RUNEMASTER

Rating 》 T-M for Profanity, Adult Situations, Violence and Sexual Content

Pairing 》 Major Reid/OC & Minor Tyler/OC

Disclaimer 》 Fandoms, canons, music, references and source material are not mine, but this plot is. No monetary profit made.

Author's Note 》 For fanart, fanmixes and fanvids, go to hapadoll,wixsite,com/hapadoll (replace , with . )

3. Stronger Than the Storm

It doesn't always rain this much in June.

Usually, the sun shines in such a way that the trees which appear to be a mass of multicolored bloom are not obvious until you step into the shade to see things properly. At this time of season, the leaves would be full grown, the flowers blossomed, and the fruit set. Chirping birds and humming bees would go about their daily business in their simple, unhurried lives. But today they're hiding out for safety, taking cover from the wind like everybody else in Ipswich.

There's a chill in the air that makes you think of fall; without the pumpkins and the rich hues of red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves. Jackets, wool socks and boots temporarily emerge from their hiding places in storage until the storm passes and summer is resumed. An odd orange lightning spiderwebs through the sky. It illuminates the darkness looming over Ipswich, blanketing its residents in a breathtaking display of its fiery brightness.

"Everyone keeps telling me that it really, honestly, for real doesn't rain that much in Ipswich, but I've never gotten so much use out of my umbrella," Sarah jokes, shaking it out and folding it up once indoors.

"It's, you know, one of those summer storms. The nature thing," a waiting Kate dismisses it and greets her friend with a smile, sensing nothing out of place.

"But it went from sunny and beautiful all last week to a torrential downpour for four days straight," Sarah's face reflects a bit of her skepticism. "It's starting to feel like Noah's Ark."

"Girl, if we could not have all four seasons in one week, it wouldn't be Mass. You get used to the bipolar weather."

Being from Boston's West End, Sarah was familiar with the erratic climate, but she doubted it was the appropriate explanation in this case. It wasn't the bad weather alone that frightened her―at least not since she was a little kid―so what was the problem? Something in her bones just felt off, but there was nothing concrete to confirm her suspicion. Dread started to slowly creep in though she wouldn't share her more cynical thoughts with Kate. The kind of thoughts that make her heart beat faster, her tongue tingle and her palms sweat in the same way it does when she has that recurring nightmare.

What if he's still out there? What if he's back?

Sarah practices some discreet breathing exercises her therapist showed her to help manage panic attacks as they came on.

Don't fight it. Let it roll in and out of your mind.

The logical part of her brain began searching for reasons to rationalize why she was suddenly feeling this way, what exactly brought it on.

It could be an environmental trigger. It stormed like this that night. That night seven months earlier when she and Kate had nearly been killed in a powerplay by Chase as he used them to bait Caleb into surrendering a hereditary power she was previously unaware of. It was the catalyst that eventually destroyed her and Caleb's relationship and strained the girls' friendship without Kate even knowing it.

Because Kate had been unconscious and hadn't actually witnessed anything, Caleb made the executive decision that it was in everyone's best interest to keep things strictly on a need to know basis. A part of Sarah resented him for that. He took away her one confidant. Pogue hadn't been particularly pleased with that decision either, but like Sarah, reluctantly agreed to it after a very long and heated discussion between brothers.

They ended up explaining the chain reaction of events to Kate as a poisonous spider bite resulting in anaphylactic shock, a motorcycle accident by a careless Pogue rushing to Kate's aid, and an accidental fire ignited by lightning hitting ground. As far as Kate was concerned, Chase transferred out due to a family emergency. To Kate, he was still the cute, sweet guy she'd only known briefly. Not the power-hungry, manipulative psycho Sarah knew him to be.

The biggest struggle for Sarah was coming to terms with the aftermath, very much on her own. God knows Caleb tried to be there for her as much as he could and offered support when she needed it, but she had a hard time accepting. He was transparent in answering every possible question she had about himself, the Sons' lineage, and their powers. But it wasn't them or him she was afraid of. It was the seriousness of being preyed upon, being abducted, being victimized. Kate was the only other person who could possibly understand, but she was sworn to secrecy. It turned out to be a lot more challenging than she imagined.

It was mentally exhausting to keep up the pretense that everything was fine, especially during the few times Kate innocently brought up Chase's name. Alternately, she knew that Kate would most likely think she were a total loon if she so much as broached the subject anyway. To be fair, if it hadn't happened to her first hand, she wouldn't believe it either.

But it had. And the threat of being followed or watched had been on the front of her mind for a long time after the incident. She was withdrawn, jumpy, paranoid and fearful in the months following. After she decided to seek professional help for "an abduction", things slowly began to improve and she was finally starting to feel more like the old Sarah again.

But just when she thinks she's making some serious progress, this sense of deja vu happens. It hadn't stormed like this since that night.

More doubt crosses Sarah's mind, but she does her best to push it in one side, out the other and focuses her attention on something that catches her eye about Kate. Her friend's left hand is clutching a small paper bag with the top rolled down. Kate shoves her leftover salad container into Sarah's hands.

"Hold this for a sec," Kate says as she pulls two coffee cups from the bag. "Almost forgot. I brought chai. Can't have sweater weather without chai!"

Sarah laughs at her thoughtfulness. Kate really was a sweet girl. The kind of girl who always makes you feel important and essential with her enthusiasm and willingness to involve you. That pretty accurately summed her up. Kate undeniably did her best to stick by her side even when it wasn't convenient for her. Her true colors proved Kate to be a genuine, lifelong friend. Sarah was eternally grateful for that relationship, now more than ever. They even picked up exactly where they left off without any weirdness between them. As if nothing in the world had been amiss.

They trade off salad and tea and begin the walk toward their next shared class: Chemistry. Only a few more weeks and then school would be out until late August at which time they would step in as seniors. It was a crazy thought that Caleb and Pogue's graduation was just around the corner. She thought about it a lot lately. She was really going to miss him―them. At least she'd still have Kate next year. And Tyler. And even Reid.

Sarah thanks Kate for the drink and blows on the mouthpiece before gulping it down, surprising herself by how thirsty she is. The nice, warm temperature brought out the flavor of the spices―ginger, cinnamon, cloves―and it instantly wakes her up, warming her cold chest all the way down her throat to her stomach.

The girls chat amongst themselves, discussing plans for their upcoming summer vacations. Kate would spend the first few weeks with her relatives in Vancouver per their usual family tradition on her mother's side, but she'd be back in no time and demanded Sarah be available for many tanning and shopping dates.

They round the corner to an emptying corridor as students filter into their assigned class rooms and notice the door to the administration office is ajar. Someone small is standing in the doorway, but only the outline of the silhouette is visible from their angle. As they approach, they hear a soft voice say, "thank you Provost".

Kate recognizes it just a moment before Gabi Berzin steps out into the hall a ways ahead of them. She's being escorted out by an attractive older man in a nice navy suit helping with her books.

That must be her dad? Dilf!

This was the first time Kate saw Gabi since the night of Aaron's party when Reid publicly humiliated her. She would be pissed if Reid broke up with her on Pogue's behalf. Kate tried reaching out a couple times to make sure she was doing alright but never received a response so she let that one go. She wasn't sure if it was her place to push. They were friends through their boyfriends, not exactly close enough to overstep boundaries.

Gabi had been out of school all week for good reason. Kate assumed neither Tyler nor Reid were the reason. It was something much worse and far more worrisome: her sister went missing. It happened late last weekend and word spread like wildfire.

Kate hadn't known Kemp well at all. Nothing beyond a casual classmate acquaintance. They shared a few classes but ran in very different social circles so their interactions were limited. Even with that little to go off of, she would never imagine Kemp to be the kind of girl who would run off like this, without a word to her family. The alternative theory going around was that she'd been abducted. It was a scary thought because that kind of thing isn't something you think about in a place like Ipswich. Something like that would threaten their illusion of safety.

As the girls pass each other, Kate's brown eyes are full of concern and take in the washed out appearance of the normally polished girl who she came to know as a friend. Gabi's cheeks aren't rosy, her lips aren't shiny, her hair isn't smooth and her eyes are dark and tired looking instead of their normal radiant. Kate could not pinpoint exactly the emotion on the younger girl's face, but she could only imagine the helplessness their family must be feeling not knowing where Kemp is.

She wants Gabi to feel her support and tries to communicate that in a reassuring smile, but Gabi quickly turns her head in the opposite direction at the last minute.

Their home is fuller than ever before but not for a joyous family gathering or happy occasion. It's not filled with laughter the way it should be. Instead it's quiet, tense and gloomy all at different times. There's a feeling of disappointment in the air rather than happiness. The noise picks up in the room as the questions start coming.

"Sir, does your daughter have any friends that would come up here for any reason?"

"She does, but not on a school day and not the day she was supposed to be staying with me for a college interview she'd been preparing for the last two weeks. There's just no way. They're all studious kids."

After receiving a panicked call from his estranged wife Winona "Nonnie", Don Berzin jumped on the US-1 N from Boston in the middle of the night and drove the forty-five minute distance in record time, stopping only for tolls.

He'd never stepped foot in the small residential community prior to last Sunday. Never needed to. Their family had no interests in Ipswich until his wife had a mid-life crisis and decided to move his children out to a town she may as well have chosen out of a hat.

He'd been staying there since, with them in their 'new' house. A yellow 19th century colonial Winona bragged about restoring from derelict. Every throw pillow, whimsical figurine, piece of wall decor, and framed photo was very much her taste. It was a home that had zero remnants of his existence. It was difficult for him to be there for many reasons, but their children were far more important than any awkwardness of their deteriorating marriage. Their personal issues would be momentarily pushed aside and he would not return to Boston until his eldest daughter was found and returned home, safe and sound.

When his phone rings, the detective motions for him to go ahead and answer. Don was on and off the phone like a ping-pong ball most of the day fielding concerned calls from family on both sides when Winona found it too difficult to speak to anybody.

The detective shifts his attention to Kemp's sister who he'd picked up earlier from school with the permission of her parents.

In the short car ride back to her home, Gabi learned a few things about the man. His name was Mike Leander. He was from Lynn. He had a perfect record of finding missing persons and safely reuniting families. That was especially reassuring, coming out of a city referred to as "City of Sin" known for its gang violence and high crime rate. He had an air about him that was highly professional and he conducted himself in an all-business manner.

She appreciated his commitment to his job since it involved the well-being of living, breathing individuals, but after a round of idle questioning, his good looks were losing their novelty. Her growing frustration pushes her into defensive mode.

"You already know everything. I've told you everything I can remember. If I knew anything more, believe me, I would tell you because I do want to find my sister."

"Yes, I understand that. This is just a formality when someone goes missing. We have to look at this from all angles. We cannot rule anything out."

Gabi frowns, not liking what it sounded like he was implying. He keeps telling her that he was 'just doing his job'. That may be true, but she hated that automated response from authoritative figures. It was so robotic and detached. Even if he didn't mean it that way, it came across as impersonal and it didn't fit in a situation as serious as this. Their lives weren't just another 'case'. But as time went on―about a half hour of the two of them going back and forth with each other―he softened.

For most of their exchange, Winona was silent, staring idly at a wooden crucifix on the wall with a blank expression. It was hard to tell whether she believed Detective Leander when he gave his best reassurances. Don steps back into the discussion to address a concern.

"I understand that this questioning is standard procedure, but shouldn't you be out there looking for my daughter?!"

Don starts to get upset himself. He regrets the harsh tone but doesn't apologize for it. He knows the police force are doing everything they can, but he hates the thought that they could be wasting precious time that could be spent out looking for Kemp.

He knows the statistics on missing persons. Kids gone for a week have half as good a chance of being found alive. In each passing day her odds of survival decrease, especially in this awful weather. Each day is another day without shelter, without a drink of water or medical attention. Without her inhaler! Oh God, her asthma.

"We are looking Mr. Berzin, don't worry," the detective says before turning his words towards Gabi. "It's just that a search in the general area you mentioned you last saw your sister yielded no results. We may have to expand the search."

"May?"

Winona speaks up and they can actually see in her for the first time, the complete realization that her daughter is missing. She is feeling extremely emotional and overwhelmed by this point. Mike picks up the cue, instinctively pulls from his jacket tissues he always keeps on hand and holds them out for her to grab. She dabs at the corners of her eyes with it as Mike softens his earlier choice of words.

"Are going to expand the search, ma'am. We are going to organize a search party today and are asking for the public's help. We are also going to go back in and scour the area with an excess of K-9, including my two dogs who have always found every missing person in my county."

While it should be comforting to hear they had a perfect track record, it didn't seem to make Winona relax. She's worried Kemp might be the one exception, the one who got away and tarnished that reputation. Mike notices Winona regressing into her own thoughts and allows her to have a moment while he shifts his attention back to Gabi.

"It would be very helpful if you could participate, Miss Berzin."

"I don't know if I can go back―"

"Of course you're going," Winona surprises them when she interrupts her daughter. "Why on earth shouldn't you go? We'll all go."

"Are you sure?" Don asks, concerned she may not have the physical or emotional energy for it given her restless nights. Only when she was completely exhausted, did she manage to get some sleep after her body demanded it. "I think you should stay here and get some rest. You've barely slept and it's storming out. Your immune system is down. We don't want you getting sick on top of everything. I'll go with Gabs. She'll be safe with me."

"No, I'm fine. I'm going."

"Mrs. Berzin, your husband's right," Mike interjects. The pair of parents stiffen in unison at the title. An undetectable wince to most, Mike picks up on it from observing their dynamic earlier. "I assure you, we will have a large force looking for your daughter with every resource we have. You should consider staying here in the event Kemp returns on her own. That girl is going to need you when she comes home."

"It's been four days, Detective," she replies with a sullen look on her face. "I've been waiting right here in the living room, praying she'll walk through any moment, jumping to the front door at every sound and it's never her. I don't believe she's just going to come home on her own. She needs us to find her and bring her home. I'm bringing her home."

It was hard to argue with a grieving mother.

The end of the school day came and went without any major incidences. The boys made plans to meet later at the Colony House to discuss the elephant in the room. They'd all felt the initial surge of power that night/morning after the party. Caleb and Pogue assumed it was one of the others, since Reid and Tyler had visibly been at odds and later confirmed they both used after their dispute.

But it didn't sit right with the two younger boys because they had felt it too. They typically weren't able to feel use within their coven until they'd ascended and neither of them had yet. Caleb and Pogue should have been the only ones able to feel it, if it was their power they'd felt, that is. Though they still weren't talking directly to each other, Reid and Tyler individually brought their concerns to the other two.

And now an innocent girl may be involved. It was too coincidental to ignore. It may very well have been a perfect storm of totally unrelated unfortunate events, and that was what they were hoping for, but it wasn't something they could afford to play around with if the last time taught them anything. They would reconvene and reasses today.

Caleb's everyone's ride, except Tyler. Pogue and Reid trail behind their elder who's pretending to listen to their inane discussion about the video games they just completed and the ones they'd pre-ordered. They're heading over to the Mustang when Kate bumps into them. The four of them huddle into the doorway to the back steps of the student parking lot. It's an awkward place to stop as they end up blocking students who are trying to make a break for their cars.

What are the odds, Reid thinks sarcastically. He badly wishes he could mind-talk to Pogue right now to remind him they have more important things to do before they allow Kate to talk their ears off. Caleb would have his head if he tried to use there and a text would be just as obvious. So he nudges Pogue instead but just gets shrugged off even though he knows he gets the message.

Kate smiles and doesn't comment on that. If she caught their interaction, she brushed it off. Instead, she says, "I've been meaning to tell you guys, I saw Gabi before third period. I guess she was back in school, but she was leaving again when Sarah and I bumped into her. She looked pretty upset."

Kate is genuinely concerned, but she can't supress the bigger part of her that has a propensity for gossip. If it wasn't such a serious situation, it would be quite the exciting scandal given the way things went down between Tyler and Gabi.

Caleb immediately sympathizes and gives a warm smile to acknowledge that he's heard the upsetting news regarding Tyler's ex-girlfriend's sister. Pogue goes to say something understanding towards Gabi, though she's not present, but is cut off by his younger brother.

"She's young and resilient, she'll get over it."

Kate's head quickly turns to the blond, looking like she's ready to jump at him and take him by surprise. He could be such an insensitive prick sometimes. And he always seemed completely unbothered as well as unapologetic by the rudeness that often came out of his mouth.

"I'm not talking about Tyler. I'm talking about Kemp," she clarifies in case he was just clueless.

"Who says I wasn't?" he responds.

Not clueless, just a genuine prick...

"Wow, you're a horrible person," says Kate, astounded that he could be so uncaring towards a fellow human being in distress.

None of them were fans of anyone who ran in Aaron's inner circle, and that included Kemp, but she would never wish anything bad on her. She'd heard from Gabi that Kemp could often be bitchy and stuck-up, and she believed it if she could get along with a girl like Kira Snider, but she'd never had a negative experience with the girl personally. Unlike Kira, Kemp had never been particularly mean-spirited or directly nasty towards her. She was hardly a friend of hers, but she wasn't exactly a foe either.

"Do you think she's...?" Pogue trails off after a few moments of awkward silence.

Reid makes things uncomfortable once again when he answers, "dead?".

"I was going to say okay. Way to jump to the negative," says Pogue.

Caleb agrees. "Yeah, really, Reid. Just don't go near Gabi at all, okay? God knows you aren't the most comforting person to have around."

"Not a problem."

"We actually need to get going," Caleb tells Kate, taking back the reins of the conversation. "We have a family thing to take care of. Shouldn't take too long."

"Not a good or happy thing but necessary thing," Reid adds.

The boys eye each other as if to send signals telepathically. Caleb gives Reid a look that says don't add. Pogue sends Caleb a look he hopes sends the message that they are going to have words later. The couple exchange goodbyes and 'I love yous', making plans to meet later for dinner at a new Italian restaurant Kate had been wanting to try. The rest wave their hands at each other in parting before the boys excuse themselves to meet up with Baby Boy before he had a conniption about their lateness.

No surprise, he's waiting for them as usual. Already had the vault door to the cellar unlocked and the candles lit ceremoniously. Not that he expected any less. Tyler was always the first to show up and the last to leave, unless somebody else with him caused a delay. He could not for the life of him understand how it was such a difficult concept for others to grasp. Punctuality was important to him and he preferred to turn up early for things, despite the fact that he never wore a watch. He didn't need to. His inner clock was always right on schedule.

The rest of his brothers would be arriving together, so the chaos of their three overlapping personalities would more than likely add some unnecessary, additional travel time. Caleb wasn't usually the problem. He was almost as anal about punctuality as he was. It was the other two that were with him.

Tyler looks around the room for the third time, eyeing the rows upon rows of old books as he thinks, they better hurry their asses up. I'm not going to hang around here all day waiting for them.

He tries to warm and dry himself up by the ring of fire that burns brightly, circling the Book of Damnation―opened to the last page they'd left off on―because the sheer exercise of his own brains was not enough after he'd gotten caught in the rain on his way over.

His ears perk up at the sound of a hushed argument and deadened footsteps which alert him of their arrival. He can't quite make out their muted words enough to understand, but they were obviously male and they were obviously theirs. Finally.

Upstairs, the other three bicker about what they should do if Chase really had returned for revenge. Each of them firmly believe their strategy has the best chance of success. Yet none of them can agree on how to handle the situation since their last plan barely worked at all.

"Guys, it's neither here nor there. We don't even know if he's back for sure. So let's just take it one step at a time for now, alright? We can have this discussion later if we need to," says Caleb, satisfied enough with their nods.

Together they descend the stone spiral staircase, keeping close to the wall. Their long shadows precede them, creeping towards Tyler in an almost foreboding way, dense and dark like spectral vapors.

After the steep decline, the stairs level out at the bottom and they're finally all in the same room together. The boys take turns greeting Tyler, including Reid, though it was rudely brief. None of them want to embrace him because he resembles a wet, black kitten and looks just as pissed. Reid makes sure to verbalize the analogy, which doesn't help Tyler's mood but amuses the other two.

"What happened to you, Percy Jackson?" Pogue laughs.

Tyler doesn't bother to hide the annoyance on his features, answering, "my umbrella broke because the wind wouldn't stop blowing it inside out."

"Why didn't you just fix it?" asks Reid, speaking directly to Tyler as if they hadn't been icing each other out all week.

Caleb gives the blond a stern look that crosses into annoyance. He's not an idiot. He knows exactly what Reid means by 'fix' and it bothers him how casually he suggests to use.

"I thought we weren't using right now," Tyler replies with a light upward inflection that seems to indicate a half-question mark at the end.

"We aren't," Caleb rolls his eyes. The attention of the room shifts towards his direction which he takes as his cue to take command. "Alright guys, listen. This should go without saying, but I guess I have to say it again. Nobody use. And I mean not at all."

There's a pause in all speech as they each take a seat around the circle to settle in for the upcoming discussion. Caleb continues and makes eye contact specifically with Reid who sure enough scowls at the implication.

"This isn't about addiction or exposure right now, so quit giving me death glares. This is about a possible threat and we need to be able to clearly identify if somebody else besides one of us is using. We can't be wondering if it's coming from within our circle or not."

Caleb may not always be right, despite what he says to the contrary, but in this instance there was validity in his statement that was difficult to oppose. Reid's natural instinct is to immediately start looking for reasons to disagree with Caleb. Maybe it's the rebellious streak he seemed to be born with or the fact that he couldn't stand being under his bossy brother's thumb, but he had to admit he was right.

"So we're on the same page?"

Caleb looks around the room for confirmation that his speech had its desired effect. Reid nods while Tyler and Pogue verbalize their agreement. It was unanimous.

"So what about Kemp's disappearance? Think it's related?" asks Tyler.

Caleb runs his hand over his face, taking a deep breath, "I honestly don't know. I don't even know which thread to follow. But the timing is just too coincidental to rule out that possibility. We have to keep this on our radar. Maybe see if Gabi's willing to talk to you, see how she's doing and find out if she saw anyone that night."

Reid jumps in, offering his theory. "Or this thing with Kemp could be a red herring we're wasting our time on. Not to be a dick, but what would Chase want with her? There's nothing special about the girl and she has no connection to us other than her sister used to bone Baby Boy." Tyler frowns at the end. Reid continues, "following his MO last time, Gabi should be the target."

"Reid has a point," Pogue agrees. The new subject matter reminds him of what he's been meaning to address with Caleb. "Just about that last part though. Chase went after people we care about."

Reid snickers out loud at this. Pogue basically said none of them cared about the missing girl, yet nobody calls him a dick for it.

"Yes, that was true last time, but we can't kn―"

Pogue abruptly cuts Caleb off mid-sentence. "Chase has a history of going after those closest to us. He went after both our girlfriends to get to us. What makes you think he won't do it again?! Go after Kate again?!"

"If he's back we'll have to keep a closer eye on the girls. All of them. But there's no reason to expose ourselves to anybody who might be on his hit-list."

"Caleb, I'm not letting Kate be a sitting duck again," Pogue shakes his head like he's rebuking the thought away. His mind is made up and there's no room for any negotiating. He won't be swayed by anything Caleb says if it's contrary to what he's decided. "Believe me, I'm not being reckless. I've spent a lot of time thinking about this. If it means keeping her out of danger, I'm not keeping her in the dark this time. That's it."

Caleb tries reeling him back in a little, reminding him that if Kate reacts negatively, not only could she expose them, but they wouldn't be able to protect her if she didn't want them near her. Even Tyler tries interjecting a few times but is ignored completely. Pogue isn't having any of it. He doesn't believe that Kate would ever cast him out like an undesirable, a leper. They'd been through too much for her to turn her back on him completely. He's actually a bit peeved that Caleb expects the worse from her.

"Do you understand how it feels to lie to your girlfriend's face?! No, you don't! Because you've never lied to Sarah. You spilled your guts about the Covenant, about us," he motions to Reid and Tyler though he honestly forgot they were in the room for a few moments. "And our families before you even knew her for a month! Yet I'm supposed to continuously keep secrets from my girlfriend of two years?! How is that fair?!"

"It's not about being fair, Pogue. I didn't tell Sarah because of some moral dilemma. I had no choice. And I don't know if you've noticed, but Sarah broke up with me because she was so freaked she couldn't handle it."

Reid and Tyler quickly realize they became the third wheel in a two-person argument like children caught in the middle of a bad divorce. Is this what it looks like when they fight? It's awful.

Tyler speaks directly to the blond for the first time all week. "Want a ride?"

Reid nods and goes to stand. "Yes please."

When they get deep enough into the woods, they unleash the dogs. One of them picks up a trail. Suddenly he stops, sniffs the ground, and heads in a new direction. The other follows suit. Leander loses sight of the dogs and tracks the GPS device on their collars.

When he catches up to Scully and Mulder, his two German Shepherds, they're sniffing a dead deer carcass in a state of decomposition. He normally wouldn't stop them if they decided to eat its remains, but they have to move on. The detective gently nudges them out of the way with his foot. What he notices upon closer examination are the burn marks marring the doe's skin. These burns had passed through the outer layer of fur, the epidermis completely and deep into the dermal layer.

"What the hell..."

Burn marks on fauna weren't unheard of. The typical explanation suggests the animal may have been trying to escape a brush fire. But that was implausible here. It was highly unlikely a fire would have started in such wet conditions. Flooding was more probable.

"Holy shit," comes a voice from behind. It belongs to one of the officers he works with, Wesley, a tall, gangly man who gets excited when he talks about conspiracy theories. "This is a good one for you to put in your file."

"Yeah," Leander responds, not fully paying attention to his co-worker as he examines the scorched flesh.

He takes a few steps back, reaches behind him and pulls out a phone, snapping a few photos for his own documentation. He could revisit that at a later time.

Up ahead the dogs continue their work. Two more trails they pick up guide Leander to more charred wildlife. One's a squirrel with full cheeks like it'd been in the middle of dinner. The other, a pigeon that bizarrely looks like it fell out of the sky that way. With so much death in the area, Leander starts to think he might be recovering rather than rescuing. As in, a body.

The case becomes more frustrating by the minute. The frustration he feels is not an emotion he will allow Kemp's parents to see. He has to appear outwardly put-together at all times, and inspire confidence in those around him in spite of the overwhelming thoughts in his head. They don't need to know that he'd lose sleep that night.

"Ow! I keep getting stuck by branches."

Leander turns his head towards the voice. A young man with curly brown hair peeking through the hood of a windbreaker rubs his cheek with one hand while the other fights off the brush that caught him. His three friends make fun of him rather than help. Typical teens. These are the kids he questioned earlier in school. Friends of Kemp. They were cooperative but not helpful in terms of useful information or new leads.

It's his job to observe, find crucial clues and read between the lines to connect the dots. So he discreetly listens in as they talk amongst themselves of the event, their theories and assumptions in relation to the disappearance. Most of it was nothing he hadn't already heard. Then they segued into irrelevant gossip about people they didn't like, guys that went to school with them. Typical teenaged bullshit.

Enough of this Laguna Beach drama, he thinks.

He picks up the pace to catch up with his dogs, leaving Aaron, Bordy, Ryan and Kira to their conversation.

It turned out to be a larger gathering than they anticipated. Winona, Kemp and Gabi were still relatively new in the area and didn't have that many friends, but their grocer, mailman and dentist were only a few who unexpectedly showed up with their families to offer their support. It was touching.

Winona stands in the rain―which finally starts to let up―surrounded by a tight group of supporters who shield her from the local media with umbrellas. Don accompanies her at the vigil and holds an unlit candle. As an English professor skilled with words, he speaks to a reporter on their family's behalf, hoping that a response people want to hear will persuade them to give a little more space.

"The overwhelming support of this community is astounding us. We are actively doing all we can to bring our daughter home safely and are incredibly grateful to everyone who has given freely of their time in assisting us with that. Tonight should be an occasion of hope, faith and love to strengthen resolve to find Kemp. We appreciate your understanding in this difficult time."

The immediate crowd lightly cheers in positive affirmation following his moving speech and proceed with simple dialogues between one another. Kemp's parents speak to a few neighbors and friends who approach them with sympathies and thank them again personally for coming.

Two conversations later, the lightning and thunder stop completely and the rain subsides enough to start the torchlight. It's like Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve when everyone has a candle and the flame spreads out from one central light, person by person, hand to hand. Some place theirs on the ground next to a photo of Kemp. The brightness of the flames reflecting across the wet, blacktop resembles light shining in darkness.

Winona is mesmerized for a moment by the beauty of light and love surrounding her until her younger daughter interrupts her thoughts with a definitive statement she didn't expect.

"Tyler wants to talk. I'm going for a drive with him and I'll be back right after."

"I'm sorry?" says Winona, taken aback.

Gabi's father overhears and tries reasoning with his stubborn teen, telling her, "now's not the best time for that" while gesturing to the candlelight vigil going on around them as if it weren't obvious.

Gabi persists, "I want her to come home too, but me being here or not isn't going to make a difference. Besides, I'm coming straight back. Call me if you hear anything."

With that last hurried piece, Gabi leaves without waiting to see if her parents agree. She's already disappeared within the crowd. Don and Winona exchange looks that say quite clearly, "is this girl serious?".

"Can you believe your daughter?" Winona asks in rhetoric. "How can she even think about boys when her sister's missing?"

Don frowns, "why is she always my daughter whenever she does something stupid?".

"Well I've only ever shown her sacrifice and devotion to others. I don't know where she gets this self-centeredness from but it certainly isn't from me."

Stress makes Winona's words come out harsher than she means them to be, though there really isn't a nice way to say that.

"Really?! Because lack of care for other people's opinions before making decisions sounds more like you," Don retorts, referring to their separation.

"Maybe if you'd shown her a better example of respect towards her mother, she wouldn't be as selfish," she says.

Don finally says what he's been thinking for the past few days, even though he knows it's going to hurt her. "Maybe if you hadn't moved them out to godforsaken nowhere, Kemp wouldn't be missing".

3 a.m. is the time at which ghosts, witches and demons are said to appear and be at their most powerful. Magic is said to be most used at this time. Ancient witchcraft masters used to perform spells, hexes and other rituals during this hour.

3 a.m. is the time Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler were jolted awake at the same time in a cold sweat. Woken by a feeling of sudden and great power.

3 a.m. is the time the Berzin household received a knock on the front door. When Don and Gabi were both asleep upstairs and Winona answered the door to the word, "mom?".

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review! And feel free to PM me if you have any questions.