Lena:

The three of us are sitting in the living room, not saying anything, just holding hands. Jude is still in his room. Brandon offered to sit outside his door in case he needed anything. Mariana and Jesus are on the couch across from me. Her head is resting on Jesus' shoulder, and his arm is around her. Even though they've been our children for so many years, they still have a bond with each other that no one else can touch. I can't help but think about Jude, and how this is what he will lose if something happens to Callie.

The phone rings, and I let go of Mariana's hand as I lunge for it.

"Hello?"

"Lena?" It's Stef's voice, and she sounds rushed. "Lena, I found her. I know where she is. We're on our way to get her now."

My heart is racing so fast I actually have to put a hand to my chest.

"Where is she?"

"Liam Olmstead took her."

I can feel my face draining of blood.

"Get her back, Stef." It comes out as a whisper.

"I will, love. Keep the kids with you."

Mariana and Jesus are watching me, their eyes scared.

"What should I tell Jude?" I ask Stef.

"I don't know. I'm not sure exactly what he knows about what happened with Liam."

I close my eyes.

"Okay. I won't tell him anything until we know more. Call me as soon as you find anything Stef."

"I will, I promise. I love you."

My throat closes. It sounds like she's saying goodbye. The last time she went into a house with her gun drawn, she almost died.

"Stef…" I can't get the words out.

"Lena, I'll be fine. There's only person who might get shot tonight, and it's not going to be me."

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Callie:

It takes me a while to realize that there's a new sound in the room. It's coming from me. I've been humming the words of my mother's song. I'm completely losing the world now. I can feel my heart beat slowing down.

I'm not cold anymore. It's actually really nice.

My chest thuds.

There are lights on the ceiling now. They're pretty.

I wait for my heart beat, but it doesn't come. Instead, the world disappears.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Liam:

I smile as I hear Callie singing in the next room. She sounds happy. Maybe she's realized that it's time for her to give in. Maybe she even liked it.

I turn off the TV and get up from the sofa. My hand is throbbing and I need some ice. I head up the stairs to the first floor of the empty house my parents are fixing up. They'll rent it out when it's done, but for now there's nobody here. I guess I've sort of adopted it.

I fish some ice out of the freezer and shove it into a plastic bag, then grab a beer out of the fridge.

I can't help smiling when I think of the people who will move in here. People who will put furniture in that basement, and wonder what the stains on the floor are from. People who will never know Callie, or just how amazing she really is. No one can ever know that. Not the way I do.

I take my beer and the ice and turn to go back downstairs when I catch sight of something out the window. There are red and blue lights flashing about a quarter of a mile away. I freeze, watching as they get closer, until I'm sure. And then I turn and run, out the back exit, into the yard, and into the night.

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Stef:

I'm out of the car before Mike has pulled it to a complete stop. There's a light on. I motion to Mike and the other officers to cover me. Quietly, I test the doorknob. It's locked.

I kick the door in.

We fan out, Mike and I on the first floor, the other three upstairs. I head straight for the kitchen, my finger itching on the trigger. If I see Liam hurting my baby, I won't have the slightest hesitation.

All my senses are on high alert. I approach the kitchen, where the light is coming from. There's a hum, and even before I see it I realize the refrigerator door must be open. That will be a problem if he ducks behind it. Refrigerators are bulletproof.

I slow beside the doorway, my gun in my right hand, my left hand supporting it. I scan my surroundings again and turn my head to peer around the door frame. I can only see part of the kitchen from this angle. Mike comes up next to me and nods. I turn and wheel into the kitchen, skirting around the refrigerator door. There's nothing there.

I leave it open, so the sound of it closing won't alert Liam that we're here. On the other side of the kitchen there's a red door. I motion Mike towards it. We stand on either side, as before. He quickly jerks it open as I keep my gun pointing straight at it.

I'm pointing my gun at an empty wall. Below me, concrete stairs disappear into a room that I can't see.

Slowly, noiselessly, we edge down the stairs, pulling our flashlights out as we go. We get to the bottom and listen. There's no sound on the other side of the door. I cross my flashlight under my gun and kick the door open. We whip around from side to side, casting the small beams of light across the room, but aside from some furniture the room is empty. There's a sofa, a small television, and several empty beer bottles. Next to the television is a small plastic bucket, and when I look inside I have to force myself to remain calm.

The water is red.

I swallow and move forward. A string hanging from the ceiling hits me in the face. I roll it between my fingers. It's an old-fashioned chain, the kind that attaches to a light bulb on the ceiling. I pull it and the room is bathed in a dim yellow glow.

Directly across from me is a door. And it's padlocked shut.

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