Caught in Time

Chapter 12. Gone

-Keegan-

"You lost her?" His hissing almost threatening voice was quiet, but a threat Orla seemed to notice no matter how low or loud his voice was.

He took a step closer to his sister. Jared followed him and Orla suddenly did not look as confident like she usually did.

Normally she would never admit to such a mistake, or any mistake for that matter. She would instead throw something in Keegan's face from a time when he had done something similar. Unfortunately for Orla, he had never lost Cara.

Well, I did not lose her at the market... she walked away... right in front of me.

"No... I did not... Yes! Fine! I lost her!" Orla snapped back and her green eyes were practically fuming. They then turned worried and filled with guilt. Keegan knew those eyes. Orla was blaming herself for this and she did not like to be reminded of it. What she liked even less was to admit it out loud.

"She couldn't have gone far." Jared said and it sounded like he was trying to comfort Orla. His gazes swept across the area around them. "I mean... Where would she go and why?"

She is not safe anywhere but with us... why would she leave? Did she leave? Keegan's mind was a mess.

He inhaled deeply and clenched his fists in frustration.

"What happened?" he asked his little sister and locked eyes with her. Orla swallowed nervously. "Were you not supposed to watch her while she was at the old teacher's house?"

"Yes...I don't know..." Orla mumbled. "We never even got there." She told him and rubbed her right cheek with her hand. "We were on our way there and-"

"Wait! What? You-" Keegan did not understand a word of what Orla was saying. "She disappeared? On your way over there? How?"

"I DO NOT KNOW, KEEGAN!" Orla screamed back at him and he could hear how desperate she was getting. "ONE MINUTE SHE IS WALKING BEHIND ME AND THE NEXT SHE IS GONE!" Her green eyes looked like lightning would come out of them if she possessed the ability and he saw how Jared took a step back in terror from his sister's fury.

Orla's eyes spewed hatred. Keegan was not sure if it was meant for him, Cara or for the one or those who could have taken her.

"Did you see anything?" he asked her in a sigh. There was no use in screaming or growling at her, the damage was already done.

"No." Orla sighed at first. "I only saw their tracks when I noticed that she was gone." She added afterwards and placed her hands on her hips. "They were at least two of them."

"Tracks?" Jared asked in confusion and crossed his arms. Orla simply nodded and then looked with dark eyes at her older brother.

Someone took her. Keegan thought and felt a surge of panic flow through him.

A numbing sensation pricked in his fingertips until it was replaced with an anger he had never experienced before. It made his muscles tense and his mind clouded.

"I have never seen tracks like it." Orla continued and her eyes conveyed that she was truly concerned. "Their footwear is different to ours."

"What do you mean?" Keegan asked and tilted his head to the side without realizing it.

"Come on, I will show you." She muttered and waved at him to follow her.

"Go home, Jared." Keegan said when his friend took the first step. He had placed his left hand on Jared's chest and pushed him back. "This does not concern you."