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Julie said, gesturing for him to take the chair beside her. “We’re discussing the case.”
    So his brother was just a case to them. But not to Julie. Now he saw the pain in her eyes. Pain he had put there by his own anger and guilt.
    “This is Section Chief Hurt and Special Agent Cord,”Julie said, indicating the two men.
    “Do you have something new on my brother?” Brody asked after they shook hands.
    “We have a theory.” Chief Hurt pointed to the photos of the other missing boys. Brody took a visual sweep and counted a total of ten.
    “You think these missing boys may have been abducted by the same person who kidnapped Will?” Brody asked.
    “We don’t know, but it’spossible. We have agents reviewing each of the boys’ cases and talking with their families. The disappearances started about twenty years ago.”
    “Which means some of the children would be young men in their early twenties now,” Julie interjected. “That is, if they’re still alive.”
    Brody’s blood ran cold. “You think he keeps them for a while, then kills them?”
    Julie shrugged. “Atthis point we can’t say. But the fact that this boy Kyle, if he is Will, is still alive, gives us hope that some of the victims are still alive, as well.”
    “How could this guy get away with this crime for twenty years?” Brody asked.
    “It’s possible that the kidnapper keeps his victims locked up most of the time. He lives off the grid, maintains a low profile, possibly holds a menial job,if he has one, so he doesn’t raise suspicion.”
    Brody tried not to think about where the man kept the boys. Or what he might do to them in the dark.
    “But I don’t understand.” Brody scrubbed a hand over his chin. “Those teenagers walked into that convenience store on their own. Why don’t they tell someone what’s going on and ask for help?”
    Julie exchanged concerned looks with theother agents.
    “Look, don’t hold back,” Brody said. “I can handle the truth. All I want is a chance to try and get my brother back.”
    “There are different possibilities,” Julie said. “Sometimes victims fall prey to Stockholm syndrome.”
    “Other times the kidnapper has threatened the victim, his family, or a loved one. The kidnapper keeps him isolated and terrorizes his victim, evenabuses him or her. When he feels like he has total control, that he has successfully brainwashed the victim, he may give him the chance to prove himself by taking him out in public.”
    “If this unsub, unknown subject, is now in his forties, he may not be employed anymore. Either he’s out of work for health reasons or he came close to getting caught or noticed, and he had to lay low. That maybe the reason he’s forcing the older kids to bring in money by stealing,” Agent Cord said.
    Brody noticed the little boy Hank’s photo on the wall. “You think that child was taken by him, too?”
    Julie bit her lip. “We’re not certain, but it’s possible. Each of these children disappeared from a public venue like a carnival, public park, county fair, a rodeo—” She paused and met his gaze.“He may work at one of these venues. He’s friendly, fits in, doesn’t look like a criminal. That’s how he gets close to the kids.”
    “So you can track him down that way?” Brody asked.
    “That’s what we’re working on,” Chief Hurt said.
    Dammit, they needed to work faster.
    Julie stood then went to the board and gestured toward a map with pushpins stuck in various areas. “The conveniencestore robberies over the past few months also coincide with areas where children went missing, which also makes us believe they’re connected. Hopefully if we find this gang of robbers, it will lead us to other missing children.”
    “How can I help?” Brody asked. “Do you want me to go on TV and make a plea for Will to come forward?”
    “No,” Julie said, her eyes darkening with worry. “Thatmight endanger Will and Tray, the boy with him. We don’t want to tip