SANDOR

Sandor checked the app again, needing something to clear his mind. His little bird's brother had called twice more already, sounding more and more deflated each time. No news or update from either side other than they had skimmed through the buildings security cameras which showed that she'd left through the back door before entering a dark vehicle parked nearby.

But they already knew who she was with and the car's license plate hadn't been picked up by the camera. The security cameras for the surrounding areas were being scoured through, but that would take some time.

In need of a strong drink and unable to satisfy that need, Sandor's mood grew progressively darker by the minute. Knowing that he was only setting himself up for disappointment, he checked the app once more and nearly dropped his phone. The app had pinpointed a location about two and a half hours away. He blinked at the unexpected turnaround before placing his phone on the passenger seat. Intentional or unintentional it didn't matter. The little bird's phone was on and he had the location.

Sandor slammed down on the gas wondering if an abducted kid was a good enough reason to prevent issues with cops over speeding. The drive was long and the road still damp from the earlier downpour, so Sandor found himself traveling at a slower speed than he would have preferred. Frustration and worry warred with one another, each fighting to be the one that drove him insane.

What condition was she in? he wondered. If that fucker had harmed her…

He alerted her brother and uncle while stopped at a red light and their relief was palpable through the phone.

"We're on our way with the police," her brother told him.

As soon as the traffic light turned green, Sandor dropped the phone, his wheels burning against pavement as he took off into the night.

Hold on, little bird.

He'd always hated hospitals. He'd frequented them often when he was a child. His mother always seemed to have been in and out of one. And then after his face was burned, he had spent months in a hospital recovering. Twice in a matter of weeks he had been forced to return to one. First to visit his sister, and now for the little bird.

Sandor roamed the hall near the visitor's lounge unable to sit. He could barely recall the last few hours. Everything had passed like a blur. What he did remember was the most important thing. The little bird had been found and her uncle was in police custody.

Her uncle, Benjen, had been granted emergency custody and would be taking her back to his apartment once she was discharged from the hospital.

Sandor's hands balled into fists again at the thought of her lying in a hospital bed possibly injured. He had only caught a glimpse of her at the inn before the police had escorted him out. He looked up as her brother headed down the hall in his direction. "Is she awake?" Sandor barked.

"The doctors thought it best to allow her to sleep off her ordeal. She won't wake for a couple more hours," her brother informed him.

Sandor grunted.

"Uncle Benjen won't leave her room. He thinks this is his fault," the boy's voice was solemn and heavy. "But it's my fault. After I received Sansa's letter I understandably was in shock. I wanted to send her a flood of letters but decided against it and instead convinced Uncle Benjen to hire a detective to look back into the accident involving my family... and Petyr Baelish's activities and whereabouts during and after.

"Detective Tarth advised me that it was best not to send Sansa a return letter in case it was intercepted. It was very vital that Baelish was not tipped off about the investigation into the accident and his past. I kept all of this information from Sansa since he's been raising her for the last few years and I didn't want to overwhelm her and cause any further emotional damage...

"I should have told her. Maybe he wouldn't have been able to trick her into going with him..." The boy broke off and looked at him. The pain in his eyes reflecting the horror that the night's events had wrought. "The rape kit came back positive. It's my fault. My decision allowed him to hurt her."

The rage in Sandor was so great that he felt the overwhelming need to destroy something. To tear someone apart with his bare hands. Specifically that bastard Baelish. He turned and stormed toward the exit door. Needing to be alone. Needing to calm down. But the fury refused to settle, constricting his throat as he thought of the unlimited access the fuck had had to his little bird throughout the years.