The Rescue

Chapter Four

He rounded a corner at the outskirts of town and suddenly felt a strange sensation. 

 

He’d been on this street a thousand times, but something about it felt off . He stopped to catch his breath and he held his hand out above his eyes to shield them from the sun. He quickly scrutinized his surroundings, looking for anything that seemed out of place. He spotted the abandoned building that kids were known to sneak into to drink or to meet up. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it, but then again he’d never remembered there being a hole in the door near where the handle should’ve been.

 

He jogged over, remaining vigilant but also wanting to be expedient in checking it out since it most likely held nothing. He listened for a moment, hoping for her but not hearing anything. He braced himself against the outside wall and slowly pushed the door open as if he could surprise the kidnapper with anything other than his fists. 

 

After a cautioned pause, he peeked his head around the corner to find the room empty. As he suspected. But wait, there were a few chairs, as if someone had been staying there, or at least waiting. This wasn’t necessarily odd if the kids on the island used this place to hang out, but what was odd were the mess of ropes on the floor surrounding the rickety wooden chair.

 

He felt his heart drop into his stomach. She was here. His mind raced and his blood ran colder and colder in his veins. A million different scenarios played in his head, each one more devastating than the next.

 

But he stopped himself before his panic reached the point of no return. There was no blood, no clothes, no signs of a struggle. What had happened? Did he set her free?

 

He scanned the rest of the room with laser focus, but determined that they had simply left. And so he did too.

 

He ran outside to check around the outside of the building for any clues, but when he came up with nothing he stopped to listen. He listened to his heart, to his gut . It told him that she was alright, that she was a fighter. She would have left a sign, she would have got him back if he hurt her. She was smart. She could be manipulating him, or going along with him to catch him by surprise later. 

 

He was equal parts proud and scared at what she might do when he turned in a circle on the spot, hoping for a sign. The woods. It was secluded, but it was foolish to try to hide there if you didn’t know the area. The terrain could be difficult and one could easily get lost trying to hide. 

 

But his gut told him she was there. Whether he took her there or she ran there he wasn’t sure, but his instincts hadn’t failed him so far.