Our love couldn't go wrong

Chapter Twenty-Five :

Nothing in his thirty-plus years of being a dad could've prepared him for this.

As a firefighter, he's seen first hand the horrors the world has to offer and how cruel the people within it can be. And he knows there's no escaping that. He knows that bad things happen to good people, for no reason, but this...he thought that he'd done enough, that he could protect the people he loves. Clearly not. If he did, Shayne wouldn't be in the hospital right now and Courtney...she'd be safe. His baby girl is out there in the hands of the man who'd abused her for god knows how long and she's all alone. She must be so scared.

Not even seven hours ago, he was with her. They were happy. She was tucked under his arm, head resting against his chest as he told embarrassing yet fond memories of her as a young child to her closest friends. She was right there.

But as the sun begins to rise, he can't help but wonder if that will be his last memory of her. Maybe tomorrow, he'll start looking for her in the sunrises and sunsets.

This isn't how it's meant to happen. Parents are meant to go before their kids, not the other way around.

She can't die.

He tries to shake the thought from his head, tries to erase all the information he's learned over the years of helping deal with missing person cases. Statistics aren't helping him right now. Five hours have passed, nineteen hours are left to go until he can let himself start to give up hope but, even then, he can't give up on her, right? She's so strong, she's so...pure and good and full of light and joy. How could anyone take that away from the world? How could anyone take her away from him?

A part of him almost wishes that Jason was here stood right in front of him. He wishes that he could shake the man and unleash all of his pent up rage and fury, that he could scream until his voice went hoarse and his throat was sore, face completely flushed. If the other man knew exactly who he was taking away...maybe he couldn't have done it. And he knows that isn't logical, but his mind keeps down spiralling on a stream of what-if's and maybe's.

Courtney is a friend. A sister. A daughter. His daughter. She's a beautiful, young woman who has overcome so much to get to where she is today. She's an auntie. An inspiration. One of the reasons he fights to see another day. She's the little girl who used to cry because she felt so much and didn't know how to manage that. She's the awkward pre-teen who used to hide her eye with side bangs after some kids made her insecure about it. She's the fifteen year old who would sleep on the couch every late shift he worked so that she could be there when he got home, and he would carry her to bed like she was five again, tuck her snugly into her sheets and kiss her forehead. She's the twenty-four year old who still has her whole life ahead of her.

It's been a while since he last prayed to (let alone really believed in) a god, but this morning he clasps his hands together and he prays. He prays for his little girl and the life she has. He prays for the life she has to live. He prays for the life she deserves to have.

How does god choose whose prayers he refuses?

He's pulled from his mini breakdown by his phone ringing, wiping at his eyes quickly. It's Elliott - his sergeant friend who's one of the leads on Courtney's case right now - and he feels his heart pound against his ribcage as he answers the phone and lifts it to his ear. Please, let this be good news. "Hey, El, what've you got?"

"Got a call in on the hotline about a potential sighting of Shayne's truck; some gas station cashier who saw the amber alert and BOLO. We haven't confirmed it yet but me and Mike are heading over there now...I'll let you know either way. I promise you, man, we're going to find her. We're gonna bring her home."

Whether that's alive or in a body bag, he's unsure.

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Her heart races as she runs further into the woods, fighting every urge within her to look back and see how far away Jason is. She knows he isn't far behind, knows that she isn't likely to outrun him, but she can't let herself stop. If she stops, she's almost certain he'll kill her.

Everything hurts. The muscles in her legs are on fire in a way that reminds her of her high school track days, lungs yearning for oxygen more and more the further she gets. Her body is screaming at her to stop, but her mind is overriding the urge and pushing her along. Her movement is thoughtless, legs carrying her on their own accord as she barely stumbles over the tree roots sticking out of the ground and up the uneven mountain ground.

It's almost funny how not even two years ago, she was out in these woods with her friends.

Those memories are almost certainly ruined now.

She has a rough idea where she's trying to get to - a part of her remembers the rental lodge is somewhere around this part...she just needs to find her way back to the road. If she gets there, she can find help and they can call the police...maybe this will work out, maybe she'll be okay. She just needs to keep going. Just a bit further, surely.

The sound of Jason calling out to her is barely audible over the pounding in her ears, but she still hears it. He's falling behind a bit now. That's good, that helps her, and it gives her the drive to run just the slightest bit faster. If she can put enough distance between them...

She tries to remember exactly what she has to live for, what she has to fight for. He's taken so much from her already and it's not fair, she's so tired and she wants to give up, but she doesn't want to die. Not like this. For so long, she was almost certain that the only way she would escape from him was to kill herself and she hated herself for even thinking that, but the last few weeks...she's had hope. She was happy again, she was loved and cared for. And he just snatched that from her. He's not taking anything else. She's sure of that.

Images of her friends and family flash through her mind, chest tightening lightly. She thinks of her dad and sister, and how much she'll miss them. She knows they'd miss her, too - her dad would never be able to live with himself if she died. She thinks of Shayne and how much she loves him, how much he's done for her and how unfair it'd be for her to give up when he did so much to protect her. If he died, she knows he wouldn't want it to be for nothing. And if he's alive, she wants to be held in his arms and tell him how she didn't give up.

She thinks of the life she's built for herself and how lucky she is. She refuses to lose that, again.

It takes a second for her to register, but she spots a cabin in the distance. It's almost camouflaged amongst the trees, possibly just enough for Jason to miss it (hell, she almost did), and she tries not to trip as she heads towards it, praying the renter is inside. It's not hunting season but it's the start of summer and there's a Jeep out front...they'll probably have a phone at the very least, they can call for help.

Struggling to stop, she gets to the door and knocks frantically, voice shaking as she begs for someone to let her in and help. The words won't quite come out. Breath hitching, she panics as she looks over her shoulder and spots Jason in the distance, still screaming her name.

He's getting closer and nobody's answering the door. This is it. This is gonna be the end, he's gonna drag her back and he'll kill her, she's...

The door opens and sends her tumbling inside, slamming into the front of an older man who looks to be around her dad's age. The man seems confused, but his look quickly changes to concern and he pulls her further inside, shutting and locking the door behind them.

It's as though her body knows she's safe, all the adrenaline leaving her body as she slumps to the floor. The last thing she remembers before her world turns dark is the man calling for someone to call 911.

Hope anyone who celebrates had a wonderful Christmas, and happy new year! Thank you for reading this far. One last chapter of Jason before I finally let Shourtney free hehe. Love you all ❤️❤️