As Richie stumbled in the doorway, Tessa desperately pulled at the teen's arm. "Richie, come on."

"I'm trying." The boy groaned, clutching his gut as he struggled to keep up with her. "It's not like I want him getting up either."

Tessa gritted her teeth at the reminder of their captors' close proximity. Turning the lock before shutting the door behind them, the woman desperately hoped the precaution would buy them a few precious moments. Looking back, the fact that Lamont was already struggling to his feet far from reassured her that their escape plan was wise.

"Come on." Richie gruffly demanded, both pulling and leaning upon the woman as they went.

Allowing herself to be drug, Tessa couldn't help but keep one eye on the door behind them.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked.

"The truck." Richie replied shortly, never taking his eyes off the goal. He had to keep his focus.

Tessa, however, did not. Noticing the red, sweaty teen's pinched, pained face, she momentarily forgot their circumstances. Examining him closely, she began her questioning. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

"Of course I am. Will you get to the damn truck?" The boy gritted out through clenched teeth.

Fire coursing through her veins, the woman glared at him. "Watch your mouth."

Her furry quickly died, however. Seeing the doorknob behind them being desperately tried, Tessa changed her focus. Pulling frantically at the truck's handle, she immediately began to panic. "It's locked. What're we going to do?"

Rolling his eyes, Richie grabbed the pipe the woman was still wielding and, with one swift move, busted out the driver's side glass. Popping the lock and swinging himself into the driver's seat, he looked expectantly at the stunned woman. "Get in."

"Richie, what are…the keys aren't…we can't just."

She was in shock.

That is, until their captor broke down the front door. Hopping into the passenger seat, Tessa found herself willing the truck to start. She practically screamed her next question at the teen by her side. "Now what?"

Richie wasn't really listening, though. He hadn't had enough practice hotwiring cars to allow himself to get distracted.

"Thank God." He declared as the engine roared.

Throwing the truck into reverse, the teen jumped at the feeling of a hand on his collar. As Tessa sat stunned, Richie immediately shifted into third and peeled out. With Lamont's hold on the boy lost, Tessa began to scream.

Richie almost laughed at the irony of it all. Why she would scream after he was free from the madman was beyond the teen.

The screaming wasn't beyond him, though. It was right there, driving him crazy. Long after they had left Lamont lying behind in the dust, the noise continued to pour out of the woman's mouth.

"Shut up!" He finally yelled.

It wasn't until Richie had hollered at her that Tessa even realized she was still screaming. She shook her head slightly in an attempt to regain self-control. "Sorry." She told him quietly.

"Forget about it." Richie gritted, continuing to keep his eyes peeled on the dirt road before him.

They road in silence for a good five minutes before Tessa blurted out, "You're too young to drive."

Giving her a sideways glance, the boy offered her the first response that popped into his mind. "Opps."

"Opps." Tessa repeated the word woodenly. "Opps."

The fit of laughter she erupted into soon became contagious and Richie had to fight the hysteria to keep his focus on the road.

Desperately fighting to maintain his grip on the boy, Lamont lamented over his weakness as he fell behind the truck. Watching the vehicle speed off into the night, he cursed himself for being such a failure as a father. How could he ever have the life he'd always wanted if he couldn't even keep enough control over his family to keep them together?

He would have to do better. He needed to prove to Tessa he was worthy of their family.

He would do better. He would find them. Nothing could stop him.

Walking up the back path to the out-of-the way little shack, Duncan was certain that this was the place. Richie and Tessa were surely being held there. They had to be, the man attempted to reason with himself. After all, he had looked every other possible place. Process of elimination worked wonders.

Looking down the road, Lamont did a double take. How could things have gotten so bad? Not only had he temporarily lost his family, but also the villain who had held them for so long had discovered his home. Edging off the path and into the bushes, he waited and watched as the scoundrel violated the sanctity of his home.

Cautiously slipping into the small shack, Duncan was terrified by the sight that lay before him. Broken doors, blood streaked floors, rope, a single earring. He had no doubt that this was where Richie and Tessa must have been. Searching the premises for any signs of his family, he was unaware of the man watching his every move from only a few feet away. Leaning down to retrieve the abandoned earring by the door, Duncan barely noticed the shadow as it loomed over him. Standing up abruptly, the Immortal didn't even have time to process what the weapon was that Lamont was wielding. It too quickly made contact with his head.

"Look!" Tessa practically sang the word to her teenage escort. Pointing at the florescent sign, the woman was overwhelmed with happiness. A gas station. In her mind, they were as good as home.

In her mind, not Richie's. Pulling into the lot, the teen slowly turned off the engine and looked over at the woman expectantly. "Why don't you go in and call the police?"

Tessa was startled by the unexpected reaction. "You won't come with me?"

Even as she questioned the boy, she began to examine him closely. Her joy was immediately replaced with apprehension. Looking over the teen, she was amazed that he had lasted as long as he had. And there she was, so consumed in her own fear, she had completely forgotten the torment he'd endured.

Apparently though, Richie was content to keep her oblivious to his pain. Providing the best smile he could muster, the boy addressed her carefully. "Mind if I wait here?"

"Don't move, sweetheart." Tessa told him quietly as she leaned over to briefly brush the bangs from his face before resolutely hopping out of the truck. "I'll be right back."

Watching the woman sprint into the gas station, Richie leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. The nightmare was over. It seemed so true. But, somehow, he just couldn't quite fight the nagging feeling in the back of his head that something wasn't quite right.