Nathan put his head in his hands for one moment; he needed one moment to collect himself after hanging up the phone from Gabe. Breathing deeply, he sat until he felt calm. Holding his hands out in front of him, he was pleased to see they were steady and not reflective of his inner turmoil.
Standing up, Nathan rushed out of the Mountie office toward the livery, snagging his hat as he exited through the door. He knew there wouldn't be any sign of Booth at the cafe; he had lured Quinn away from it very cleverly. They had been watched, their pattern the same every day; how could he have been so complacent, so caught up in enjoying the time with Quinn, that he had failed to be cautious. This was all his fault, and he would never forgive himself; Quinn was in danger because of him. His heart ached at the thought of Quinn being taken by Booth, of her being afraid, being hurt.
Entering the livery, he looked around, quickly assessing the room to see if there was any sign of what had occurred. Nathan immediately noticed Misty Dawn's empty stall; he assumed she would be gone; what he hadn't expected was for Newton to be gone. Nathan had hoped to start after them immediately but wasn't sure what to do now.
He hurried over to Newton's stall, looking for clues, anything that may have been left behind, something out of place. There was nothing. Entering Misty Dawn's stall, he checked it too. Quinn was meticulous with Misty's stall, so anything out of place would be noticeable. Once again, there was nothing. Newton's saddle was gone, but Booth could have saddled him to confuse Nathan. What had happened between Booth and Quinn occurred outside the livery; there were no clues inside.
Hearing a noise, Nathan spun around and was surprised to see Lucas and Elizabeth running into the livery. "What are you two doing here?" he demanded.
Lucas said, "I was at the cafe seeing if they had enough food for lunch because the Saloon was closed, and Sarah mentioned you seemed concerned about a message sent to Quinn. Sarah didn't understand what it meant, but I thought you should know I was up early this morning and saw Andrew Booth leaving the Saloon; he was heading this way."
Nathan shook his head angrily; he couldn't believe he had been so stupid, "Do you know if he had a horse? Newton is missing, and I am trying to determine if he took him or set him loose?"
"I can't answer that, Nathan. I am sorry, it never came up," Lucas admitted. He could see Nathan's distress and sense his urgency, "how will you go after him, Nathan? Can I drive you somewhere?" he offered.
"Thank you but if they left on horseback, it will be easier to go after them the same way, although, if you could drive around town and then explore the roads out of town, I would appreciate it," Nathan said, looking around the livery for options for a horse.
"Take Sergeant," Elizabeth offered, as she saw his eyes roaming over the horses, "he is Mountie trained."
Sighing in relief at such a quick solution, Nathan nodded toward her, "Thank you, Elizabeth." Nathan didn't want to waste a second thinking about the motives for why they were offering to help him; he didn't care; all he wanted was to start after Quinn.
"Lucas, Constable Kinslow from Brookfield is heading this way. I spoke to him earlier and is he aware of the situation. Can you look out for him? Can you tell him I am heading North initially to see what I can find?" Nathan spoke firmly, back in control now that he could act on his plan. "There are too many tracks this close to the livery to know which way they went. If I find nothing, I will double back and head Eastward. Can you remember that?
Lucas nodded, "of course, is there anything else I can do?"
Nathan said, "Call Bill in Oakville; you can contact him via the Mountie office or Telegram, tell him Andrew Booth has Quinn." Nathan's gut clenched as he said the words. Nathan walked to Sergeant, where Elizabeth had finished saddling him. "Thank you, I will return him safely to you," Nathan promised. "If I am not back in time, please ask Allie to stay with Opal, but please don't tell her anymore," he requested before mounting and riding away.
Lucas and Elizabeth stood together, watching Nathan leave. "Oh Lucas, I feel this is all my fault," Elizabeth exclaimed, tears filling her eyes.
Lucas looked at her, his face expressionless, "If it is, it is too late to change it, and there is no point in wallowing in self-pity. What you can do, Elizabeth is ask yourself why you acted the way you did. I am interested to hear what you find out." Lucas turned away from her, heading back to the Saloon.
Elizabeth knew there needed to be a difficult conversation between them, and it would be better if it happened sooner rather than later. The problem was that she wasn't sure what she would say or the outcome she wanted.
Nathan rode out of town, heading North, taking time to talk to Sergeant, connecting with the horse while looking for clues left behind by Booth or Quinn. Talking to Sergeant helped settle him; talking aloud about what he saw helped him process it.
Nathan knew Quinn would do everything in her power to leave him a clue, something to indicate which way they were going. Nathan wondered what Quinn may have on her person that she could leave behind to show their path. Maybe some food; she kept some in her pocket on their rides so they wouldn't need to dismount or access the saddlebags as they were riding. He and Quinn had talked about tracking on their rides; he hoped she could remember some of what they discussed.
"Stop looking around, no one is coming, and if they do, we will be long gone." Andrew Booth snarled at her, not for the first time. He was frustrated with Quinn Standing; she had refused to talk. The woman had said nothing from the moment he had pointed his gun at her as she exited the livery, not a word as he tied her to the railing. He saddled the Mountie's horse, leaving his own behind, hoping no one would think to check what horse he had ridden into town on and that it was still there; he wanted to confuse them. He had expected her to ask questions, to ask why, nothing. He couldn't understand it. Also, she didn't seem as frightened as he hoped; she constantly looked over her shoulder as though expecting someone to be there, her Mountie, no doubt.
Quinn was frustrated with herself; how could she have been so stupid to think Nathan would ask her to walk to the livery alone. He had collected her every morning, he had escorted her everywhere so that she wouldn't be at risk, and she had just accepted the change of plan without question. She had been missing him, that was no excuse, but it did contribute to her eagerness to forget everything and be with him.
Quinn wondered at Andrew Booth's motives for taking her, she knew he was frustrated with her lack of response, it had taken everything she had not to respond, not to show her fear. The days spent in the courtroom making sure her face didn't convey any emotions had helped her. While her heart was racing and her stomach swirled with nerves, she kept her face bland.
Quinn watched Andrew Booth; he was jumpy and agitated; she knew there was a limit to how far she could push him without him erupting, but if he couldn't get the information he wanted, it dragged this out and gave Nathan a chance to find her. Quinn knew Nathan would be looking for her, that he wouldn't stop until he found her; what she needed to do was help him do that. Quinn wished she could drop some clues, she had food and other items in her pockets he would know were hers, a hair clip, and a ribbon he had seen her wear. Andrew Booth had tied her hands together and then tied them to the saddle; she had no way of reaching her pockets.
Quinn watched Booth from the corner of her eye; she thought he was looking for something, maybe a turn-off. If they got off this trail without her being able to leave a clue for Nathan, finding them would be so much harder. Think Quinn, what would Nathan look for? Quinn thought back over the last couple of days, they had discussed tracking as they rode, not in detail, but she needed to remember what Nathan had said.
Booth stopped and looked around; Quinn watched him, careful not to draw attention to herself; she needed to leave something Nathan would notice, something out of the ordinary, to let him know they had been there. Misty could help her, she thought! Quinn subtly nudged Misty with her knees, causing the horse to shift around on the spot, leaving hoofprints in an unusual pattern for a horse riding along a trail. She hoped Misty creating strange patterns in the dirt would catch Nathan's attention.
Booth turned to look at Quinn and her horse; they fidgeted around, breaking his concentration. "What's wrong with you?" he demanded, his voice harsh, "Keep that horse still before I have to." Booth lunged his horse toward them, forcing Quinn and Misty to back up into the trees.
Quinn refused to respond, hiding a smile of triumph as the branches pressed against Misty's rump; hopefully, backing into the brush would break or snap some of the leaves and branches. Nathan was the best tracker in Canada, she thought, remembering the banter between Gabe and Bill on the train ride to Hope Valley; surely, he would notice the smallest detail. It seemed strange to her that she hadn't always known Nathan; that even then she hadn't sensed what he would come to mean to her. Quinn exhaled quietly; she couldn't think of Nathan or Allie; she needed to focus on here and now, what she could do to leave behind clues, and how she could save herself if needed.
Gabe Kinslow rode Apollo fast; he needed to get to Hope Valley and Nathan quickly. He was worried about Quinn after what he had heard from Joshua Fielding but equally concerned for his friend, knowing how he felt about Quinn. Nathan would be blaming himself; he would be frantic to find Quinn, and if she was hurt, or worse, ...Gabe wouldn't think about that right now.
Gabe looked behind him to where Joshua Fielding rode, wondering if it was the right thing to do to bring him along. Thinking back to what he had learned from Joshua and the information he had relayed to Nathan, he thought he had done the right thing; they would need someone to speak against Andrew Booth. Booth was a dangerous man, driven by greed and hatred. He wanted revenge and was using Quinn to get it; he didn't care about who got hurt, only who got in his way. Gabe worried about what would happen to Quinn if she didn't give Booth what he wanted. He also worried about what would happen if she did; Booth left no witnesses behind; that was evident given his involvement with Quinn's father's death.
Joshua Fielding had come to Gabe in Brookfield; he needed to tell someone what he had found out and warn Quinn. Joseph told him the story of finding out what his mother had done, how he would never forget the night he had found out about Andrew Booth. Joshua had been away on business and arrived home unexpectedly one evening. Riding into the barn, he saw his mother there with a stranger, yet someone who couldn't be a stranger given how similar they looked. He took one look at his mother's terrified face and knew this was what she had been hiding.
Joshua Fielding rode with Gabe, thinking about how they had gotten to this point. He had known there was something wrong with his mother, and when he thought back, he realised it had started before Harold Standing died; she had been secretive and moody in the weeks beforehand. He had been too busy to notice it at the time and then thought her behaviour resulted from her grief at the loss of her dear friend. When his mother turned on Quinn, accusing her of murdering Harold, he knew something was deeply wrong with her. Joshua started looking for reasons to explain her behaviour, starting with his father's business, wondering if that was the cause. Besides the deal with the Thatchers and the offer to buy Harold Standing's firm, there was nothing he could find that related to Quinn. His father's business was performing better than ever, so it wasn't money worries. Nothing he investigated could explain it; he had almost run out of ideas until the night in the barn.
The stranger had run when he saw Joshua, pushing Mary Fielding roughly to the ground in his haste to get away. Joshua had helped his mother into the house and demanded answers. What she told him shocked him to his core; he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Joshua headed for Brookfield and Gabe to tell him what he knew. Gabe had hesitated when Joshua said he wanted to accompany him to Hope Valley but relented, and they left together, hurrying to stop Andrew Booth before he could hurt Quinn.
Joshua knew his family had already hurt Quinn badly. He had been so confused by his mother's accusations, but there had been no reason to doubt her; he believed she loved Quinn and would never falsely accuse her of a crime she didn't commit. He trusted his mother was telling the truth, so he hadn't stopped her.
He attended the courthouse every day, trying to connect with Quinn, willing her to look at him so she could see he supported her, but she never once looked at him. Joshua was ashamed of how easily he went along with his mother against Quinn. He should have known she hadn't hurt her father, couldn't have hurt her father, but he was blinded by his devotion to his mother. Joshua doubted Quinn would forgive him, but he needed to apologise to her, tell her how sorry he was, and tell her how he felt about her.
Joshua was in love with Quinn Standing but hadn't realised it until she was gone from his life, and when he found out she was in danger, he knew he had to go to her. Joshua wanted the chance to tell Quinn how he felt about her; he hoped she could forgive him when she found out the truth of what happened.
Nathan was frantic; there was no sign of them on the northern road, nothing to indicate two horses had ridden out recently. There had to be something to show they had been there if they had come this way. He knew he would have to make a call; he would have to decide whether to turn around or keep going, and he would have to make it soon. If they hadn't headed this way, they had more of a head start in the other direction, allowing Booth to take Quinn further away from him.
Reigning in Sergeant, he stopped and looked around. "What do you think, boy?" he asked the horse, any sign of Newton or Misty Dawn?" he said, dismounting and looking around. Nathan couldn't see one sign from Quinn to alert him she had been there. He decided that they hadn't come this way; he would try another path before their trail got cold, and maybe Lucas had found something.
Nathan prayed for strength as he headed back to town, for Quinn to be safe and that he would reach her in time. He couldn't contemplate a world without Quinn in it with him and Allie, she was their future, and he needed to find her. He nudged Sergeant, urging him forward; time was running out to find his love.
Quinn stared at Andrew Booth's back, wondering what he would do next. She had been right before he was looking for a path off the main road; they had found it not long after she had Misty make strange markings in the road. As they turned off, she had ridden Misty towards the brush on one side of the path, hoping to leave behind more indication they had been there. Quinn had tried weaving Misty down the road, hoping strange tracks would be noticed, but unfortunately, Booth noticed, and the look he gave Misty was enough to stop Quinn; she didn't want him to hurt her horse.
She looked around at the trail they were on which wasn't familiar to her; this was the road leading out of Hope Valley, Eastwards, and Nathan rarely went this way on rounds because there were no residents out this way. She wondered how long it would be until Nathan found her; she trusted he would; there was no doubt in her mind he would come for her. She would wait for him and stall Andrew Booth, but she needed to know what he wanted with her first.
The time for silence was over; Quinn knew she needed to get Booth talking, to find out what he wanted from her. She could have asked before they had left town, but she had sensed it didn't matter; Booth had been determined to get her away from Hope Valley for whatever he had planned.
"Don't you think it's time you told me what you want from me and where we are going?" Quinn asked, working on keeping her tone unconcerned and maintaining her neutral facial expression. Maintaining her facade of indifference was hard when she saw him jump at her questions; she had startled him, and it felt good.
Snarling at her, he said, "you don't need to know where we are going; it makes no difference to me getting what I want from you, and I will get it." his tone menacing.
"Well, can I at least know how and why Mary Fielding hid you away for so long?" Quinn asked. Quinn knew that Andrew Booth had to be Mary Fielding's son; he was too much like her and Joshua for him to be anything else. She suspected his anger was because of Mary Fielding's treatment of him. Quinn knew Andrew Booth was why Mary Fielding had accused her of killing her father, but not what his part had been. It might not be wise to antagonise him, but she wanted to rattle him, to evoke an honest response. "What's wrong with you that she didn't want people to know about you?"
"There is nothing wrong with me", he bellowed, "She didn't hide me away; she gave me away like I was nothing." Turning to face her, she saw his face twisted with rage, red with anger. "She gave me away," he said, thumping his chest, "but kept her precious Joshua."
Quinn looked at Andrew Booth and realised he wasn't just angry; he was consumed with rage. He was more unstable than she had believed. Quinn decided to stop provoking him and wait until an opportunity to escape presented itself. There may be more chance of escaping once they had reached their destination.