Chapter 2

"I'm worried about her."

"She looks okay. She's been acting pretty normal around me."

"That's how she is. That's how she deals with things. Just keep an eye out for her, okay? And try to get her to talk to you."

Abby was fuming. Who did they think they were, talking about her like she was some dumb child that needed watching? Well, she didn't need Carter or Susan. In fact, as soon as Carter left, she was going to a motel.

"Abby?" Susan's smiling face appeared from around the corner. "Wanna watch a movie? I have HBO..." she said, dangling the remote like bait.

What would happen when Abby told Susan she was leaving? She couldn't bear to see that friendly smile replaced with a worrying frown. So she would stay, if only for a little while.

"Sure, what's on?"

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There was the fear again, that twisting, paralyzing fear.

It was dark. Susan was sound asleep. She heard footsteps, coming closer...closer...what if it was him?

She had to get out of here. She threw her coat on over her pajamas, scribbled a quick note to Susan, and grabbed her bag. She couldn't stand this anymore. She had to get out of here.

The wind was biting cold, but she didn't mind. It threatened to freeze the tears that were streaming down her face, but that was okay. She could cry now. There was no one to see her.

________________________________________________________

Susan rolled over in the bed and checked the clock. 10:30. Ah, the joy of the evening shift.

Sliding her feet into fuzzy slippers, Susan padded into the kitchen. Maybe she would fix breakfast again. Having a houseguest had really brought out her inner cook.

"Abby? You want breakfast?" she asked, peeking into the living room. The foldout sofa was empty. Hmm, she must be in the bathroom, Susan thought. Well, she'd make breakfast anyway. If Abby didn't want it, she would eat it.

The time seemed to fly as Susan prepared her seven-course breakfast. She set the table for two, and that was when she noticed that Abby still hadn't come out of the bathroom.

She rapped on the door. "Abby? You okay in there?" Her light taps were enough to push the door open.

The bathroom was empty.

Susan's brow furrowed. Where was Abby? She walked back into the living room, and that's when she noticed the small piece of paper resting in the middle of the foldout. She picked it up, and it was just what she feared it was.

Susan,

Thanks for letting me stay at your place.

I really appreciate it, but I am feeling a

lot better and I don't want to be a burden.

I can get a motel room someplace until they find him.

Abby

Susan slowly crumpled the note in her hand. "Oh, Abby," she said, shaking her head.

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"What do you mean she's gone?"

"She left in the middle of the night. I woke up this morning and..." Susan shrugged. "All I had was a note."

"Did she say where she was going?"

Susan shook her head. "Just to a motel. That could be anywhere."

"We have to find her."

Susan stared at her incredulously. "Are you serious? Do you have any idea how many motels there are in Chicago?"

"You didn't see her yesterday. She was curled up in a ball on the floor in her apartment. She's trying to put on a brave face for us, but she was really traumatized, Susan. She doesn't need to be alone."

"Well, how are we supposed to find her?" Susan challenged.

"I don't know," Carter admitted. "But we have to try. We're her friends. She needs us."

"Have either of you seen Abby?"

They both turned to face Luka, who had just entered the lounge.

"I wanted to talk to her, and Chuny told me she was staying with you," he said to Susan.

"Yeah, she was," Susan said grimly. "She just took off last night. We don't know where she went."

"Is she...alright?" Luka asked.

Carter shook his head slowly. "She's been acting strangely. She doesn't want to talk to us, but you know how Abby is when she has a problem. She always thinks she has to fix it all by herself."

Luka nodded slowly. "So what are we going to do? Do you have any idea where she went?"

"No, she just said she was going to a motel. I tried to call her, but her cell's off and she's not responding to pages."

"If she doesn't want to be found, we're not going to find her. There are hundreds of motels in Chicago, and there's no way we can knock on the door of every one." Luka thought for a moment. "Maybe she just needs some time alone."

"Maybe," Carter said, but he didn't sound convinced.

"Abby can take care of herself," Luka said. "She's been through something pretty terrible; we should just give her some time to recover. When she wants to talk to us, she will."

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Abby threw a rock into the receding water. The sun was setting; it was about time for her to get back. But what would be waiting for her at the motel but another night of TV?

She hadn't meant to go this far. But after a while, she was just on autopilot. She just kept driving and driving, and the next thing she knew she was at the ocean.

It was warm here. She didn't even need her coat. What city was she in? She wasn't quite sure. The last city sign she had seen said Chesapeake Bay, but she had driven for more than an hour after that. She didn't stop until she saw the cool, inviting waves of the beach.

What was she running from? Did she think this was the only way she could be safe from Brian? Abby wasn't sure why she had driven all the way to Virginia, she just knew that for the first time today, she felt relaxed. She wasn't looking over her shoulder. She just needed a little time to relax.

She should probably call Susan, let her know she was okay. But for now, she didn't want to. All she wanted to do was forget about Chicago and everything in it.

Abby checked her watch. It was seven o'clock. Time to head back to the motel. She yawned as she trudged up the beach. Well, maybe that phone call could wait until tomorrow.