King's Sword

Swiss Army Girl

VANCE

"Adelaide!" Collin shouts out the window as I drive around glaring at the trees. "We need to call in a search."

"Near the residence we just burned down?" I ask him casually as he turns to glare at me. "Keep looking, I already called the guys to sweep the woods, and the cops can't find her first."

"Because Dallas hasn't signed the confession statement." Collin sighs and I nod in annoyance when I spot a telephone booth of the side of the road and pull up to it with a curious look. "If what you say about him is true, he won't confess to shit—"

"He loves Adelaide." I try to reason with Collin distractedly.

"He's a King, he loves himself more." Collin groans as he moves to get out of the truck in order to inspect his surroundings.

"So are you." I say as I follow him out of my truck and head towards the phone. "And Adelaide and Julianna."

"And everything in my body tells me to run for the hills when shit goes wrong." Collin admits apologetically and I glance back at him confusion. He's always so eager to jump in and tag along, but he's been scared the entire time.

"But you're standing right here." I say with a tilt of my head that makes him roll his eyes and shake his head.

"Because guilt trumps fear." He says and turns to search the area with a pained frown. "She tried to tell me what was happening when were kids, she talked of a monster...and I just- I thought it...."

"You were a child." I sigh, making Collin turn to me in confusion as I shake my head. This fucked up family has made them feel responsible for things they were entirely too young to handle. If they did not take responsibility, the children did. "You, Julianna, Rosie and Adelaide. You were all just children. And I've repeated this so much to Adelaide it has started to become stale, but the truth is that none of what happened, none of the things you think you could have done, are your fault." Collin's eyes water and he nods softly, sniffling when his eyes seem to catch something behind me and he rushes past me.

"That's blood." Collin says as I turn to the phone booth where he inspects the handle. "Vance, this is fresh!" I reach for the blood stain and feel it stick to my fingers as I turn to scan the area.

"Adelaide!" I yell out as I pat Collin's arm to follow me back to the truck. "Sweetheart!" I rush to climb in my truck and start driving as Collin shuts his door. "Keep looking for blood!"

"I am!" Collin groans nervously out the window. "Adelaide! It's us!" I search frantically through the trees when I see a ruffle in the bushes.

"Baby!" I slam on the breaks and put the truck on park before rushing out of it to run across the street and up the side.

"Vance?" I hear her ask doubtfully as my eyes fill with tears.

"It's me! It's me!" She pulls herself up with a groan as I reach her and pull her into my chest, breathing fast and heavy as I hold on to her head. "Fuck!" I cry into her hair as she buries her face into my chest with a relieve chuckle. "Fuck, I can breathe again."

"You found her? Vance!" Collin yells as he runs up to us. Adelaide pulls back to look at Collin with a bloody face and a tired smile.

"I knew it'd be you two idiots." She chuckles as Collin runs up to pull her into a tight hug that makes her groan. "Ow."

Hospital. We need to get her to a hospital.

"Collin, let's go." I say quickly and lower myself to pick Adelaide up as she frowns up at me in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Adelaide asks while holding on to my shoulders as I move quickly down the hill and to my truck where Collin helps me strap her in.

"We need to get you to a hospital." Collin says to her as I get in and start driving with a hand on her leg.