As the memorial service began, with people sharing stories about Brad, I found myself tuning out, my focus shifting to the edges of the square.

Most people stood with umbrellas or hoods pulled up to shield themselves from the rain, but just beyond the crowd, half-hidden by a lamppost, stood a large figure. Their face was completely obscured by the shadow of their hood.

Unmistakable.

The hidden figure.

My heart lurched, a cold rush flooding my veins as my grip tightened on Ridge's arm.

"Ridge," I muttered, tugging his sleeve as I tore my gaze away from the figure to look at him. "He's here."

But when I turned back, the figure was gone.

The air seemed to press down on me, my heart pounding louder than the murmurs of the vigil.

"You saw him?" Amber asked, looping her arm around mine so quickly she almost dropped her candle. Her wide eyes darted between me and the crowd.

"We should go," Ridge said, his voice low and tense as his gaze scanned the square, darting from one corner to the next. "I knew this was a bad idea" Ridge hissed.

Before we could move, a loud crash rang out—metal clattering against stone—followed by a scream that tore through the air.

The crowd erupted into chaos.

People shoved and pushed, candles hit the ground, and the orderly vigil dissolved into a frantic surge of bodies trying to flee. My hand slipped from Amber's as we were dragged apart by the surge of the crowd.

"Amber!" I screamed, but my voice was swallowed by the noise. I tried to push through the throng, but every movement seemed to push me further away.

My pulse roared in my ears, panic rising in my throat as I frantically searched for Ridge and Amber.

Then, through the blur of the crowd, I saw him—the hooded figure, moving toward me.

My breath hitched, the world shrinking to the space between me and the figure. They stopped, standing perfectly still, their presence cutting through the chaos like a blade.

The crowd surged again, shoving me forward, but I couldn't move. My feet felt stuck to the wet pavement, my body frozen in place. Rain spattered around us, streaking my vision, but the figure didn't flinch.

They just watched.

Time seemed to stretch painfully thin, each second pressing heavier against my chest. My breath was shallow, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

A shove from behind jolted me, breaking the spell. My head whipped around, scanning the crowd for Amber or Ridge. Shapes blurred and shifted through the rain, faces obscured by hoods and umbrellas. The cold, suffocating weight of the moment pressed tighter as I turned back toward the hooded figure—

But they were gone.

The lamppost stood empty, its pale yellow light spilling onto the rain-slick pavement, mocking me.

I forced myself to move, stumbling through the crowd, my heart racing. I needed to find them. I needed to find Amber and Ridge. The panic clawed at me, the certainty that the hooded figure was still nearby gnawing at the edges of my mind.

At the far end of the crowd, trying to control the chaos, I spotted DCI Campbell. Her sharp figure stood out against the blurred masses, her voice cutting through the noise as she attempted to bring order to the scene. I was about to head in her direction when I felt my arm being pulled.

"Sam!" Ridge's voice pierced the chaos as he pulled me from the crowd.

"Ridge!" I gasped, relief crashing over me as I stumbled into his arms. My legs trembled beneath me, my body unsteady from the adrenaline surging through me. His grip was firm, grounding, but his eyes darted urgently over the crowd, searching.

"We need to find her, now!" Ridge shouted, his voice rising above the cacophony. He pulled me forward through the throng of panicked people. The crush of bodies pressing in from all sides made it almost impossible to move.

My eyes scanned desperately, searching for Amber or the hooded man, but all I could see were blurred faces and umbrellas. The rain was falling harder now, cold drops slicing against my skin, blurring my vision. The world seemed to dissolve at the edges, reduced to a swirling chaos of noise and motion.

I clung to Ridge, my fingers clutching the fabric of his jacket. The adrenaline in my veins made everything feel sharp and jagged, every sound amplified—the crush of feet on wet pavement, the distant screams, and the unrelenting patter of rain. My thoughts were a jumble, but one image burned brightly: the hooded figure. Not his face—I hadn't seen it—but the way he stood, so still, so deliberate. Watching me.

Suddenly, through the chaos, a flash of blonde hair and brown feather caught my eye. My breath hitched.

"There! Ridge, I saw her!" I yanked his arm, pulling him toward the alley where I'd seen her disappear.

We pushed through the last of the crowd, our footsteps splashing against the slick pavement. The noise of the chaos began to fade behind us, replaced by the heavy drumming of the rain.

As we rounded the corner, the alley stretched out before us, narrow and shadowed. It was empty. My heart sank. The street on the other side was bustling with people, but Amber was nowhere to be seen.

"She was right here," I stammered, my voice shaky. My eyes darted up and down the alley, searching for another glimpse of her blonde hair, but there was nothing—just the relentless patter of rain and the faint echoes of the panicked crowd.

"Call her," Ridge urged, his voice tight.

My hands shook as I pulled out my phone. The cold knot in my stomach tightened as I hit her number. The phone rang once... twice... then went busy.

"She's not answering," I said, my voice breaking. My grip on the phone tightened as panic crept into my words. "It went to busy. Why would it go to busy?"

Ridge's jaw clenched, his gaze sweeping the alley. His shoulders were rigid, tension radiating off him. "Maybe it's just a bad connection. Try again."

I dialed again, my fingers fumbling on the wet screen. The same thing happened—busy. The knot in my stomach twisted tighter, a cold dread seeping through me.

"She couldn't have gone far," Ridge said, though his voice betrayed the strain he was trying to hide. "We'll find her."

But every second that passed without seeing her made my chest tighten further. The gnawing dread took root, my mind racing with possibilities I didn't want to confront. What if she wasn't just caught in the chaos? What if the hooded figure—the one who'd been haunting us—had found her first?

The image of him standing still amidst the frantic crowd, his calm presence an eerie contrast to the panic around him, replayed in my mind. The thought made my blood run cold. What did he want? Was he after me, or had Amber been his target all along?

"Ridge," I whispered, my voice trembling as I met his eyes. "I don't feel right about this. We need to call someone—DCI Campbell, maybe."

Ridge paused, frustration flickering across his face. The rain streaked down his jawline, catching on his tense expression. "If we call Campbell now, they'll lock everything down, and Amber could be anywhere. We'll lose any chance of finding her ourselves."

"But what if she's in danger?" My voice cracked as the wind whipped my wet hair against my face. The rain seemed to fall harder, soaking through my jacket, making every movement feel heavier. I could tell Ridge didn't know the best course of action either.

He exhaled sharply, his decision made. "Call Campbell."

My hands were trembling as I hit the dial button. The phone rang, each tone stretching out endlessly. Finally, DCI Campbell's voice cut through the tension.

"Sam?" she answered, her tone sharp and urgent.

"We... we've lost Amber. I'm scared." My voice wavered as I pushed wet hair out of my face. "What if whoever took Brad has her?"

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end before Campbell's voice came through again, harder now, laced with urgency. "What are you talking about, Sam? Who do you think took Brad?"

My throat dried, the words tangling in my mind. I hadn't meant to blurt that out, hadn't meant to bring the hooded figure into this, but now I had no choice.

"There's... there's this guy. I've seen him around. Well, not his face, but..." I trailed off, my words failing me.

"Someone's been stalking you? Why the hell didn't you say something sooner?" Her voice was sharp with frustration, but I could hear the concern beneath it.

"Stay where you are," Campbell ordered, her tone suddenly calm but firm, the calm of someone used to handling crises.

"Okay," I managed to reply, my voice distant. I turned to Ridge, gripping the phone tightly.

"She's coming," I said, my voice shaky.

Ridge pulled me close, his arm around my shoulders, and I welcomed the comfort. His touch felt steady in the storm of fear and uncertainty swirling around us.

My mind raced, the image of the hooded figure lingering like a dark shadow. I couldn't shake the way he had stood there, perfectly still, watching. It was as though he wasn't just a person, but a presence—a threat that loomed over us even now.

"Do you think he...?" I couldn't finish the thought, but Ridge knew what I meant. His jaw tightened, his expression darkening further.

"We'll find her," he said again, though his voice was lower this time, as if he was trying to convince himself as much as me.

"Sam." Ridge's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts, pulling me back into the moment. "Look at me."

I blinked, trying to focus, but the rain blurred everything—my vision, my thoughts, my fear. The world felt like it was closing in, the edges smudged and surreal.

"We're not giving up. Amber's out there. We stick together, alright?" His voice was steady but intense, not a command, but an anchor. He wiped wet strands of hair from my face, his eyes locked on mine.

I nodded, though the weight of uncertainty pressed harder, constricting my chest. Time dragged on, every second feeling heavier. The alley, which had seemed like a hopeful lead, now loomed like a dark reminder of failure.

"Try calling Amber again," Ridge urged, his arm still steady around me.

My fingers fumbled as I redialed her number. Each ring felt like an eternity, every moment that passed feeding the gnawing dread inside me. The phone rang once... twice... then went straight to busy again.

"Still busy," I said, my voice trembling, barely above a whisper. The knot in my stomach twisted tighter. What if Amber wasn't just out of reach? What if she was already gone?