The thick snow caused them to go agonizingly slowly. Backtracking was the worst. They had been doing it for what seemed like forever, probably a couple hours. It was emotionally draining, like the time they had wasted taunted them with the repeating landmarks they passed, reminding them of their failure. This time, Ty, Jack, and Caleb watched the side of the road with complete dedication. They knew there had to be a small side road or path they had missed. They would not miss it again. Their sensitive eyes studied everything. Ty tried to silence the growing voice in him wondering with dread what would happen if after they found the side road, it forks off different ways. They would have no way of knowing which to take, which would lead them to Amy. He knew it helped nothing, to distract his mind with unfounded fears, thoughts that kept trying to lead his mind to hopelessness. He would find her. He would never give up.
All their eyes had become accustomed to the darkness around them until a blinding flash of headlights rounded a strong curve. "Idiot," Jack scoffed. The other drive had on their high beams, reflecting on the snow and causing Jack to literally stop. The truck was driving far too fast for the amount of snow on the ground. It sped towards them, and almost passed them before slowing in recognition. The other driver slowed to a stopped and opened his door, still shadowed in the darkness of his truck. The guys still couldn't see his face. "Jack!" an unmistakable voice broke through the snow as Tim Fleming stepped out into the light.
Amy had waited breathlessly for nearly an hour for her captor to come to her room and let her go. But he hadn't. When she realized he wasn't coming, that he wasn't going to let her go, she had collapsed back to the ground to her spot by the window and cried. She had teared up a couple time in moments of weakness before, but this time she really cried. She curled her knees to her chest, buried her face, and let the tears slowly soak onto her jeans after falling from her eyes. She wasn't a crier. She held her feelings to herself, in the quietness of her heart. She didn't like people to see the weakness it brought, the vulnerability she felt. Most of the time she substituted her sadness for anger. But at times when she was most broken, she cried. She felt like all the hope she'd gathered was gone. The things that had kept her from breaking were gone. Her determination to get away, to get to Ty was now desperation. Because for the first time she didn't know what to do. The lost feeling was overwhelming. She didn't have a plan or a way out. To this point, she had always had a plan to escape, or at least a strong hope he would let her go. She had backed these hopes with the man's words, which she now guessed must have been a cruel lie. Why else had he not come? Why hadn't he let her go yet? She found too late she had built too much faith in this man, that he would honor his word. For the first time she felt completely and total helpless. Waves of a new kind of desperation washed over her.
She suddenly caught her thoughts in her head. She was shocked and horrified at how easily she had allowed herself to break like that. She had hoped so much, even believed she would be free and with her family again so soon, that when it didn't happen, she had mentally collapsed. She collected herself with deep, heavy breaths and stood back up, slightly dizzy from the sobs that just a moment ago had shook her body. The man could still let her go, she knew this. His present absence didn't mean he wouldn't come. And Ty wouldn't give up on her. That one thought, above all else, claimed her emotions. It was the one thought she playing through her mind over and over again, soaking the words into her heart. He wouldn't give up on her, and she wouldn't give up on herself. For her, but as equally as importantly, for him. She finally was able to regain her composure and find again the only constant feeling she had to cling to, determination to get back to him.
"What the heck Jim," Jack said as he rolled down his window. "What are you doing here?" "Looking for Amy, what do you think Jack. Lou called me. You think I'm just going to sit around a do nothing?" Tim said the way he usually addressed Jack, but with worry clouding his face. "Well, where do you think you're going?" Jack asked. "The only way they could have gone," Time replied like the question itself was absurd. "Well, that road's closed back there," Jack said nodding the way they'd come. "What, you mean you passed them?" Tim seemed astonished. "Yep, and so did you. We're going back, so, get out of the way, your wasting our time," Jack told him. "No," Time said shaking his head. "I'm coming with you." He didn't waiting for an answer before climbing in next to Caleb, abandoning his truck where it sat. "Why don't you just follow me?" Jack asked looking back a Tim. "We don't have time for this, let's go," Ty said impatiently. He knew with every moment they wasted, the further Amy could be getting for him. "He's right, let's go," Tim said before Jack began driving again.
Back at Heartland, Lou sat in the kitchen, one hand around a hot cup of coffee, her chin resting in the other. Her mind, which was usually in a thousand places at once wasn't now. It was consumed by one thought, Amy. After Grandpa had gotten the call from Soraya, Lou had begged to go with him. "No, stay here," had been his reply as he'd ran out the door. She had instantly called Soraya back to find out what exactly what had happened, and then had called her dad. After the quietness that followed him hanging up, her usual in-command, in-control mind became frantic. She wanted to do something, anything, but she didn't know what. It wasn't fair. Amy didn't deserve this. It wasn't fair that this would happen to her, the person who believed in people. The girl that had a general belief in people's decency. Lou bit her lip, her racing thoughts surrounded by silence. All but for the clock that ticked away the minute, eagerly reminding her how long it was taking to hear anything from anybody. "Lou," came a small pleading voice. Lou looked up at Mallory who had been silently sitting in another room. Mallory talked all the time. Literally all the time, except when she was most upset. Her silence screamed the words she wasn't saying. "They're going to find Amy right? I mean they have to find her," she asked, tears swelling in her eyes. "Of course they will Mallory," Lou said standing and taking her in her arms. "Of course they will," she repeated trying to convince herself, denying the very fear pulsing through her body. What if they didn't?
The first glimpse of morning grew in the dark sky shadowing the stars in light. The night that had surrounded Amy in inescapable darkness for hours slowly began to leak away into a brightening sky. She was surprised how long she'd been in that room. The hours of the night had seemed timeless, dragging by, drawing out every minute. But yet it still didn't seem like it could be morning yet. She couldn't believe how long she'd been away from Ty. It pained her to think how desperate his must be. As afraid as she had remained throughout this, she knew Ty held even more fear. Amy was thankful for the small but fortunate gift of at least knowing what was happening. She didn't have to wonder and hopelessly guess, she knew. This knowledge gave her a sense of security. As broken as it may be, it was something more than Ty had. He had no way of knowing what was happening to Amy. He had nothing of definiteness to cling to. Only questions to taunt his mind. Fears he couldn't know were true or not. Not knowing was the worst kind of desperation there was, a complete loss of control, a consuming helplessness. Amy wanted to get to him. She wanted him to hug her, for him to feel her in his arms and know she was all right, just as she had promised.
Her mind was pulled back to her captured reality when she heard footsteps echoing across the floor, growing louder as they came closer. She stood facing the door, her eyes watching it, wondering what those footsteps would bring. She heard her heartbeat pounding through her ears. Would he let her finally go? Or would he drag her to his truck again and take her further away from her home, her family, and from the quiet safety she'd found in this room with the knowledge that Ty couldn't be too far away? The thumping of the boots on the wood floor stopped just outside the door, the sudden silence causing Amy's stomach to drop in anticipation. Her hand groped through the air for something to grip to, something to keep her fear paralyzed legs from collapsing under her. She breathlessly waited for the silence to be broken, for something to happen. Amy's ears barely caught the sound of the click of the door knob. The lock was released.
Stunned, she listened as the footsteps of her kidnapper again disappeared outside, leaving her once more alone, but now free. Amy waited, remaining completely still to see what would happen. She feared he'd come back. But he didn't. She soundlessly crept towards the door, her hand trembling as she grasped the door knob. It effortlessly turned, releasing it to swing opened. Peering around the cabin for any sign of the man, she crossed the room satisfied he was indeed outside, probably leaving in his truck. Hesitating before following him out she paused, waiting, expecting to heard his truck roar away down the road. The sound didn't come. She was afraid to go outside, afraid of finding him out there. But she was more afraid for letting this chance slip away. Determined not to give him an opportunity to claim her freedom again, Amy took a deep breath in a desperation search for courage before pulling the door opened hard. She gasped as the cold of morning engulfed her, the wind whipping snow into her face. The man's truck was still parked by the side of the cabin unmoved, but the man himself was nowhere in sight. Amy stood in questioning silence, unsure where to go. She knew she couldn't walk along the road, the fear of the man following her overpowered her desire to get to her family as quickly as possible. It was a tortured feeling, know the quickest way to the ones she loved was the only way she couldn't take. The eerie quietness was so loud. She heard absolutely nothing, a complete silence that shot an icy chill through her shivering body. She rushed her mind for an answer, any answer that would lead her back to Ty and get her away from this cabin, away from her captor that was undoubtedly hidden from her eyes through the powdery snow somewhere too close. She chose to travel up hill from the road, parallel to it, but far enough away to be hidden from unwanted eye. She didn't hesitate another moment. This was her unhindered opportunity to escape, she wouldn't let it be lost. She ran. Just like she'd promised herself she would. She ran as fast as she could until the cabin disappeared behind her, until the terror that had built in her began to fall away, until she finally began to feel safe again. Safe from her kidnappers reach. She ran until she knew that nothing could stop her from getting back to Ty. And then she collapsed to the ground, surrendering to her exhaustion. Not just her physical exhaustion, but also her emotional exhaustion. She sank into the snow, her throat burning as she desperately gasped for air. Tear streamed down her face as definite relief filled her. She was finally safe. She was free.
"This is ridiculous. We're getting nowhere Jack," Tim stated leaning back into his seat from where he had been watching the window. "Well, what do you suggest we do then? Give up?" Jack retorted wishing with every minute that Tim had stayed in his own truck. "No, of course not," Tim said, trying to find an answer to Jack's question. "Tim, we have to do this. They had to pull off along here somewhere," Ty said, determined that nothing was going to stop him from finding Amy. "Oh really? Since when did you have all the answers? You know, this is all your fault," Tim shot at Ty. "Oh shut up Tim. This is no ones fault," Jack demanded. "No, I mean it Jack. He was the one that just let that guy take Amy," Tim insisted. "That's not fair Mr. Fleming," Caleb broke his silence. "Ty did everything he could to stop him without Amy getting hurt." "Oh is that so?" Tim continued. Ty was lost in his own pained thoughts. Tim's word had hit him like a bullet in his chest, because they were true. This was his fault. He hadn't keep Amy safe. He should have done more, whatever it took to keep her out of harms way. She didn't deserve this. He was suddenly draw out of his feelings, not by Jack, Tim, and Caleb's voices still arguing beside him, but by what his eye caught up on the hill. "Jack, stop. What's that?" he said pointing towards it. Jack halted, and traced Ty's figure with his eyes. "I don't know. Looks like a cabin," he said squinting through the dim morning light and snow to the almost invisible building.
Within a matter of minutes Jack had parked in front of the cabin. "Be careful," he warned as all four men slowly exited the truck. They stepped through the thick snow cautiously, their eyes constantly watching everything. "Hey, there's the black truck," Caleb shouted as soon as he had rounded the cabin enough to see it. Ty's heart stopped for a second. Amy was here. His greatest fear that he wouldn't find her instantly vanished. In his sudden relief he lost control of his body, as he began to run towards the cabin, towards her. "Ty!" he heard shouts behind him. But it didn't matter. Ty knew the kidnapper could still be around somewhere, probably with a gun. But that escaped him mind. He had only one thought, Amy. He burst in the door, greeted only by silence. "Amy," his shaking voice called for her through the empty air. Still nothing but silence. He quickly rushed into the other room to find it empty as well. He stumbled back out, feeling completely and totally lost. She wasn't there. Jack, Tim and Caleb had now followed him into the cabin. They could tell from Ty's miserable face Amy wasn't there. In a moment consumed by pure desperation, Ty let one word slip though his lips. "Amy!" he yelled loud enough to hear it echo out of the cabin into the snow covered hills. His words searched for her, through the snow, through the woods, through the emptiness he felt, desperate to find her out there somewhere.
Amy still sat exhausted in the snow. She knew she needed to get up, to keep moving, but it was so hard. She finally, for the first time felt safe. As much as she wanted to get back to her family, she dreaded leaving the safety she felt, heading out to uncertainty again. As she heaved herself up from the ground to her still quivering feet, she snapped up. She had heard a cry through the stillness. It was her name. she could barely catch it through the gusts of wind trying to pull it away from her, but she had heard it clear enough. She knew that voice. Ty.
It's finally up! Sorry it took longer than usual to update. Please, please review. Not just because I would love to know what you guys think, but also because I think my page had been having problems posting your review and I would like to see if it's fixed. So, please review. Thank you guys so much for reading, I hope you're enjoying this, and the 5th chapter should be up soon. Though I think it's safe to say it probably wouldn't be before Christmas, so Merry Christmas, and God bless!