Chapter 12- Research
Killian called David in a panic.
"Sheriff Nolan how may I help you?"
"Bloody Hell David!" Killian growled, "What took you so long to fucking answer?"
"I was booking someone Killian." The tone Killian's voice sent a shiver down David's spine. Something was up, "What's wrong?"
"I am on my way to the station and then we need to go to the town line south of town!"
Emma's location. "Killian slow down," David was doing his best to stay calm. "Tell me what happened."
Killian very quickly told David what happened, and a shiver of fear ran down his spine and his blood went cold. If something happened to his daughter, his oldest, his baby girl he would never forgive himself.
"I will meet you out in my cruiser Killian." David finally responded.
"Aye mate. See you in five minutes."
"Make it three." David hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket.
"Everything ok boss?" Graham asked as David emerged from his office.
"Fine, you are to man the office until I get back." David replied hastily. "I have something I need to check on."
"Yes sir." Graham put his head back down and continued his report.
David got out to his cruiser at the same time Killian pulled up. Without an exchange of words, both men got into the sheriff's cruiser and headed south, lights flashing.
"Ok lets go over this again." David began, "You were on the phone with Emma.."
"Aye."
"And tell me again when she stopped responding."
"There was a loud noise and she dropped her phone."
"How do you know?"
"Because I heard it hit the ground Dave. The next thing I heard from her end was a gun shot, her scream, and then silence."
Despite the attitude from Killian, David nodded and drove a little faster.
When they got to the town line, the sight was eerie to say the least. Emma's car was pulled over on the side of the road, her hazards still on. There were claw marks in the dirt, leading into the forest.
"I don't bloody like this…" Killian grumbled lowly.
"I know I don't either." David agreed, heading for the forest. " Stay close." Killian nodded.
The travel into the woods was not any more encouraging than the entrance by the road. The claw marks were deep, in the dirt, in the trunks of a few trees, and surround them by about a ten foot radius. The men walked quietly and carefully, being careful not to move the dirt too much, in case there was potential evidence. Killian was searching the ground when something caught his eye, a screen lighting up. It was Emma's phone.
"Dave!" Killian yelled.
David ran to where Killian was, seeing the phone. David handed Killian an evidence bag to collect the phone in. Both of them looked up and saw blood, and a long area of dirt that was flat, that looked like something was dragged.
"Bloody hell."
"I agree." David responded, surveying the plants with blood closer. "This isn't a lot of blood. So whoever was shot did lose much blood." He carefully picked a leaf off of the plant. "We will have this tested against my DNA, that way we will be able to tell if it is Emma's or not."
Killian nodded, but stared off in the direction of the trail where something was drug. Was she ok? Who was behind this? The thought of losing his Emma before he could tell her how he felt…
"Don't think like that Killian." David said, breaking his train of thought. It was like he could read his mind. "We will find her."
"Aye." Killian finally mustered, "And if I know anything about my Emma, is that she is a fighter."
David let out a small laugh, "That she is."
The men walked together, collecting a few more pieces of evidence that could be helpful, and then headed back to the cars. Killian surveyed her car, his heart urning for her already. Emma was the light that kept his hope alive, and he wouldn't stop until he found her. While looking at her car, he noticed something attached to the drivers side mirror.
A strand of bright red hair.
"Dave do you have another evidence bag?" Killian called out.
"Yeah I have one more."
"I found something."
David walked over to Killian, handing him the bag and a glove. Killian carefully pulled the hair from under the mirror and placed it in the bag.
"Is that hair red?" David asked examining the hair closer.
"Aye that's what it looks like."
"Oh shit."
Emma woke up on a cold stone floor. Her head was throbbing along with her wrists. She hands were bound, she could feel that much along with the gag that was in her mouth. Surveying her surroundings, she was somewhere dark and very cold. Looking up over her head she saw stalactites looming over her, catching what little light there was coming through the shadows.
Well I'm in a cave. Emma thought, although that wasn't very helpful since there were about ten caves in the north woods along Storybrooke.
She sat up carefully, trying to keep the blood rushing down from her head slowly, she didn't want to pass out again. Looking around she was in a deep cavern away from any close entrance where she could cry for help. Whoever did this knew what they were doing.
"Well hello dear, have a nice nap?"
Oh shit. Emma didn't even have to turn around to know who's voice that was.
Zelena.
"Zelena as in Walsh's bloody devil sister?!" Killian yelled.
There was a current meeting happening with everyone who was banding together to find Emma. David, Elsa, Liam, Mary Margret, Regina, Robin, Jefferson and Ruby all sat around Killian's kitchen table along with Graham on speaker phone, against Killian's wishes but he was the deputy and needed to stay informed.
"Devil sister is a good way to put it." David snorted taking a drink of his rum.
"The woman is unstable." Elsa interjected.
"Unstable how?" Killian asked. He wanted to know everything he could about this woman and her brother.
"I think when she was younger she was in and out of jail a lot." Mary Margret started. "She has a very crass attitude and this overly possessive protection of Walsh since he is younger than her."
"She would do anything to get him what he wants." Regina concluded.
"He wants Emma." Killian growled.
"Boss?" Grahams voice rang out.
"What is it Graham?" David replied.
"The results of the blood samples came back. One tested positive against the sample you provided, the other matched the hair sample."
"Ok Graham, thank you. Call us with anymore information."
"10-4 Sir."
As David hung up his phone, the room fell eerily silent. Everyone had heard what Graham had said. Zelena had been injured but so had Emma. How bad? Were her injuries life threatening? So many questions were swirling through everyone's minds.
"Whats our plan of action now?" Robin asked, breaking the silence.
"I'm not sure," David began. "The stakes are higher now, knowing Emma is injured. It could be very dangerous and…"
"I am going to stop you right there mate." Killian interjected. "I know where you are going with this, and as much as I appreciate your concern for my safety there will be no talking me out of this. Emma is my light, my love, and my Swan. I will not stop looking for her until I find her, alas I would rather look with you but if you refuse to let me I will continue on my own."
"KIllian are you really willing to go that far for her?" Mary Margret asked, crossing to him.
"Aye, I would go to the end of the world for her."
Mary Margret smiled and squeezed his arm as tears stung her eyes. She turned in the direction of her husband, giving him a knowing look.
"We're all here to find Emma, David." Robin commented. "We just want to bring her home."
"She's family." Regina and Ruby said in unison.
"We'll have your back Sheriff." Liam urged.
David sat back for a moment, surveying all the faces staring at him. "Well," he cleared his throat. "I seem to be outnumbered. Although I must say, I have never had a biker gang as backup before."
"No one better sir." Jefferson said with a smirk.
This set the plan in motion. Killian Liam, Jefferson and Robin were going to help David search around Storybrooke and the girls were going to stay in town with Graham and keep looking with the help of August and Will. This group of people came from all walks of life, good and bad, but were still a family through and through.
As everyone was leaving David and Mary Margret stayed behind, mostly to make sure Killian was ok, the love of his had gone missing and that couldn't be easy on anyone. As he reentered the house, Killian saw Mary Margret and David cleaning up from the meeting.
"Mary, Dave, Thank you. But that's really not necessary."
"Nonsense it's not a problem." Mary Margret insisted. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"Aye that would be lovely, thank you."
"Sit down son." David gestured to the chair next to him.
Killian nodded, and sat down next to David, who was shuffling cards.
"Rummy?" David asked.
Killian nodded, taking his tea from Mary Margret. "Thank you milady."
"It's no problem." She smiled joining them.
The trio played rummy for a while in silence as the radio lulled behind them. It was a family dynamic Killian never expected to have with the Nolan's, but he all the more grateful for it.
"How did you beat me three times?" David grunted with a befuddled expression.
"You forget mate, I was locked up." Mary Margret let out a laugh and David snorted. "Although I will say Dave, you are the only law enforcement personnel I would be ever ok with helping out."
"It was very brave of you to do so." Mary Margret interjected.
"It was the right thing to do milady." Killian sipped his tea, "Besides. She's worth it."
"You really have turned yourself around, haven't you?" David quipped.
"Aye mate, I've done my best." Killian took a breath. "The first time I lost Emma, it nearly destroyed me. I knew I had lost, and when I met Milah I tried to make the best of things. I knew Emma was with the bastard Walsh and I didn't want to disrupt her happiness. But when I ran into her when she came home, it all came flooding back. I have known since I was a lad of seventeen she was all I wanted. I refuse to lose her again."
David and Mary Margret smiled at each other.
"She loves you Killian." Mary Margret mused. "Trust me, we hear about it all the time."
Killian nodded and sipped his tea. He just hoped that he could hear the same from her and he wasn't too late.
Walsh and another man forcibly pulled Emma from the ground and placed her in a chair that was leaning against the cave wall. Instantly Emma started to feel around for a jagged edge, anything she could use to cut the ropes off of her wrist but it was no use; the wall was smooth. Emma raised her head slowly surveying the sight in front of her. Tall black leather boots that stopped at the knee, dark wash jeans, a black shirt with a black blazer over top, blazing red hair that curled down her back and piercing blue eyes, this was most definitely Zelena,
"Hello Emma." Zelena cooed in a condescending tone. Emma met her gaze but didn't say a word, keeping her chin up and her jaw tight. "Aw, why the silent treatment? I thought we were family." Emma still said nothing, doing her best not to be intimidated.
Zelena walked in circles around Emma's chair, like a vulture stalking its prey. She surveyed everything from Emma's hair all the way down to her boots, and it was driving Emma a little insane considering she hated being stared at and Zelena knew it.
"Well I suppose you're wondering why you're here." Zelena stopped in front of Emma once again.
"That would be a helpful bit of information." Emma quipped.
"Oh she does remember how to speak!"
Emma's face grew dangerously serious.
"Well, her is the deal my wayward sister in law," Zelena continued. "You left my and divorced my darling brother, and we cannot have that now can we?"
Why the hell not? Emma thought. What was this crazy bitch playing at?
"You see Emma, you chose to be apart of this family and once you choose to be apart of this family you don't get the option of leaving." A sinister smile crossed Zelena's face. "So here is what you are going to do, You are going to tell your family you have had a change of heart, you are going to come back to Boston, and you will never come back to Storybrooke again."
"Go to hell!" Emma spat.
"Oh no dear I wasn't finished, it's rude to interrupt." Zelena backhanded Emma across the face. The impact shocked Emma as she felt warm blood rush into her mouth from the right corner where she was struck. She spat the blood on Zelena's boot, locking eyes with her again. "You will pay for that" Zelena sneered looking down at her toe.
"Zelena," Walsh quipped. "Continue."
"Right, as I was saying, you will agree to these terms.."
"And if I don't?" Emma interrupted.
The sinister smile appeared once more, "Then we will dispose of that precious criminal of yours."
Killian. Anger flashed hot behind Emma's eyes, "You stay the fuck away from him!"
Zelena giggled maniacally, "For insurance purposes, I need to know where he is."
Emma lifted her chin defiantly, "Fuck you."
Zelena struck Emma again. "Tell me!"
"No!" Another stinging pain danced across Emma's cheek.
"Emma," Walsh knelt down in front of her, "I don't want you damaged anymore than you are. Tell us where he is."
Emma glared at Walsh, "Are you proud of yourself? Proud of this? Look at what you have become!"
"Emma tell me."
"No. You can go to hell."
CRACK! One final blow from Walsh was enough to knock Emma out of her chair. She could feel her eye starting to swell.
"Now dear," Zelena knelt down in front of her, "We are going to go for a little bit, and leave you to think about your decision." She left one final blow to Emma's gut and the three left the cave.
After the footsteps faded, Emma slowly used the wall to sit herself up. She braced her back against the wall and stood enough to be able to step through her arms so they were bound in front of her now, and not behind her. Emma lowered herself back down to the floor and sat with her head against the wall.
Thoughts started running through her head. Pain, regret, anger, sadness and fear. She didn't even recognize Walsh anymore, and if she would have known this is how her marriage was going to turn out she never would have married him, or gotten involved with him in the first place. Emma had only ever planned on getting married once, and if she was being honest with herself she wanted it to be to Killian. She took a deep breath and let the tears flow.
She just wanted to go home, and had a feeling she would never see Killian again.
The Rabbit Hole was quiet this evening, only a few regulars wandering in and out. Robin was wiping the bar down as the loud group entered. Walsh and his fellow goon came laughing loudly and Robin clenched his jaw, but kept a cool facade.
"Will, can you mind the bar for a moment mate?" Robin turned to Will, "I need to inventory the back."
Will nodded in response, watching Walsh and his friend very closely. As Robin excused himself, Will served the two strangers and they headed to the pool table right across from the store room where Robin could hear everything.
"Rack them up Walsh." the large goon said.
"Already on in."
The men were playing and talking quietly, but a piece of the conversation made Robin listen a little harder.
"So Walsh, is this girl really worth all of this?"
"She is the one I chose, and I ALWAYS get what I want."
"Right, I get that man but she's never going to talk."
"Oh she will. One night freezing in that cave and she will talk."
"And If she doesn't?"
Walsh leaned into the goon, "Then we will dispose of the problem. If I can't have her then no one can."
The men finished their game and left, thinking they had a solid plan in place, but Robin had heard everything.
He needed to get to Killian.