Chapter 26 Noah’s POV
“I’m not doing this today, Liam,” Isabel shouts as she heads for the door.
I barely have time to register it… I’m mid-bite, bacon halfway to my mouth… when the door swings open.
A deafening bang.
A blinding flash.
Smoke floods the room, thick and choking, and suddenly nothing makes sense. I can’t tell the difference between up from down. The floor feels like it’s moving. My ears are ringing so loudly it drowns out everything else.
“Noah… get up!” Olivia sobs somewhere close, her voice breaking. “He took Bella. Oh my God! Noah, there’s so much blood. There’s so much blood.”
The words don’t land right away. Everything feels distant, warped, like I’m underwater.
I force myself upright, my head pounding hard enough to make me nauseous. “What?” I manage. “What happened?”
Olivia is shaking, hands smeared red, eyes wild. “I… I don’t know. There was a loud bang and a flash, and then… then she was just gone. I don’t remember… I couldn’t see and nothing makes sense.”
She sucks in a broken breath. “Brad’s outside. He’s on the phone with 911.”
Her voice cracks completely. “We have to find her, Noah. Oh my God… there’s so much blood.”
The room spins as the truth settles in.
Bella didn’t leave.
She was taken.
“Liam. It was Liam. I know it is,” I whisper to myself, teeth clenched. “That son of a… he took her.”
My chest tightens. Liam’s going to kill her. God, please don’t let him kill her.
Fear curls into every fiber of my being, cold and sharp, as the reality hits. She’s gone. Taken. And there’s no time to waste.
“Okay. Olivia, call Sophie and fill her in so they can get here… ” I start, but my words are cut off as police officers stream into the room. Flashlights swinging, badges catching the smoke and chaos of the scene.
“Okay, who can tell me anything about this gentleman?” one officer demands, voice firm but calm, trying to impose order.
I step forward, swallowing hard, my voice shaking but urgent.
“His name is Liam Anderson. He’s twenty-one.
His address is 1543 Cypress Creek Lane in Apopka.
He lives with his mom, Cori Anderson, her boyfriend Robert, and his stepsister, Sydney.
He… they were dating all summer, and she dumped him yesterday when she found out he knocked up another girl. ”
I take a shaky breath, trying to keep it together. “To my knowledge, he’s dangerous. He’s desperate. And he took her. He’s the only one who could’ve done this.”
The officers exchange glances, one already pulling out a notebook. “Okay. Stay calm. We’re going to find her.”
I nod numbly, but inside, panic churns like a storm. Every second counts now.
Liam has her. And if we don’t move fast…
“Wait… her watch” Olivia screams “ She always has it on her. Noah, use your Find My Friends! She always has it on her, so unless he took it off, we can find her!” Olivia shouts, panic edged with hope.
I fumble with my phone, heart hammering, hands shaking. The app loads slowly, each second stretching impossibly long.
And then I see it. A small green dot blinking insistently on the map. My chest tightens.
“She’s at… Kelly Springs,” I announce, showing the officer the screen. The dot pulses in the middle of the forested area. The officers exchange looks, instantly shifting into action mode. “All units, Kelly Springs. Move in now. The suspect is armed and dangerous-approach with caution.”
My stomach twists. Kelly Springs is miles from here, isolated, and the roads are rough. But at least we know where she is. At least there’s a chance.
“Noah,” Olivia says urgently, grabbing my arm. “We have to go. We can’t wait.”
I nod, already talking to Brad to coordinate, my mind racing. Liam doesn’t know we’re coming. He thinks he has her. He thinks he’s in control.
But we’re not going to let him get away with this.“Well, I need someone to come with me in case they move. I need the rest to stay back in case she returns,” I say, lacing up my hiking boots, heart hammering.
Olivia’s eyes widened, panic and determination fighting across her face. “Noah… you can’t go alone!”
“Brad, Liv,” I say firmly, standing, voice shaking just enough to show the fear under my resolve. “Y’all stay here and wait for Sophie and Henry. I’ll go help bring her home.”
I tighten my books, checking my phone one last time for her location. The green dot is still blinking. Still alive… hopefully.
“I’ll be careful,” I add, more to myself than them, already imagining Liam’s desperate, violent face.
Olivia grabs my arm for just a moment, squeezing. “Just… please, come back with her,” she whispers, voice breaking.
“Noah… alive,” Brad says, putting his hand on my shoulder as I walk out the door with the officers.
I nod, swallowing hard. “I will. I promise”.
And with that, we take off towards Kelly Springs, adrenaline screaming through my veins, every mile carrying the weight of fear – and hope.
“You okay there, buddy?” the police officer asks, glancing at me as he grips the wheel.
“Yeah… we just… we just need to find her, sir,” I say, voice tight, eyes darting between the road and the map on my phone. I’m looking for any flicker of validation, some sign that hope isn’t completely lost.
The officer sighs, shifting in his seat.
“That’s always our goal. But listen… I need you to understand, to promise she was alive was not a great call.
We don’t have a solid idea of how long she’s been gone.
And there was a lot of blood back at the scene.
If he didn’t stop the bleeding then… ” His voice is steady, professional, but I can hear the weight behind it. “I…. can’t promise anything.”
My stomach twists. I can feel my pulse hammering, my hands gripping the phone like it’s a lifeline.
He presses a button on his radio. “I’ve already called park rangers to start a sweep. But the fact that you have a location? That… that’s huge. That could be the difference between life and death.”
Relief flickers, fragile but real. I swallow hard, staring at the dot blinking stubbornly on the screen.
“Then we move fast,” I whisper, more to myself than anyone else. “We don’t waste a second.”
The officer nods, foot heavy on the gas. The road stretches ahead, dark and twisting. Every mile brings us closer, but with it, the weight of knowing that Liam is out there, and Isabel is still in danger.
I look at my phone, heart hammering. The green dot is blinking relentlessly. She’s right here.
“It says she’s here… on the path, almost to the lot,” I tell the officer, thrusting my phone toward him.
“Then let’s go find your girl,” he barks, urgency in his voice. We both leap out of the car, boots hitting the asphalt with purpose.
Bella, please be alive. Please be alive. I mutter under my breath, running, adrenaline making every second stretch.
“What is it, Noah?” the officer asks.
“That’s his car,” I whisper, pointing, then freeze as my eyes catch the dark streaks of blood trailing away from it. My stomach twists.
In the distance, I hear voices, rangers moving through the brush.
“How the hell is this girl alive? That’s a lot of blood.”
“She’s probably not. There’s no way a skinny, sick girl can lose this much blood and still be fine.”
Their words hit me like a hammer. I look down at the curb and just sit there, numbly. She is skinny. She is sick. And this… this is a lot of blood. Between the house and here, she’s lost at least a liter. A liter. A liter she didn’t have to lose because she just had surgery a week ago.
A hand grips my shoulder. I jump slightly, but then I see him, one of the officers. His expression is grim, and the moment our eyes meet, it sinks in. They’re probably right.
My chest tightens suddenly, fire spreading across my ribs, suffocating me. My throat constricts. I can’t find the words.
I can’t breathe.
Tears stream down my face, blinding me, hot and helpless. My knees buckle, and I press my forehead into my hands, shaking.
“Noah…” The officer’s voice is gentle but firm, trying to anchor me. “Breathe. There’s still a chance. You can’t give up.”
I swallow hard, lungs screaming for air. “I… I can’t lose her,” I manage, voice raw and trembling. “I can’t…”
“Calm down, man. Just breathe,” the officer says, sitting beside me. His hand rests lightly on my shoulder. “We’re going to bring her home. She’s a fighter from what I’ve heard. But I need you to call her parents… I need to talk to them.”
“No…” I manage to squeak out, voice cracking. “I will do it.”
I fumble for my phone, fingers trembling, and dial Henry. Sophie can’t be the first to know. She won’t survive the panic; she’ll spiral, and right now we need focus.
“Oh my god… Noah, please tell me you have her. We’re headed to the hospital now for whenever she gets here,” Henry’s voice rushes through the line, thick with fear.
“Hey, Henry,” I say, keeping my tone as steady as possible, though it’s shaking. “I don’t have her yet, but they’re looking in the park. I need you to pull over, though… let Soph drive, so we can chat… off speaker phone”
There’s a pause on the other end, filled with confusion and worry. “Okay… okay, done. Soph’s driving.”
I take a deep, shuddering breath, trying to anchor myself. Every second feels like an eternity, every heartbeat a reminder that she’s out there, bleeding, fighting for her life. And I’m the one who has to get to her first.
“We’re at the scene, and… Liam’s car is here. Henry… There's a lot of blood. So much blood,” my voice cracks, choking on the words.
“Oh god… no,” Henry sobs, his grip tightening on the phone. “That son of a… Noah, don’t tell me that son of a bitch killed my daughter.”
“The officer says not to jump to the worst-case scenario,” I manage to say, swallowing hard, “since we haven’t found her yet… but we need to prepare ourselves because…” I stop, my chest tight, lungs burning, words failing me.
“I get it, Noah,” Henry whimpers. “No need to explain.”
Silence hangs over the line for a beat. All I can hear is my own ragged breathing, the distant chatter of rangers and police, and the pounding of my heart.
“I… I’m going to find her, Henry. I swear,” I whisper, almost to myself, clutching the phone like a lifeline. “She’s alive. She has to be.”
“I will call you no matter what when we find her,” I say, forcing each word to stay steady even as my chest burns. “I will not leave until I have her, you hear me, Henry. She will not be alone from the moment I set eyes on her.”
There’s a pause on the line, thick with grief and gratitude.
“Thank you, Noah,” Henry says, his voice breaking completely. “Thank you for being a second boy to me… and for loving my baby.”
My throat tightens. “Alright,” I say quickly, because if I don’t end this now, I won’t be able to speak due to the knot forming in my throat, I cough. “I’m gonna go… because I cannot have this conversation right now.”
I hang up before he can respond.
The night presses in again. Flashing lights. Radios crackling. Boots moving through brush. Somewhere out there, she’s still fighting.
I love his girl more than life itself.
And beneath the panic, beneath the fear clawing at my lungs, there’s something else, quiet but unshakable. I can feel her. The way you feel someone standing just out of sight.
She’s still alive.
I wipe my face, stand up, and square my shoulders.Whatever it takes.I’m not leaving without her.
The trees thin out, and suddenly I see movement up ahead. I freeze, heart hammering so hard it feels like it could burst through my chest.
There she is.
Isabel. Alive. And beside her, walking carefully but steadily, is some guy I’ve never seen. His arm is supporting her, steadying her steps. She’s leaning slightly into him, bloodied but conscious, her hair matted and her face pale.
“Bella!” I shout, breaking into a run before thinking, my legs carrying me faster than they’ve ever carried me.
Isabel lifts her head, eyes wide. Recognition, and relief, floods her face. A weak smile tugs at her lips.
“Noah!” she gasps, her voice hoarse but filled with life.
I close the distance, nearly tripping over the uneven ground, and reach them. My hands instinctively grip hers. “You’re okay! You’re okay!” I keep saying, voice breaking.
James steps back, hands raised slightly in caution. “She’s fine now. You’ve got her.” His eyes meet mine, and I see the exhaustion and relief mirrored there too.
I nod, barely able to speak. “Thank you… thank you so much.”
Isabel squeezes my hand weakly, tears brimming in her eyes. “I… I knew you’d come, my watch, i put it on my ankle so you could find me” she whispers.
And just like that, the fear, the panic, the helplessness… it all crashes down, replaced by relief so fierce it almost hurts. She’s alive. She’s here. And she’s safe.
But I won’t let go… not now, not ever.
“Holy shit, she’s alive! EMS, let’s go! This girl has lost a lot of blood. ” one of the paramedics shouts, and before I can even think about reaching for her, they’re moving fast, scooping Isabel onto a stretcher and sliding her into the ambulance.
I’m shoved gently back, chest heaving, my knees nearly giving out. My hands shake uncontrollably as adrenaline battles with pure relief. I grab my phone with trembling fingers and dial Henry.
“Henry… they have her. Bella… she’s alive,” I sob into the phone, my voice breaking, raw with the mix of terror and relief that’s been building for hours.
There’s a pause on the other end, filled with disbelief, and then: “Thank… thank you God,” Henry whispers, his voice cracking. “Oh my God… Thank you, Noah. Thank you. Keep her safe, please. Please don’t let anything happen to her.”
“I swear,” I choke out, gripping the edge of the ambulance with white-knuckled hands. “I swear I won’t let anything happen to her. She’s going to be okay, Henry. She’s going to be okay.”
As the ambulance doors shut, carrying her to safety, I let myself collapse against the curb, finally allowing the sobs I’ve been holding back to break free.
The panic that had been coiled in my chest for hours finally releases, but underneath it, a burning, fierce gratitude remains: she’s alive. She’s here.
And now, it’s only a matter of getting her home.