CHAPTER 62
The sun was rising over the horizon, painting the sky in soft tones, as Elizabeth hurried to accompany Alien and Little Jack to school. Her husband had been called away to help on a farm, leaving her alone to deal with the morning rush.
On arriving at Abigail's café, Elizabeth realized that she had forgotten the children's snacks. In a hurry, she asked Alien to take Little Jack to school while she went back to get the snacks.
However, when she returned, she found no trace of Alien or Little Jack. Elizabeth's heart raced with anxiety as she realized that something was wrong. As she crossed the road, she called out their names, but the silence was enormous. Her eyes were attentive; she didn't spot the familiar pair.
The only clue left behind was the Mountie soldier that Little Jack always carried with him and never let go of for anything, and that was an announcement that something serious was happening.
Elizabeth grabbed him, feeling a shiver of apprehension. "Where would your children be?" A sense of desperation began to set in as she ran through the streets, asking everyone if they had seen Alien and Little Jack.
Word began to spread, casting a shadow of worry over those arriving at school.
Desperation drove Elizabeth into town, where she found Judge Bill Avery. Between sobs, she recounted the disappearance of Alien and Little Jack, and a serious look settled on the judge's face. He understood the urgency of the situation and immediately called Hickman.
Hickman, go to the farm and find Mountie Nathan. He needs to know this, the judge ordered, urgency marking every word.
Hickman ran and grabbed his horse and rode as fast as he could to meet Nathan.
Meanwhile, Bill summoned men from the town. Horses were prepared, guns loaded. The news of the disappearance spread like a trail of gunpowder, uniting the community in an urgent and determined search.
Abigail stayed by Elizabeth's side, trying to comfort and calm her crying. Between tears, Elizabeth thanked her for her presence and support. Abigail looked at Bill, both she and her husband knew the seriousness of a disappearance, especially if they were children. Alien may have been a teenager, but they were and always would be children, just like many in Hope Valle.
A few kilometers away, Hickman had just arrived at the Smiles' farm, met Mountie Nathan and told him the terrible news. Nathan's normally firm face crumbled in anguish. They mounted their horses and rode quickly back to Hope Valle. Nathan needed to get there, to look for his children, at that moment his greatest fears were triggered.
When Nathan and Hickman arrived, the whole town was on the move. Carson was already on the wagon with his first aid equipment. Men on horseback, led by Bill Avery, set off in various directions. Hope and fear coexisted as the search began, each hoofbeat echoing like an urgent call for resolution.
The sharp morning wind whispered through the leaves as the search continued...
Even before Nathan dismounted, his experienced eyes caught sight of a figure running desperately, a figure that made him hold his breath.
As he got off his horse, bracing himself for the imminent emotional impact, Nathan saw his wife Elizabeth running towards him. The despair painted on her face was palpable, and before she could even speak, he wrapped his arms around her and felt her sobbing.
- Nathan, I've lost our children! I should have protected them, I shouldn't have let them go out alone! Elizabeth burst into tears, her body trembling under the agony of guilt.
Nathan held her tightly, trying to convey strength even when his own heart was fragmented.
- Elizabeth, it's not your fault. We will find them. Together... Nothing will separate us from our children.
Despair and sadness danced in that embrace as the couple faced the emotional storm raging around them. Elizabeth continued to ask for forgiveness, the pain of losing her children cutting her deeply. Nathan, with a firm voice and eyes full of determination, repeated promises of hope and perseverance.
In the twilight of uncertainty, Nathan and Elizabeth supported each other, he couldn't and wouldn't be able to convince his wife to stay in the café while he went on the search, and so there she was, riding sergeant at his side. "If the whole thing wasn't so tragic, Nathan knew he'd laugh a lot at the way she faced him with her hands on his hips, saying, 'I want to see who's going to stop me from looking for my children...'"
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- So, Robert and Cody, that's how it all happened