Stolen: Prologue

The car skidded to a halt at the side of the road and he quickly jumped out, slamming the door behind him. Jogging across the front yard, he ignored the pouring rain against his skin and the mud on his feet. Throwing open the front door, he skidded to a halt leaving marks on the wooden floor boards. Usually his wife would've told him to take off his shoes, moaned about the mess she had to clear up. But not today. Perhaps it was the tears streaming down her cheeks that blurred her vision. Or perhaps it was the pain and concern that only a mother could feel. 1

"No! It's not true. No!" Adamantly shaking his head, he looked around the living room at the averted gazes of his colleagues and friends. 2

"Ethan...they took her. Someone took our precious little girl." Weeping hysterically, she clung desperately to his uniform. 3

He shook his head adamantly, refusing to believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."4

In a daze, he brushed his wife's hands away before making away across the living room. His colleagues words of condolences barely a murmur, his wife's hysterical cries of apology nothing more than a whisper. 5

Slumping down on the couch, he reached for the photo-frame sitting on the coffee table before tracing his fingertips over her smiling face. Taking a deep breathing to steady himself, Detective Ethan Montgomery undid the frame and removed the photo before getting to his feet. Setting his strong hard jaw, he handed the photo to one of his colleagues before speaking through gritted teeth. "Has their been a ransom call yet?" 6

"We can handle this..."7

"She's my kid. And I'm gonna find her." His authoritative tone left no room for argument. Looking over at the lost expression on his wife's ashen face, he gave her trembling shoulder a forceful squeeze. "It'll be alright. I'll find her and I'll bring her home. I promise." 8

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Silent, he stared down at the tiny pink jumper he held between his hands before swallowing thickly and placing it over the empty casket. Two months and there had been no trace of her until a week ago. Her jumper and her favourite toy had been found covered in blood. Everyone had told him that it was unlikely she was still alive. As a cop he knew how remote the possibility was. There'd been no ransom note, no call. She hadn't been taken for money and he knew from experience that most other kidnappings ended badly. Seeing the blood had been too much for his wife, she had instantly broken down engulfed by the sorrow of never being able to hold her youngest child again. 10

"I'm sorry I failed you." He struggled to hold back the tears that were threatening to overtake him. Ethan had remained stoically strong, convinced in his abilities to find her and bring her home safely. But he had failed. And now he had to convince himself that his little girl was gone. He had to accept that he hadn't be able to protect her. But instead, he found himself dropping to his knees with his fingers clasping her jumper. "No! Not my little girl. You bring her back to me. You hear me you son of a bitch. You bring my daughter back to me and I swear I'll do whatever it is you want. Just give me back my little girl. Please." 11

Unable to hold back the tears anymore, he allowed his head to rest upon the empty child sized coffin and gave in to the painful gut wrenching sobs that wracked his weak and exhausted body. Searching day and night with no end in sight had left his body hunger ravaged and dehydrated. His mind and spirit had slowly begun to fade as time had passed. And now he was sitting alone in the chapel saying goodbye to an empty coffin and praying to a God that had abandoned his family when they needed him the most. Gritting his teeth together, he angrily wiped useless tears from his eyes. She was still out there, somewhere. Perhaps cold and alone, frightened by the strangers she found herself with or perhaps lying at the side of the road. He had to find her. He had to know the truth. "I love you my little one. Where ever you are I'll never give up. I will find you and I will bring you home." 12

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