"What do you think?" Michaela asked Sully as they looked out over the valley. They were just past the reservation on the south side. They had stopped to ask the soldiers if they had seen anything with no luck. The soldiers had angrily reminded Sully that he was not allowed to be on the reservation and to make sure he didn't come back. Sully didn't care. Colleen was missing, he would risk going out to the reservation again if it meant there was a chance of finding her.

He sighed as he surveyed the land ahead of them. "Wolf would have picked up Colleen's scent by now if they'd stayed on the road. They didn't go that way." He was sure of it. "They probably went through the woods to stay clear of travelers. We'll take the path back up to town, we can go over to the lodge and head south through the woods from there." Sully kicked his horse into motion as he and Michaela turned around and headed back, a cloud of dust from the horse's hooves in their wake. The soldiers hadn't seen anything. Sully knew they weren't happy to see him, but he also knew that he could at least count on them to be truthful. They were, if anything, straight to the point.

He and Michaela went as fast as they could, determined to cover as much ground as the night would allow. The almost full moon shone brightly in the night sky, helping to light their way back to town. From there, they could head over to the lodge and travel south from the woods nearby, hopefully getting on the right track. They didn't have any time to waste.

On the other side of town, Hank and Jake made their way back, slowing to a trot as they passed through the dark streets. It was quiet except for the sounds coming from the Golden Nugget, men drinking and cheering as they won their hands of poker. The two men rode up to the building, stopping alongside it to get off their horses. They had been searching for the past few hours with little to show for it. Searching was almost impossible now with how dark it was, they would have to wait until the morning to head back out.

"Jake!" They heard someone calling from behind, "Hank!" They turned to see Matthew approaching with Robert E and Preston. "Any luck?"

"Nothing," Jake replied with a shake of his head. "There was no word of anything strange at the encampment. We stopped at the Mulaney farm too, but all they saw were a few businessmen heading into town this morning." Matthew gave a curious, slightly hopeful look. "They checked into the Golden Nugget today, it's not them," Jake added with a straight face.

Matthew took off his hat with a sigh, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Alright, well-"

"These men," Hank interrupted, "you sure you ain't seen none of them around here? You said they've been running through these parts."

"No, I've been keeping an eye out, but no one's reported anything. There hasn't been anyone suspicious at the saloon?"

"If anything, business's been quiet," Hank said flatly, glancing back at the saloon as a man with one of his girls stepped out to the porch, flirting while oblivious to the serious conversation happening just a few feet away.

"Word is they're traveling south," Matthew said in thought, "it just depends if they skipped Colorado Springs altogether or they're waiting it out nearby."

"Depends on how bad one of em's hurt," Jake said. "You think they'd need to stop and rest before continuing on."

"They've hit every town all the way from Pierre, there's no way they'd just pass over Colorado Springs."

"If they're smart they will," Hank added. The group looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Preston spoke up.

Hank looked at him with a raised brow, "Think about it. They came through here and forced two people to go with them against their will. One of them being a doctor. People tend to notice things like that." He looked at them more intensely. "They'd be idiots to stay around, even if one of 'em is hurt."

Matthew released a breath. Hank made a good point.

"He's right," Robert E added with a nod. "It didn't take us long to notice, did it?"

Matthew nodded back. "No. You're right. Look," he said toward the group, "it makes the most sense to assume they went south. I'm going to try and catch up to Dr. Mike and Sully, they were headed out that way."

"I'm coming with you," Robert E said. "It's dark, you shouldn't go out there alone."

"I'm coming too," Preston said quickly.

Hank looked at him with a raised brow and a light smirk. "You sure about that?"

"Andrew works for me, it's my business they affected. I'm going to find him." Preston may have spoken confidently, but all the men could see something deeper behind his eyes. Nerves maybe? Worry?

"We'll all go," Jake said quickly.

"No," Matthew interrupted. "Someone needs to stay in town. Can the two of you keep an eye on things around here?" he asked, looking from Jake to Hank. Although his trust in Hank often went back and forth, he knew he could count on him to keep order, just in case something was to happen while he was gone.

Hank gave Matthew a skeptical look as he took a step towards him. "What happens when you run into them men? You got the nerve to take them all down?" There was the Hank that struck Matthew's nerves.

"It's my sister they took, Hank." Matthew said darkly, "I'm gonna take care of them. Now," he said more calmly, "we're only going to be able to look so much in the dark. Keep an eye on town tonight, ride out south toward us in the morning," he told them.

Hank stared at him for a minute before nodding, "Fine. We'll ride out first thing," he said, nodding towards Jake.

"Thank you," Matthew said, returning his hat to his head. "Let's go," he nodded to Robert E and Preston, who all rode out in the direction of the lodge.

Michaela tugged on the reins of her horse, coming to a stop as the glowing lights of Prestons' lodge came into view. Though it took some time to make their way back to town, Sully had said it was best to fully retrace the steps in which the criminals may have gone, especially with Wolf trying to track Colleen's scent. They had finally made it back to town, which meant they were going to get right back out there, this time through the woods.

"Here boy," Sully hopped off his horse and squatted down, Wolf coming over quickly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Colleen's glove that Brian had given him earlier, letting Wolf give it another sniff.

As this was happening, Michaela quietly looked around, taking in everything around her. Not far in the distance were a dozen lights shining through the windows of Preston's hotel. So many people enjoying their evenings, getting ready for bed, having a last drink together. And here she and Sully were in the dark, on the hunt for their missing daughter. A shiver ran through her even though she was warm from riding. They needed to get back out there. It was already dark outside. The brightly shining moon helped a bit, but that didn't change the fact that it was only getting later and darker, and they weren't even certain they were going the correct way. She was so worried, her daughter was out there, taken by criminals and they had no idea where. She also worried for Andrew, whom she had come to see as a friend.

"Ready?" Sully's voice broke her out of her thoughts as she looked over at him, mounted back on his horse and ready to go.

She nodded, slowly at first, then with more determination. "Yes, let's go." They were going to find her.

"Dr. Mike!" they heard a voice call from behind them. They paused and turned around, seeing Matthew, Preston, and Robert E riding up quickly.

"Matthew!" Michaela called, praying for good news.

"They weren't anywhere west of town." He said with a shake of his head. "We ran into some ranchers who were camped out near the trails but they hadn't seen anyone pass through all day."

"Hank and Jake?" Sully questioned.

"We just talked to them. They didn't find anything but they're going to keep an eye on town tonight and ride out south first thing in the morning."

"Alright," he said, "the soldiers at the reservation hadn't seen anyone either but they probably stayed clear of the main roads. We're going to through the woods, see if Wolf can pick up her scent there."

"We're coming with you," Matthew said firmly. "You're probably on the right path. I stopped in my office to review the tip-offs I've gotten; the span of towns they've been working their way through cuts straight south. They're probably on their way to Pueblo or Albuquerque."

"Let's go then," Michaela said with a resolute nod.

They all took off, Sully leading the way as they headed south towards the expanse of trees not too far ahead. It may already be dark, but that wasn't going to stop them from continuing their search.

The group continued carefully through the woods, the darkness making it difficult to see, especially since the moon was covered almost entirely by the trees. They followed the creek south, Sully carefully looking for marks or tracks of any kind. He led the way, closely followed by Matthew and Robert E. Michaela noticed Preston falling further behind, so she slowed down to let him catch up. They rode quietly side-by-side for a few minutes, the soft trickling of the water in the stream filling the silence.

"Preston," Michaela spoke up, glancing over at him, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said curtly, keeping his eyes forward while squinting to see in the dark.

She looked at him again curiously. She could tell that something was on his mind, and she had a suspicion of what it was. "It's okay if you're worried about Andrew."

Preston shook his head quickly. "I didn't say that I was."

"Well, something seems to be bothering you."

"It's nothing, Michaela. I'm just… worried about business is all." He kept it at that.

The man may be smart, but he was not a very good liar. Michaela could see right through him. "You know, Andrew's been working for you for quite a while now. You seem to enjoy having him at the resort."

He nodded his head slowly. "I suppose, I have. He's a hard worker, the guests seem to enjoy him."

"And you?"

"Well… I suppose it has been nice having him around. He always comes in ready to work, he has a positive attitude. He's a nice young man."

"And now, being in this situation… it must make you worried about his safety."

Preston sighed. "Michaela-"

"It's okay to be worried about him, Preston," she interrupted, giving him a look. "You two are friends. Why wouldn't you be worried?"

Preston was silent for a minute. He wasn't one to share emotions easily, and even though he had been living in Colorado Springs for a few years now, he didn't have many relationships that ran deep. He looked over at Michaela, who rode silently beside him. Ever since Andrew went missing this afternoon he had felt… unsettled? Confused?...Scared? Emotions he wasn't used to feeling unless it had to do with his business. He released a breath and spoke quietly, "Maybe I am… a bit worried about him. I guess he has become a friend to me."

Michaela gave him some time before speaking. She wasn't surprised to hear his confession, she knew that the two of them had been spending a lot more time together since Andrew started working at the resort. Preston didn't have many close friends in town it seemed, as his life mostly revolved around his business ventures. It was nice to see him forge a friendship with Andrew. Andrew was a very nice young man and, though she didn't always see eye-to-eye with Preston, she was glad that he had found a friend in him.

"We're going to find him, Preston," Michaela said, speaking with as much confidence as she could. "I'm sure Andrew is just fine." She stared ahead as she said this, trying to believe that every step they took was one step closer to wherever he and Colleen were.

"Forgive me, Michaela," Preston said suddenly. "While I do care for Andrew," he admitted, "I haven't stopped to consider what you're going through. After all, Colleen is your daughter."

She took a deep breath and kept her gaze forward. "It's all right, Preston. I suppose we're both worried." She paused for a second before continuing slowly, "It's just… This isn't the first time Colleen hasn't come home. When she was younger, she had an accident in the woods during a storm, we found her hurt. And then a couple of years ago, she and Brian tried to run away from their biological father," she gave a tiny shiver, not wanting to think about the time they almost lost them. "We found them in the woods, but Colleen got very sick, she almost didn't make it. And now…we're looking in the woods for her again." Her voice wavered as she tried to keep a hold of her emotions. "And this… this is different. She isn't just lost, she was taken. I can't help but feel like something terrible may happen and I won't be able to get there in time." Her voice shook, and she felt tears in her eyes. She blinked a few back while she took a deep breath.

Preston glanced over at her softly, at a loss of what to say. He had never seen Michaela this emotional before. He had seen her worried and worked up, she was a very strong and opinionated woman, but this was different. He wasn't a parent, so he couldn't imagine exactly how she was feeling, but he had learned a lot in his time living in Colorado Springs. He saw how people cared for one another here. How when someone was in need or in trouble, people reached out to help. He saw the love and concern for her daughter written all over Michaela's face, and in that moment, Preston felt determined to find both Andrew and Colleen. They would find them and bring them back home. He looked at her again and spoke softly, "We're going to find her. Collen's a smart, tough young woman. I'll bet she's fine." He gave her a small, but sincere smile as she glanced his way.

Michaela sighed and returned the smile. This was a different side of Preston she was seeing, a gentler, more compassionate side. "We'll find both of them," she said with conviction.

Preston nodded, shooting her another small smile before looking forward.

Up ahead, Matthew caught up so that he was right in line by Sully. He looked all around, the creek was to their left, and nothing but trees to their right. They hadn't been searching for more than an hour, but he was growing impatient. "Maybe we should pick up the pace a bit. If we keep going at this speed, they're going to be onto the next town before we're out of the valley."

Sully looked over at him. "It's too dark out to travel any faster, the horses can hardly see as it is, we have to be cautious."

Matthew sighed in frustration. "We can't let them get any further ahead, Sully. For all we know, they're already on to Pueblo."

"We don't know that. They'll need to stop at some point, it'll give us time to catch up."

Matthew shook his head as he kept his eyes forward. He'd search all night if he had to. "If we cut out to the edge of the woods we'll be able to go faster."

Sully took a breath and spoke slowly, yet assuredly. "If these men were hiding, it makes the most sense for them to go through the woods. Especially if one of them is hurt, they would want to be near water."

"We need to go faster, we don't know how far ahead they are-"

"Matthew, it's late and it's dark." He raised his voice a little, speaking sternly. "If any of these horses gets hurt then we're going to fall even further behind. We have to be practical. Those men have someone with them who's hurt, chances are they're not going very fast either."

"We don't know that!" The frustration was all over Matthew's face. "Don't you want to find them?" he raised his voice even higher, catching the attention of everyone in their party.

"Of course, I do!" Sully yelled back in a hushed tone, eyebrows furrowing in anger. "You think I don't want to find the men who took them. Who took my daughter?" While he had been the kid's official "pa" for a little while now, it hit Sully just then, that that may have been the very first time he officially referred to Colleen as his daughter. He took in this fact while he glared back at Matthew.

Matthew paused as he looked at him, a mix of anger and fear coursing through his body.

Sully took a deep breath to calm himself. "Matthew, we will find them. But we have to be smart about this. We can't risk something slowing us down either."

It was quiet for a moment as Matthew looked down, now ashamed of his outburst. They had all stopped moving, standing in an awkward circle in the dark. After a minute, he spoke up, "I know, you're right, Sully. It's just… it's my sister out there." His voice broke on those words.

Sully gave him a minute before speaking again, "I know. But you've got to remember, Colleen's smart. And she's not alone. She and Andrew are going to do what they need to survive."

"I know," Matthew said quietly. "I'm sorry, Sully," he said, looking straight at him.

"It's alright," he said with a nod.

They traveled for a little while longer before deciding to make camp for the night. None of them wanted to stop, but they knew they had to. After all, they had been in situations like this before. The horses needed a break, and the further they got into the woods, the harder it was for them to see.

As they tied up the horses, Sully quickly took charge and got to work building a fire. They all spread out near it, each preparing themselves to try and get some sleep.

"We're going to find them, Matthew," Robert E said as he took a seat beside him.

"Mmhmm," Matthew said with a small nod of his head. How many people had told him that in the last several hours? They were going to find them, he knew they would, but it didn't make staying optimistic right now any easier. "Look, Robert E, I'm sorry I blew up back there. I really appreciate you coming out here and searching with us."

"It's alright, Matthew. You're a good man and an even better brother." He patted him on the shoulder. "Colleen's lucky to have someone like you looking out for her."

"Thank you," he said softly, staring into the fire.

Nearby, Michaela sat down next to Sully. He wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders. "Oh Sully, do you think they're alright?" She couldn't bear to think of them out there with those dangerous men. "Colleen's probably so frightened."

"She's got Andrew, she's not alone." He said, trying to comfort her. He didn't want to admit it, but he was pretty worried about her himself. He believed that she was okay, but what did that even mean? He knew that she had to be scared, wherever she was. He just hoped that she was physically okay on top of that. If she wasn't… well the men would have to answer to him. He rubbed his hand up and down Michaela's arm, "we'll leave at first light tomorrow and we'll be able to pick up speed.

"What if she's hurt?" she asked worriedly, seeming to read the man's thoughts.

"She has Andrew. They have medical supplies, if either one of them is hurt, they can take care of each other. If the reason they were taken is to take care of someone else who's injured, then these men need them." Preston looked over at him from where he sat across the fire, hearing this. Sully continued, "These men need Andrew and Colleen to take care of someone, they can't do that if they're hurt."

Preston was about to speak up, then stopped. In all the time he had lived in Colorado Springs, he still hadn't figured out Sully. He was a bit of an anomaly to him. But if there was anything he knew about the man, it was that he somehow knew what to do in these types of situations. Right now, he trusted what he was saying.

Michaela leaned in closer to Sully, trying to think positively. He had a point, these men needed Andrew and Colleen, and so she tried to hold onto that thought. She shared a look with Matthew across the fire, trying to give him a small smile. Her son, the sheriff. Her life never seemed without worry for her children. She was thankful knowing that Brian and Katie were safe at home with Grace.

They sat around the fire for a little while before trying to get some sleep. After all, the morning was sure to come quickly, and none of them knew what the day ahead might hold.