The rain whispered secrets in the night as footsteps approached, the sound slicing through the downpour with a haunting echo. Both Ridge and I spun towards the dimly lit entrance of the alley, our nerves taut. The air felt colder now, every drop of rain seeming to soak deeper into my skin.

DCI Campbell emerged from the shadows, her silhouette framed by the gleam of the streetlamps, flanked by two uniformed officers. The rain had plastered her hair against her head, sculpting her features into a visage of relentless determination. The faint squelch of her boots against the wet ground cut through the constant patter of rain.

"Talk," she commanded crisply, her gaze piercing as it flicked from Ridge to me, each look sharp and probing.

"We've lost her," I stammered, my voice a mixture of panic and despair. "Amber... she's disappeared. We followed her to this alley, but now there's no sign of her anywhere. I've tried her mobile, but it just rings out."

Campbell's sharp eyes narrowed on Ridge, suspicion briefly shadowing her expression before they shifted back to me. Her intensity felt almost physical, as though she were dissecting my words for hidden truths.

Stepping closer, her presence loomed, unshakable. "There's more you haven't told me," she declared, her voice steady yet edged with a compelling urgency. "If you're holding something back, now's not the time to keep quiet."

Gulping down my fear, I confessed, "There's someone... a man lurking in the shadows. Always hooded, his face obscured. I saw him at the vigil, a silent observer. And he's been following me—I'm sure of it. I caught a glimpse of him outside my house several nights ago, and last night, after the pub, he chased both me and Amber."

Her expression tightened, a storm brewing in her steely eyes.

"Are you serious, Sam?" she snapped, her voice a low growl of controlled anger. "You've been stalked, and you chose now to tell me?"

"I wasn't certain," I admitted, my voice a whisper of doubt, the cold seeping through my drenched jacket. "I didn't want to cause a fuss over nothing—"

"Nothing?" she interjected fiercely. "With Brad dead and Amber missing, you think this is nothing?"

Her words hit me like a slap, the weight of her judgment forcing me to nod in regret. My throat tightened, the taste of guilt sour in my mouth.

Campbell shook her head in frustration. "Have you tried her number again? What about her father? Do you two have any tracking apps?"

"I was just about to check again when you arrived," I said, holding out my shaking phone, the screen smeared with rain.

She snatched it, her fingers a blur as she accessed the tracking app. The faint sound of her nails tapping against the screen was sharp and rhythmic, cutting through the background noise of the rain. Beside me, Ridge stood rigid, his fists clenched at his sides, his jaw set as his eyes darted hopelessly around the empty alley.

"Hurry up," Campbell muttered to herself, her impatience palpable.

The screen displayed a loading icon, the small circle spinning endlessly, each second stretching torturously. My heart hammered against my ribs, a desperate rhythm that seemed to echo the relentless drum of raindrops on the pavement.

When the location finally popped up, Campbell's demeanor shifted. Her posture straightened, her gaze sharp and unwavering.

"She's at the Pilkington Industrial Estate," she declared, her tone slicing through the chill. "Her phone is there. We need to move. Now."

The words hung in the air, heavy with foreboding. My stomach dropped as a cold fear gripped me; the industrial estate was no place for anyone at this hour, especially not Amber.

"She wouldn't just go there," I murmured, half to myself, the words trembling on my lips.

Ridge tightened his grip on my arm, the strength of his touch grounding me. I glanced up at him, finding his jaw taut, his eyes dark with worry. Amber's phone being in such a desolate place felt like a cruel sign—one hinting at danger.

Campbell was already issuing commands. "Get backup to the industrial estate. Call Amber's father—Sam, do you have his number?"

My fingers fumbled as I dialed, the cold rain numbing my touch. I handed her the phone, my hands trembling so badly it nearly slipped from my grasp.

"Here," I managed to say.

She nodded sharply, her focus never wavering as she directed an officer to make the call. Her piercing gaze met mine again. "Brace yourself, Sam," she said gravely, her voice softer but no less firm. "Her phone being there doesn't guarantee she is."

The knot in my stomach tightened further, a suffocating weight.

"Can we come with you?" I pleaded, desperation breaking through my voice.

"No," she responded firmly. "You'll go to the station to give full statements. We can't have civilians in the way, not now."

"But I can't just—"

Campbell cut me off, her tone softening slightly. "I know it's hard, but trust me. The faster you provide everything you know, the quicker we can act. We need to see the bigger picture to find her. Let us handle this."

She gestured to an officer, who approached to escort us. As Ridge remained silent, his jaw still set, uncertainty crept through me. His usual confidence seemed to falter, and that unspoken hesitation gnawed at me.

Nodding, I swallowed the lump in my throat, my breath catching as the officer gestured toward the waiting police car.

"I'll follow in my car," Ridge said as we approached the vehicle. The thought of not having him beside me made fear rise from my stomach to my throat.

"I want to stay with you," I said, tightening the grip I had on his hand.

The idea of being in the car with someone else, even a policeman, made me feel nervous, the tension of the night leaving no room for comfort.

"I'll drive us both to the station," Ridge said to the uniformed officer, who only shrugged and walked back down the alley.

As we left, Campbell was already coordinating the search over her radio, her figure resolute against the backdrop of the stormy night. She didn't look back, her focus fixed on the mission ahead.

As Ridge's car pulled away, the alley faded into the distance, its eerie glow under the streetlamp lingering in my vision—a haunting reminder of the night's grim promises.

The rhythmic drumming of the rain against the car roof filled the silence, broken only by the swiping of the windscreen wipers. The streets blurred past us, swallowed by the darkness of the stormy night.

"Do you think she'll be there?" I asked, my voice barely audible above the rain.

Ridge's grip tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles white. His jaw clenched as he glanced briefly at me before focusing back on the road.

"I don't know, Sam," he admitted, his voice low, uncertainty heavy in his tone. "But we have to hope. Campbell's on it—they'll find her. And if they don't, I will."

Amber's safety was all that mattered, but the darkness surrounding everything—the hooded figure, the industrial estate—it felt like a web tightening around us, suffocating.

The Village looked alien in the rain, the streetlights blurred into soft, glowing orbs through the streaked window.

"I should've told them about him earlier," I muttered, guilt thick in my voice.

"You did what you thought was right," Ridge said, his tone steady but weary.

I knew he was right, but the guilt refused to release its grip. I couldn't stop thinking about all the missed chances, the times I convinced myself it was nothing when deep down, I knew it wasn't.

"What if we're too late?" I whispered, my breath fogging up the glass as I stared at the rain-slicked world beyond.

Ridge didn't respond, but his silence said enough.

We pulled into the station car park, the harsh glow of the streetlights cutting through the rain. Ridge switched off the engine and sat still, his hands gripping the wheel like he couldn't bring himself to let go.

"We should mention everything but Loretta and Frank," he said finally, his voice firm but low.

I nodded slowly, swallowing the fear bubbling up inside me.

"Okay," I agreed quietly.

The rain continued its relentless rhythm as Ridge killed the engine. For a moment, neither of us moved, the silence between us filled with unspoken fears. I stared out at the glowing station lights, the knot in my stomach tightening.

Amber's phone was at the industrial estate.

But where was Amber?