Trails of Secrets

50. Gone

Inches from her hands. Inches.

But a few inches were not close enough.

Liam grasped the empty air and kneeled over the edge of the large, gaping hole.

Phin was already resting at the bottom.

He shook as he searched for a way down. Liam quickly noticed a ladder leaning against the opposite side of the hole. He ran to the other side and slid down the sides of the ladder to reach the bottom faster. He hit the ground and his already bruised body cried out.

Liam could overhear a fight breaking out up above. Chris was shouting at his men. Noah was attacking Chris. Annalise was screaming.

Liam fell beside Phin and observed her form.

He felt a lump rise in his throat as he examined her obviously broken body. He tried to regulate his breathing. He needed to think.

Is she ok?

How do I know if she's ok?

If there is no blood, then she's ok.

There's no blood.

She's still not ok.

What do I do?

I need Annalise.

She would know what to do. She's smart. 

Liam raised his head to call out to her, when he saw Chris slowly descending down the ladder. Liam panicked. What was he doing?

"Phin, wake up. You need to wake up."

She looks like she is sleeping.

She's just sleeping.

Since she's just sleeping, she will wake up.

Liam's hands shook as he brushed her short blonde hair out of her face.

See if she is breathing.

Liam held his hand over her mouth and nose. He didn't see her chest rise and fall.

Pulse. Check her pulse.

How do I check someone's pulse?

Liam reached his hand out towards her hands to search for her pulse, when he heard a thump behind him. He tried not to let the sound distract him. He needed to find her pulse. Liam felt around her wrist. It had to be here somewhere.

Someone grabbed the back of Liam's shirt and pulled him away from Phin.

Liam gasped as the sudden motion choked him and he swung his leg at Chris. He must have anticipated the move, because he met Liam's leg with his own at full force. Liam felt a crack and howled in pain. He struggled to move to a sitting position. He needed to keep him away from Phin.

But he didn't even get the chance to sit up.

Chris delivered a heavy blow to the side of Liam's head. The blow released stars and confusion, both of which clouded his sight. He reached for his head, attempting to stop the world around him from spinning. He tried desperately to move his legs, but he couldn't.

I'm so weak.

Out of blurry vision, he witnessed Chris lift Phin into his arms and check her pulse. He frowned and glared at Liam.

"If you had been faster...smarter...," Chris growled, "...You killed her."

                                                                     ~~~

Annalise now held the shovel and was chasing three men who were still conscious. Somehow, they managed to corner her and pry the shovel from her hands. She screamed and thrashed around to try and escape. She could see the Noahs behind her attackers, fighting off a handful of men who were trying to kidnap them. They had their arms wrapped around Noah 2 and they threw Noah to the ground.

"Do you have the item?!"

Noah 2 glared and shouted, "I'm not saying!"

The men must have thought this was a sufficient answer, because they drug him towards a beat up white van on the side of the road. Noah quickly pushed himself off the ground and ran after them to try and save... himself.

Annalise was led towards the van as well. She still hadn't stopped crying. Where was Liam? Was Phin ok? She looked behind her at the large hole and answered her own question.

The Collector had just jumped off the ladder all while carrying a motionless Phin over his shoulder.

A noise up ahead distracted her from The Collector. She spun her head around to watch as Noah managed to overpower the man holding Noah 2. Then they both struggled against the others surrounding them. Noah 2 grabbed the shovel that one of the men had stolen from Annalise and began to use it.

Very quickly, they finished with their attackers and turned towards Annalise. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as The Collector handed off Phin to one of his men. The man holding Phin began to run around the old playground and in the opposite direction of the group.

"Noah, he's taking Phin!"

Noah looked away from Annalise and immediately began to chase after Phin. Meanwhile, Noah 2 handled my attacker and faced The Collector.

Annalise and Noah 2 against The Collector.

"Hand over the item, M.A.E. 1."

Annalise was confused by what he was saying, until she realized he was speaking to Noah 2.

Noah 2 glared and held up the shovel. "No."

Annalise heard the men behind them beginning to shuffle on the ground.

"If you give me the item, 1, then this can all be over. I'll let you go."

He hesitated. "No."

In one swift motion, Annalise ripped the shovel from Noah 2's hands and swung with all her might. The shovel made a satisfying crunch against The Collector's side. He cried out in pain and one of the men behind Annalise and Noah 2 rushed past them to attend to The Collector. They quickly led him towards the van. Annalise began to follow so that she could get in another swing, but Noah 2 stopped her.

"What's more important? Revenge, or your hurting friends?"

She didn't hesitate.

They both ran in the direction where they last saw Noah and Phin, but stumbled across a wounded Noah, lying in the grass. They rushed to his side.

"Noah! Where did Phin go? Where did he take her?!" Annalise cried.

"I'm sorry. I tried to get her back," Noah whispered before he started coughing. "The man must have broken some of my ribs and my leg. Then he drove away in a car that was hidden behind the trees down there."

He pointed at a gathering of trees that blocked the view of the disappearing road.

                                                            ~~~

Four broken figures sat in a small, close circle in the dark, unwelcoming woods.

The fire crackled in anger.

The wind howled in sorrow.

The cold comforted with pain.

"She's gone."