His lungs were burning, trying in vain to tell him to slow down and inhale some oxygen. But he ignored the pain; there was only room for one thing in his mind at the moment.
Jude.
Finally rounding the corner that would bring him to his destination, Tommy was temporarily blinded by the flashing red lights of emergency vehicles. Emergency vehicles that were parked right in front of the small, elegant restaurant. The restaurant where he had left Jude only a little while ago.
The vehicles were there. So where was she?
He didn't stop running. If it was even possible, he went faster, wanting to know what had happened, but dreading what could be the reality.
People were walking around, talking frantically into walkie-talkies. Red lights were flashing everywhere, causing the atmosphere of the scene to be tense and uncertain. Car horns were blaring from impatient people stuck in the streets. Mounties were talking to bystanders, trying to figure out what happened.
And then there was him. Stuck in the middle of it all, not knowing what was happening. But more importantly, not knowing where his punk princess was at.
The EMT's had been huddled around something on the ground when Tommy arrived. They finally began to move away, and a stretcher quickly appeared. A woman was lifted onto it and strapped in.
He caught a glimpse of blonde locks as the body was rolled towards the open ambulance doors.
He quickly took several steps closer to the paramedics, trying to get a look at the person being wheeled to the waiting doors of the big white vehicle.
It couldn't be. No way. There were millions of people with long blonde hair.
It wasn't her. Fate wouldn't be this cruel to him.
Minutes.
He was only gone for minutes.
He only left her alone for minutes.
This couldn't happen in mere minutes.
The girl on that stretcher wasn't the one he was looking for. He was sure of it.
But just as he was about to turn away, the girl's arm slid off the stretcher.
Allowing him to catch a flash of silver.
On her right hand.
On her middle finger.
Rested a silver star ring.
Jude.