C364 Night Of Fear

While Mark, Quinton, and I left the Wood Residence to continue searching for Alicia, Samantha and Kelvin hurried toward the hospital. Only Ben remained in the villa. The night felt unusually cold. The roads seemed endless. Inside my car, silence filled the space. The only sounds were the engine and the occasional sniffle as I tried to hold back my tears. But it was impossible. My mind kept returning to the warehouse. The blood. The trail leading out of the building. The lifeless body of Jack. And most importantly, Alicia.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. The image of the blood stains flashed through my mind again. Could it have been hers? Had she been shot? If she had been injured... Then what about our child? My breathing became uneven. "What if she lost too much blood?" "What if the baby..." I couldn't even finish the thought. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. I wiped them away, but more followed immediately. The darkness outside the windshield blurred. I remembered every painful chapter of my life. The memories came one after another.

The years I spent loving Samantha. The heartbreak that nearly destroyed me. The loneliness that followed. Then Laura. Another wound. Another disappointment. I had finally begun rebuilding myself with Alicia. She had given me hope. Given me a family. Given me a future. And now... Now fate was threatening to take her away too. I shook my head violently. "No." "No." My voice cracked. "Heavens are really unfair." My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. For several moments I drove in silence. Then I whispered a prayer. "God..." "Please protect her." "Please protect our child." The prayer repeated itself over and over. Like a broken record.

Then suddenly another thought entered my mind. A terrible thought. One I never wanted to face. "If I had to choose..." My lips trembled. "If I had to choose between Alicia and our baby..." I immediately broke down. More tears poured from my eyes. The answer came instantly. Without hesitation. "God..." I whispered. "Please save Alicia." "We can have more children." "As long as she's alive." "As long as she's safe." "Please save her." I didn't even realize I had missed a turn. My mind was completely elsewhere. I drove through one street. Then another. Then another. None of them looked familiar. Hours seemed to pass.

At some point Mark's car suddenly sounded its horn behind me. I blinked. Only then did I realize we were no longer on any road I recognized. I slowly pulled over. Mark and Quinton quickly got out of their car. I stepped out as well. The night air felt cold against my face. Mark looked at me. "Mike." His voice was calm. "What happened?" I lowered my head. "I think we're lost." Nobody spoke. I continued quietly. "When Alicia and I visited the Gupta Family..." "We used her phone for directions." "I wasn't paying attention." Quinton sighed heavily. Mark remained silent for a long moment.

He could clearly see how exhausted I was. How frightened I was. Finally, he nodded. "It's fine." I looked up. Mark placed a hand on my shoulder. "We'll go back." I frowned. "But..." He interrupted me. "The diary." I blinked. Then remembered. Victor's contact information. The diary Alicia was reading. Mark nodded. "We'll return home." "We'll call Victor directly." "And ask him." A small amount of hope appeared. I slowly nodded. "Okay." The three of us got back into our vehicles. Then we turned around and started driving back toward the Mooney Residence.

Mark stared quietly through his windshield. He was worried. Very worried. But strangely enough... He wasn't completely hopeless. Something told him Alicia was still alive. He couldn't explain why. He simply felt it. At the hospital. Kelvin and Samantha finally arrived. The moment they entered, they began searching for Tracy. They found her sitting outside the maternity ward. Her eyes were swollen from crying. The moment she saw them, she stood up immediately. "Kelvin!" "Did they find Alicia?"

Her voice was full of desperation. Kelvin opened his mouth. But before he could answer, another fear surfaced. "How is Sarah?" Tracy looked toward the closed ward. Her expression softened slightly. "She's inside." "Chris is with her." Kelvin finally released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. At least Sarah was receiving medical care. At least she was safe. But Tracy wasn't willing to let the other matter go. She stepped closer. "Answer me." "Did they find Alicia?" Samantha lowered her head. The answer was written all over her face. "No."

The single word shattered Tracy's remaining composure. Fresh tears immediately appeared. "Oh God..." She sat down heavily. "What if something happens to her?" Nobody answered.The guilt in the room became suffocating. After several moments Tracy spoke again. Her voice was much quieter. "What if the Mooney Family blames us?" Kelvin looked at her. Tracy shook her head repeatedly. "This happened because Sarah was kidnapped." "Alicia went there to save her." "What if they hold us responsible?" Samantha's eyes filled with tears again. Tracy continued. "What if they blame Sarah?"

Immediately she shook her head. "No." "They wouldn't blame Sarah." "My daughter is a victim too." Then another thought appeared. A thought she clearly hated. Her voice became softer. "What if they blame Ben?" The corridor became silent. Nobody answered. Finally Samantha slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were red. "Mom..." She spoke honestly. "Would they be wrong?" Tracy froze. Kelvin choked. Nobody knew how to respond. After all... Jack was Ben's friend. Ben had trusted him. Ben had given him Sarah's number. And now Alicia was missing.

The realization hurt everyone. The corridor fell silent again. Only the sounds of distant nurses and medical equipment echoed through the hospital. Then suddenly... The door to the maternity ward opened. Everyone jumped to their feet. Chris stepped out. He was genuinely happy. His eyes were shining. His smile stretched from ear to ear. For a moment he looked like a completely different person. "I..." He laughed. Then laughed again. "I'M A FATHER!" The corridor instantly brightened. Even Tracy managed a small smile.

Chris hurried over carrying a tiny bundle wrapped in a hospital blanket. "Samantha!" "Look!" "My son!" Samantha immediately stepped forward. Her eyes widened. The baby was tiny. Small enough to fit comfortably in Chris's arms. Yet he was alive. Healthy. Beautiful. Everyone's worries disappeared for a moment. Kelvin smiled. Tracy wiped away tears. Even Samantha laughed softly. "A baby boy." Chris nodded proudly. "A baby boy." The happiness lasted only a few seconds. Then reality returned. Chris looked around. His smile slowly faded. His eyes searched their faces. Then he asked quietly, "Did they find Alicia?" The atmosphere instantly changed. Kelvin looked away. Tracy lowered her head. Samantha's smile vanished.

Chris already knew the answer. But he still waited. Finally Kelvin shook his head. "No." The excitement in Chris's eyes disappeared. He looked down at his newborn son. Then toward the dark hospital window. The joy of becoming a father remained. But now it mixed with fear. Fear for his sister. Fear for Mike. Fear for whatever terrible thing was happening outside the hospital. And suddenly the corridor felt heavy once again. A newborn baby had entered the world. Yet nobody could truly celebrate. Not while Alicia Mooney was still missing.