens of kids reported missing. All since five o’clock, and nobody knows where they are.”
“That’s not enough to go on, Cheyenne.”
She ignored his use of her name. “Why not?”
“First of all, if the guys selling black magic did round up a bunch of kids, it happened before eight o’clock this morning. There’s a nineteen-hour gap here.”
“Are you kidding me? These kids are all school-aged, Rhynehart, and it’s a Tuesday. And what damn time do most people get off work to come home to their kids, even if they’re magicals?”
“Huh.” There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Yeah, genius. I’m telling you, these are the same kids.”
“Okay, maybe. Maybe. But what you sent me doesn’t have anything in it about where they went or who took them.”
Cheyenne rolled her eyes and spun to keep pacing. “That’s why we have to go find them. Now.”
“Hey, do I really need to spell this out for you? Where the hell are you gonna start looking, huh? I’ve been
