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"Maybehe dropped off the grid completely," Jake continued, his gaze locked onthe far wall. "Changed his identity, went underground."
"Thenhow do we find him?" Fiona asked, the frustration evident in her voice.She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to keepher emotions at bay.
"Let'sgo over the files again." Jake suggested, determination etched into hishandsome features. "Look for patterns, anything that might lead us tohim."
Theysat down on the floor in front of Fiona's coffee table, their legs entwinedbeneath them, the scattered files and photographs painting a grim, chaoticpicture. There were many missing persons cases--missing girls--across Portlandand in the surrounding areas, many of which occurred within the timeframeFiona's sister went missing. Together, they meticulously scrutinized eachdocument, desperate to find any link.
"Here,"Fiona said, pointing at a case file from ten years ago. "This girl'sdescription matches what my sister looked like – same age, same height, samehair color."
"Butit looks like they arrested someone," Jake pointed out, quickly scanningthe report, "and there's no mention of a man fitting Damien's description.Could be a coincidence."
"Orhe covered his tracks well," Fiona replied, her jaw clenched withdetermination. "He wouldn't want to make it easy for us. But..." Shesighed, reading the fate of the man arrested for this girl's murder. Jail forlife. No chance of parole. Still behind bars.
Hecouldn't be Damien.
"True,"Jake conceded, rubbing his temple as he stared at the mountain of paperworkbefore them. "But without more concrete evidence, we're just grasping atshadows."
Fionasighed. This seemed impossible. But she refused to give up – not when hersister's fate hung in the balance. Her eyes roamed over the scattered files,her mind racing with possibilities and connections, each one more tenuous thanthe last.
"Maybewe're looking at this all wrong," she muttered, mostly to herself."Maybe there's something else, something we've missed or overlooked."
"Likewhat?" Jake asked, his brow furrowed in concentration as he leaned closerto her, their shoulders touching.
"Idon't know," Fiona admitted, feeling a flicker of hope ignite within her."But there has to be something, some clue, that can lead us to him."
As theycontinued to pore over the files late into the night, the shadows deepenedaround them, a tangible reminder of the darkness they were fighting against.And though the answers remained elusive, Fiona knew one thing for certain – shewould never stop searching.
***
Theclock on the wall ticked away the minutes, a somber metronome counting down thehours of darkness. Fiona's eyes flicked from the scattered papers to Jake'sconcerned face, her exhaustion warring with her determination. They had movedfrom the floor to the couch, and Fiona could see the exhaustion written onJake's face.
"Red,"he said softly, his voice barely louder than the ticking of the clock."We're not going to find anything tonight. We need to rest."
Hergaze remained locked on the files, the desperate hope that they held the key tofinding her sister burning in her chest. Still, she knew he was right – theywere both running on fumes, and their exhausted minds were unlikely to uncoverany hidden truths.
Still,she didn't want to give up, even for a second.
"Ican't, Jake," she whispered, her voice cracked and strained. "I can'tsleep knowing that every second we waste, she might be slipping further awayfrom us."
Hereached out and gently tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. Theconcern in his warm brown eyes was tinged with something else, a fierceprotectiveness that sent a shiver down her spine.
"Hey,I get it," he murmured. "But we can't help her if we're too tired tothink straight. You've hardly slept at all since we got Damien's name, and I'mworried about you."
Hisworry for her well-being pierced through her stubborn resolve, and she blinkedback the tears that threatened to fall. She knew he was right – she'd beenpushing herself to the brink, fueled by a relentless drive to find her sister.
But asmuch as she hated to admit it, she couldn't keep going like this forever.
"Letme take care of you, Red," Jake whispered, his thumb brushing against hercheek, wiping away an errant tear. "Just for tonight, let me holdyou..."
Fionabit her lip and nodded, unable to resist the thought of being wrapped up inJake. She finally gave in to the exhaustion that weighed her down like a leadblanket. Jake's arms encircled her, pulling her close as his lips brushedagainst hers in a tender, reassuring kiss.
"Comeon," he murmured against her mouth, lifting her effortlessly into hisarms. "Let me take you to bed."
As theycrossed the threshold into her bedroom, Fiona felt the crushing weight of herworries begin to dissolve, replaced by the warmth of Jake's embrace. As he laidher down on the soft sheets and drew her into his arms, she let herself sinkinto the comfort and safety he provided, allowing her body and mind a briefrespite from the unending search for answers.
Outside,the night grew darker, and the shadows stretched longer, but within herbedroom, Fiona found solace in the arms of the man who had become both herpartner and her lover.
And assleep finally claimed her, she knew that together, they would bring her sisterhome, one way or another.
