Ella paced the school parking lot, clutching Grace tightly against her chest. The little girl buried her face in Ella’s shoulder, her sobs muffled but heart-wrenching. Ella’s mind raced with a torrent of emotions-fear, fury, and guilt. How had she let this happen? Her twins, her boys, were gone.
Her trembling fingers dialed Ethan’s number. It rang twice before his familiar voice answered, concern evident in his tone.
“Ella? What’s wrong?”
“She took them, Ethan,” Ella choked out. “She took Liam and Leo.”
There was a pause, a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “I’m coming. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
True to his word, Ethan’s sleek black car screeched into the parking lot moments later. He jumped out, his tie loosened and his usually composed demeanor replaced by visible panic. Ella ran toward him, Grace still clinging to her.
“Ethan!” she cried, her voice breaking.
He pulled her and Grace into a tight embrace, his strong arms steadying her trembling form. “We’ll get them back,” he whispered fiercely. “I promise you, Ella. We’ll find our boys.”
The sight of Ethan’s calm determination was both a comfort and a reminder of the stakes. She couldn’t break down now-she had to stay strong for her children.
The police officers approached, their serious expressions doing little to ease Ella’s mounting dread. Ethan gently pried Grace from Ella’s arms, holding the little girl close as she continued to sob.
“I’m Detective Harris,” one of the officers said, his tone firm but kind. “We’re gathering all the information we can. Mrs. Daniels here mentioned a suspect. Can you confirm this person’s identity?”
“It’s Tania,” Ella said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “She’s their-she’s Grace’s biological mother. And she’s dangerous. She’s the one who orchestrated everything that’s happened to me.”
Detective Harris nodded, jotting down notes. “Do you have any idea where she might take them?”
“No,” Ella admitted, frustration lacing her voice. “But she’s calculated. She won’t leave any obvious trail. She knows how to cover her tracks.”
Ethan, still holding Grace, stepped forward. “What’s the next step? How do we get our sons back?”
“We’re issuing an Amber Alert immediately,” Harris assured them. “We’ll also deploy officers to monitor all major routes out of the city and any known addresses associated with Tania. Our tech team is pulling traffic camera footage from around the school.”
Another officer, a woman named Detective Calloway, chimed in. “If she’s as calculated as you say, she might have planned this for a while. We’ll need a list of any locations she might consider safe-friends, properties, or places she frequented in the past.”
Ella’s thoughts raced. “I’ll write everything down. There’s an old cabin she used to talk about-somewhere in the countryside. I don’t know if it’s still hers, but it’s worth checking.”
“We’ll follow up on that lead,” Calloway said, her tone reassuring.
Detective Harris gestured toward Ella and Ethan. “For now, it’s best if you both go home. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we have anything concrete.”
Ella’s fists clenched. “How can I go home when my boys are out there with her?”
“I understand your frustration,” Harris said gently. “But we need you to be available and rested in case we need more information. We’ll do everything in our power to bring them back safely.”
Ethan placed a comforting hand on Ella’s shoulder. “Come on. We’ll regroup at home. Grace needs us too.”
Ella glanced at Grace, who had fallen silent in Ethan’s arms, her small frame trembling. Her maternal instincts kicked in, and she nodded reluctantly.
The drive home was silent, the tension in the car palpable. Grace sat in the backseat, her wide eyes staring blankly out the window. Ella reached back, her hand finding Grace’s small one, squeezing it gently.
“We’ll find them,” Ella said, more to herself than to anyone else.
When they arrived home, Ethan carried Grace inside while Ella sank onto the couch, her head in her hands. The weight of the situation threatened to crush her, but she refused to let it.
Ethan knelt in front of her, his hands resting on her knees. “Ella, look at me.”
She lifted her tear-streaked face to meet his steady gaze.
“We will get through this,” he said firmly. “We’ve faced worse before, and we came out stronger. This time won’t be any different.”
“But what if…” Her voice cracked. “What if she hurts them, Ethan? What if-”
“She won’t,” he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “She knows how much those boys mean to you. She’ll use them as leverage, not harm them. She’s desperate, Ella, but she’s not stupid.”
Ella nodded, clinging to his words like a lifeline.
Hours passed like days as they waited for updates. The police called intermittently, but there was little progress. No sightings, no new leads. Ella felt like she was losing her mind.
Grace sat curled up beside her on the couch, her thumb in her mouth-a habit she hadn’t indulged in since she was a toddler. Ethan paced the living room, his phone in hand, ready to spring into action at the slightest news.
Finally, just after midnight, Detective Harris called.
“We’ve located Tania’s car,” he said. “It was abandoned near a rest stop on the outskirts of the city. We’re searching the area now.”
Ella’s heart leapt with hope and dread. “Were the boys inside?”
“No,” Harris admitted. “But we found evidence they were with her-snack wrappers, a toy car. It’s a good sign. She hasn’t harmed them.”
“What now?” Ethan asked, his voice tight.
“We’re expanding the search. We’ve brought in K-9 units to track their scent. It’s only a matter of time.”
Ella hung up, her hands shaking. Ethan sat beside her, pulling her into a reassuring embrace.
“They’ll find them,” he murmured.
“They have to,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
At the rest stop, the police worked tirelessly, their searchlights cutting through the darkness. Tania’s trail was faint but not impossible to follow. Every discarded item, every footprint, brought them closer.
In a secluded cabin miles away, Tania sat in a darkened room, watching the twins sleep. Her hands trembled as she lit a cigarette, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. She had taken them to hurt Ella, but now she felt a strange pang of guilt. The boys were innocent, their small faces peaceful as they dreamed.
“This wasn’t supposed to be this way,” she muttered to herself, her voice shaking.
Outside, the sound of distant sirens grew louder.
Tania’s eyes widened. “They found us.”