Sleuth

Gone

Sarai Laulter did not make it much farther than five miles into the forest before she was jumped from behind and knocked out with a blow to the base of her skull.

She should have been paying attention to her surroundings, but she was so busy fretting about the missing Jarren that she could barely focus on how to walk.

When she awoke, Sarai found herself in a dilapidated shed that creaked when the wind blew and smelled of salt.

"Don't make a sound" Liam Redd, Jarren's father snapped. Sarai had never really spoken to the man but she knew what kind of person he was based on descriptions. She went to move and found her body numb. She concentrated on moving her legs and did not even see a single a twitch.

"What did you give me?" Sarai's speech was slurred and almost incoherent.

"Qualudes" he growled. Liam Redd quickly dug through a metal tool box, searching for a wrench.

"What the-"

"Shut up!" the old bear growled again, turning and slapping Sarai in the face.

Sarai couldn't even move her neck enough to straighten her head from the position his violent slap had left it in. She looked up out the window and saw nothing but dense green foliage dripping with fresh rain drops.

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With every drop of moisture that fell, the scent of Redd and Sarai disappeared. All of the remaining members from both Sleuths were scouring the Northeast coast searching for any sign. Seconds felt like hours, and in all reality they were. None of the sleuth members had argued with Alpha Grayson's order and immediately began to search, but it was not until they made it outside that Porter realized that Sarai had gone off on her own. This knowledge had only further enraged the Alpha, and now the group was working against a timeline. Every instant Sarai was in Redd's presence was an opportunity for her to be killed.

Alpha Scottlin had the same sense of urgency as Kaddian, but the Alpha couldn't help but notice that Alpha Grayson was allowing his rage to take over, something he didn't think Grayson did. But under no circumstance would this be the situation to ask why. Alpha Scottlin was skimming the edge of the forest, right along the water, when he caught the smell of something he did not expect.

Nothing.

It was as if all odors stopped. As if someone attempted to mask an odor and succeeded too well. Alpha Reik followed the trail of nothing until it led him to a small water inlet on the opposite side is a faux cliff. He was still in the forest but the smell of sea salt was powerful. Just ahead he saw a dark, wooden shack no doubt worn down by the abrasive sea air. Crouching low, the Alpha regretted the fact that he had not signaled Kyrrian, who was searching the forest a few miles away, before following this lead.
As quietly as possible, and hoping that the sound of the ocean would drown out any noise, Alpha Scottlin arrived at the window of the shack, just in time to see Liam Redd back hand Sarai in the face. Instead of fighting her restraints and recoiling from the blow, Sarai remained in the position the hit left her in. Liam Redd proceeded to grab a wrench and throw it into a tool box. He was packing.

Scottlin turned to look at the small dingy bobbing at the mouth of the inlet and realized that Redd planned to escape on it, and had probably kept Sarai alive as a negotiation tool.

Scottlin was about to make his way to the front of the shack in an attempt to apprehend Redd smoothly, when the window to his left shattered violently.
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Kyrrian Grayson kicked herself for not remembering the shed at the edge of Moore's Inlet. She had spent hours of her life there as a child. As soon as she recalled that, she knew that's where Liam would be. Sprinting with true purpose, Kyrrian arrived at the shack and wasted no time planning how to attack Redd and instead plowed through the side of the shed, letting all nine hundred pounds of her collide with the unsuspecting he-bear.