The speed limit on the Interstate was 75 miles per hours but Lucas Scott wouldn't have given a damn if it read 7 or 175. He drove with the gas pedal pressed to the floor with the cool night air seeping in through the windows onto his passengers, Larry and Nathan. He glanced at the clock again for the hundredth time. It was a little after five in the morning. The sun would be rising soon and he could only pray that it would not be too late…

The three men quietly crept around to the back of the house. When they approached the door, all took a deep breath knowing the time had come. There was no turning back. It was what they had come for.

"Larry, where the hell did you get this thing?" Nathan nervously whispered.

Lucas had mentioned before the trouble of trying to open that door. He had been willing to use a putty knife or blowtorch as he had put it but Larry Sawyer had another idea altogether. It was a 35 pound, 32 inch Blackhawk Thunderbolt Monoshock, the kind used by the police officers on TV to bust down the bad guys' door.

"Let's just say I like to be prepared, son. Never know when you're going to need one of these bad boys."

"Are you going to do the honors or should I?" Lucas offered.

"If that son of a bitch has my little girl, I want my face to be the first thing they both see."

Nathan and Lucas nodded and stood back, whispering the three count Larry needed. On three, he ran with full force, ramming the object as hard as he could into the door. It popped open like a champagne cork as the three men converged.

"Peyton!" Larry screamed, flicking on the light.

The place was empty but it was obvious it hadn't been that way for long.

"Damn," Lucas muttered. "Looks like we just missed somebody."

They walked around as Nathan stopped dead in his tracks.

"Come here!"

The other two stopped what they were doing. Nathan had kneeled down and picked up a picture. It was of Peyton, seemingly strolling in downtown Tree Hill by the Market Street Docks. On the wall above, dozens of pieces of tape had been left behind, tape presumably holding up more pictures.

"I knew it!" Lucas grabbed it.

"It proves Derek is a psycho, it doesn't prove she was here, man," Nathan reminded his brother.

"But this does…" a lump formed in Larry's throat as he picked up the familiar bracelet he had given to his daughter years earlier. "Lucas…that, that night…think real hard, son. Did Peyt have this on her arm when you saw her when she came to say good bye?"

Lucas closed his eyes. He was back in his room. They were talking. Skills interrupted them on the phone. Then she said good bye. There was a lingering hug and Peyton looked around the room as it were her last time. A resigned smile spread across her face as she raised her arm to push a lock of hair behind her ear. The bracelet her father had given her, the bracelet that had brought her and Lucas together in a motel room a year and a half before, dangled from her arm and sparkled in the light.

"It was there. I, I remember. I saw it on her," he said with assurance.

"Peyton! Peyton!" Larry began frantically calling her name.

There wasn't much space to cover but the three made a thorough and desperate search for her. There was nothing.

"What if they come back?" Nathan asked.

Lucas shook his head. He had a feeling and his feelings hadn't failed him yet.

"They're gone," he answered quietly. "They're not coming back."

"Well, we're not just gonna give up," Larry declared. "Let's go to the cops. If this isn't evidence, I don't know what the hell is."

Not knowing what else to do, the others followed him. Lucas climbed back behind the wheel of his car, silent as they headed back to town. No one spoke but many thoughts raced through their minds. Lucas felt intense anger. The entire time she had been right there, right on the outskirts of Tree Hill, right under their noses. If he had just tried a little bit harder that night, he could have saved her. Now she was gone and he didn't know if he'd get the second chance.

Lucas let out a breath as his car came to a stop at the red light before the turn to the police station. Once again his hopes and fears and Peyton's fate would be left in the hands of police who so far had not taken her disappearance seriously. He was on edge, on the verge of losing it, proving it by jumping and screaming out loud when the shrill ring and vibration of his cell phone nearly scared him half to death. He looked down and it was an incoming text message from a number he didn't recognize. Reading it, he frowned, rubbing his tired eyes. Peyton, Knoxville, first exit, Family Inn, Derek. Lucas did a double take looking at it as he read it again. Scaring the hell out of Larry and Nathan, he quickly pulled over with an exaggerated screech, his fingers trembling as he dialed the number.

"Hello?"

"Who is this?"

"What?"

"My name is Lucas Scott and someone just sent me a text from this number."

"Yeah. Um, that was me."

"Who are you? Do you know Peyton Sawyer? Did you see her? How did you get my number? Where is she?"

"Slow down. Look, I was just using the bathroom at a gas station and this weird blonde girl paid me 20 bucks and begged me to send that text to your phone."

Lucas felt his heart drop as he shushed an anxious and confused, inquiring Larry and Nathan.

"This girl, what did she look like?"

"Tall, really thin, blonde hair that was kind of short. She looked tired but she was pretty. She had on a Led Zepplin tee shirt and Converse sneakers, I think."

Lucas's head rested against the back of the seat as he tried not to cry out.

"Did she say anything?"

"Not really. Just not to tell anybody what we talked about."

"Was she with anyone?"

"I'm not sure. There was this cute blonde haired guy that was asking about her. He was waiting outside the bathroom."

"Were you in Knoxville, Tennessee?"

"Yeah."

"Where is she now? Did you see where they went?"

"No. We pulled out first."

Lucas sighed.

"Thank you. I mean that. You have no idea what you've done but thank you."

He hung up, still clutching the cell at his chest.

"Dude, what the hell is going on?" Nathan asked.

"Peyton had someone text me. I, I think I know where she is."

"Spit it out!" Larry demanded. "Wherever she is, we need to get there. Now!"

"Damn right," Lucas agreed. "We're going to Tennessee."

With a tired mind, tired eyes and a tired soul, he pressed on. He had immediately begun his destination to Knoxville the moment Peyton's message was confirmed but it was still a near 7 hour drive. Would it be too late? He couldn't think of the what ifs anymore. Peyton used to say Lucas was always saving her. This would be his most important rescue mission yet. Feeling the determination rise up in him, he continued the white knuckle drive and within the hour, he came to the first exit for Knoxville.

"This is it!" he exclaimed as a wide eyed Nathan and Larry sat straight up.

He bore right and a mile or so down the road, he came to a Family Inn motel. With bated breath, he made the turn and they circled the parking lot. Lucas came to a complete stop and the three men looked at each other. There it was in plain sight…the light blue Chevrolet with North Carolina tags. The three got out and immediately headed to the front desk. Sitting behind the counter was a young, long haired guy wearing a Fall Out Boy tee shirt, smoking a cigarette and reading a comic book.

"Excuse me!" an impatient Larry bellowed after a few seconds of being ignored.

The clerk rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Can I help you?"

"What room are Derek Helm and Peyton Sawyer in?"

The guy thought for a minute.

"Sir, I'm not allowed to, to, um release that sort of information," he recited the privacy policy.

"Look, this is an emergency! My daughter is Peyton Sawyer. She's only 16 years old. I have reason to believe she is being held in this motel against her will. These are her two brothers, my sons and we are very upset. Now she's a minor. You have to tell us," he fibbed.

"Dude, I don't know what to tell you. I could lose my job. Rules are rules. If it's that important to you, call the cops. If they tell me to look it up, then I can. Until then, my hands are tied. Sorry."

Larry rolled his eyes and reached in his back pocket, pulling out his wallet and a crisp 100 dollar bill.

"Will this untie your hands?"

The clerk reached for it with a grin.

"Derek what?"

"Derek Helm and or Peyton Sawyer."

He searched the records.

"Sorry, bro. No one here registered under that name. Maybe you got the wrong place."

"This is definitely the right place. The car is outside."

"What do they look like?"

"The guy is blonde. Tall, blue eyes," he pulled out a recent picture of Peyton, handing it over. "This is my girl. She might have been wearing a Led Zepplin tee shirt."

"Oh yeah. I remember them. They checked in last night."

"What room?"

He clicked a few keys on the computer.

"206 but you didn't hear it from me."

Before he could finish the last part, the three of them had already run off. Nathan slowed down only to answer his phone.

"Baby, it's me. Karen and I couldn't sleep. Where are you guys? Any luck?"

"No time to talk now, Hales," he panted. "I think we found Peyton."

"Oh my God! Nathan, that's great! Where are you? Where is she?"

"Family Inn motel in Knoxville, Tennessee."

"Tennessee? What? You're in Tennessee."

"I'll explain later. I don't have time to talk…"

"Where exactly are you? I'm calling the police."

"I don't know. Some motel called the Family Inn, I think. It's right off the first Knoxville exit from the 40."

"Nathan…"

"I'll call you back, Haley. I love you," he hung up as they approached the room.

"Peyton!" Lucas screamed, banging away on the door.

Inside, Derek sat straight up. He thought it was a nightmare but he knew it wasn't. Peyton was up as well.

"What the fuck is that shit?" he angrily growled at her.

"I, I don't know," she stammered.

"Liar! It's Lucas! You fucking tipped him off, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't. Derek, I swear."

"Shut up!" he slapped her hard against the side of the face. "I knew I should have never trusted you! Come on! Get up!"

He quickly slipped on boxers and jeans.

Peyton glanced at the door. Her plan had worked after all. She had made Derek trust her and he had. Peyton took full advantage. She developed a plan. And when he wasn't looking, she swiped a 20 dollar bill from the wadded up stash he was using to finance their trip. Her mother, Anna, had always told a young Peyton and Brooke to never leave home without at least a dollar in your pocket. You never knew when it might come in handy. And now 20 had quite possibly just saved Peyton's life. Freedom and her love were on the other side of that door. Lucas was always there to rescue her. He had never failed.

"Lucas!" she yelled as loud as she could.

Lucas, Larry and Nathan looked at each other.

"Baby!" Larry yelled as all three began kicking at it.

Peyton felt her heart drop as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Daddy!"

Losing it, an irate Derek reached in his bag by the bed and grabbed the .38 revolver, pointing it right at Peyton's head.

"Put your clothes on, come with me and don't say another word or I swear to God I'm just gonna start shooting and I don't care if the bullets hit you, your precious daddy or your little lover boy."

Whimpering, Peyton pulled on her jeans and tee shirt as the door that separated them was dangerously giving way. Derek grabbed her hand and pushed her out of the open window as they left via the fire escape. She ran just a few inches ahead, the gun now buried in her side. Back upstairs, the door crumbled under the force and pressure of six angry feet.

"Peyton! Peyton!" Lucas yelled.

"Look!" Nathan pointed to the window.

They quickly followed suit just in time to see Derek forcing Peyton inside his car. He cranked it and put it in reverse, cursing when he noticed Lucas had blocked him in. He gunned it with all his might, bumping the smaller car out of the way but at the same time, causing him to stall. Seizing the perfect opportunity, Nathan pulled off his shirt, wrapped it around his hand and put it through the passenger window, grabbing Peyton's shoulder, amidst the shattering glass. She screamed as Derek put the car in park and pulled her from the other side, causing a painful tug of war. With his left hand, he used the butt of the gun to strike Nathan on the side of his head, a powerful blow that knocked him off his feet. Seeing Lucas and Larry coming from the corner of his eye, Derek pushed Peyton out on the passenger side, running backwards with the gun pointed at her temple.

"Let her go, man," Lucas warned. "It's over, Derek."

"Back off!" he snorted. "It'll never be over!"

"Derek!"

"You had to ruin it, man! Peyton loves me, don't you, baby? We were about to start our new lives together and you three had to come and fuck it up!"

"Don't do anything stupid, son," Larry pleaded.

"Shut up! You, too!" he turned the gun on Larry, tightening his grip around Peyton's neck.

"No!" she cried. "Derek, stop it! Don't hurt them! Please!"

"Just let her go," Larry tried once more. "Come on, Derek before this gets out of hand anymore than it already is. You have the power to make this right."

"Everybody back up and shut up!" Derek fired a warning shot in the air.

The loud blast of the gun shook them all. Lucas looked at the terrified expression on Peyton's face. She was so afraid and vulnerable in his arms. God knows what had happened to her in those missing weeks. She had already been through so much, she was already in such pain and Lucas couldn't take another second. Running as fast as he could, he charged right at Derek, startling him and knocking Peyton down in the process. In the background, the sirens of police cars could be heard as they closed in on the parking lot. Lucas pulled back his right hand and let his fist crash into Derek's nose, bloodying it. The gun fell by the wayside as the two men struggled, blows flying back and forth. A concerned Larry ran for Peyton, pulling her and the still injured and shaken Nathan to safety.

"Lucas!" Peyton wailed as Derek grabbed the gun.

There was a struggle as hoards of policemen approached the scene, running on foot.

"Drop your weapon!" one of them commanded.

Derek's finger was dangerously close to the trigger as Lucas tried to push it away. The gun disappeared from sight between them as a single shot fired and one of them dropped to the ground. It was over but it wasn't supposed to end that way. Peyton shook her head. Not like that! Sinking to her knees, she let out a blood curling scream.