Turn for the Worst

Chapter 56

"I'm sorry sir, the community just doesn't have the time or resources to organize a search."

"Please sir, this woman has been missing for almost three months. She has a son at home who is waiting for her!" August practically begs.

"She's in the hands of a maniac," Neal adds angrily.

"I am sympathetic towards you cause sir, but we just don't have the resources."

"Please..." Neal says, almost getting on his knees.

"I'm sorry, but my word is final. Now please show yourselves out."

August puts his hand on Neal's shoulder and slowly turns him away from the mayor. The two almost hang their heads as they go down the steps of another city hall. The cold, gray January sky greets them and begins sprinkling snowflakes onto the two men. Neal is especially upset. His hands are clenched into fists and he grinds his teeth together. Once they get back to his car, he slams his hand on the hood in frustration.

August sighs. "Guess it's another few days of hiking huh?"

Neal just lets out a frustrated sigh.

"I'll call Killian and the others," August says.

Neal slides into the car and puts his head against the wheel. It's been like this for the past three months, traipsing from town to town, park to park, looking for places that had cabins in the woods or forests in general. Very few towns or cities had been willing to help and when that happened, the group were forced to do hours of hiking, even days in search of Emma. It always seemed fruitless, especially since it was winter and the temperatures and weather conditions prevented them from searching properly or cancelled their searches altogether. Killian and Anna were in the next town over trying to get some help and still nothing. It was becoming an endless circle of fruitless searches.

Neal feels tears threatening to fill his eyes. He thinks of Henry at home and every passing day that he's forced to live without his mother is a stab in both their hearts. Neal knows now that he should never have left, especially if something like this happened. He thinks about his son, his seemingly helpless son. This past Christmas had been especially hard. Everyone showed up and quietly exchanged gifts and ate a dinner that Mary Margret and Regina had prepared, but it was still empty without Emma. Despite the cute pictures of Jacob in a Christmas sweater and mini Santa hat, there was much gloom and desperation in the house. And when New Years rolled around, nobody had anything to be happy about and the celebration was minimal.

David was working day and night to keep this case alive, knocking on every door he could and following every lead, but the fear was that Gold was going to shelve the case in the new year. It was now the new year and the more the group was turned down by towns and cities for searches, the closer they got to this coming true. August had the unfortunate job of calling David every time this happened. The cell phone tracking hardly did anything to help, relying solely on the search group to find her. It was becoming unbearable for every person involved.

Neal starts up the car to get it warm as August climbs into the passenger seat.

"We'll have to go meet Killian and Anna at the edge of the park," August says. He tightens his worn hiking boots. "Then we'll get started."

Neal just nods and moves the car along the snowy streets.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tracks, Killian and Anna were also being shot down. Killian's heart broke a little bit more. He and Anna go back to his new car, seeing how his last one was totalled. He lets Anna drive them to the edge of the park. The docks man has the unfortunate task of calling Henry, Regina and the new mother, Mary Margret at home and tell them that this community wouldn't help either. Killian did his best not to cry as Anna turned the nearest corner, out of the town.