Sweat dappled her skin, beads glistening in the low light. His hand smoothed over the curve of her back of their own volition as though his fingertips were memorizing her shape in motion. Her sounds were soft, barely above a whisper, but they seemed to exhale from her to fill the room around them. In the dark, she lay above him, her body swaying as the chill of the evening air washed away.

All of him relaxed.

“Reid?”

He blinked up at her straddled across his hips. But her face contorted, the pleasure he imagined long forgotten. In its place, confusion creased her brow until her eyes widened in what he could only think was pain.

What's wrong? He tried to speak but his lips wouldn’t move. Like he had no mouth, he strained to speak but nothing came out.

And her voice, his pulse raced when her voice called out but not from her mouth. It echoed and swelled as it bore into his ears. They burned in the sound and Ashley’s eyes widened in frenzy.

Reid reached out, his arms like lead, and touched her skin.

Her heat was gone.

He blinked and the room was empty. Reid stood and was dressed with a gun in his hand. A shake started in his fingers and travelled up his arm.

She's gone, he tried to scream but was met with silence.

A distant thud jolted Reid awake. His forehead was slick with sweat as he lay naked and alone in the still room. He scanned the floor to see her clothes were gone but her shoes remained and the panic in his chest dissipated. She wouldn't run off without shoes. He felt a little silly at the thought, pushing past the unsettling dream.

But the relief didn't last long. If she hadn't left she was still planning on going through with the trade tomorrow. Or today? First morning’s light peeked through the clouds and scattered a dim glow showing him where his clothes had been strewn about.

Dressing, Reid heard another thud similar to the one that woke him. He followed it out into the hallway. As expected, no one was waiting outside the room. After all, he’d been the one on guard. Only the electric lantern he’d left remained with its flickering light. Down by Lancaster’s office, he spied another distant glow. If Ashley was anywhere, he guessed it was with the doc.

At the doorway, he paused. The room was quiet for all but the hum of the fluorescent desk lamp and he didn’t see Ashley or Lancaster. That is until he heard another thud coming from behind the desk. Reid tried not to get worried, but his feet carried him quickly towards the muffled voice.

Lancaster lay on the floor tied to a chair with tape over his mouth. It didn’t look like he’d started in that position, more likely he’d knocked himself over trying to move. Lancaster wiggled back and forth, crashing the chair into the wall to cause the once distant thud.

Reid bent and removed the duct tape from Lancaster’s face with a single rip. “What the hell is going on?” he asked as he started to untie him.

The doctor groaned. “They took her. The big one,” he gasped between breaths. “The big vulgar one who is not permitted on this floor. He took her downstairs hours ago.”

No.

Reid didn't finish untying Lancaster. He staggered to his feet, rushing and running before he found his balance. Between the generous and skipped steps, his mind repeated Lancaster’s words.

Took her downstairs.

Then images; flashes of the knife stuck in her hand, her shape pinned against the cold wall of the dank cell. His mind was more graphic than he'd have liked as he jumped and tripped in his hurry.

Once he reached the main floor, Reid couldn't see a damn thing and couldn't hear anything either. She'd be screaming, he thought but dashed the hope aside knowing they’d have gagged her.

They'd be talking, laughing. Some sort of noise right? Monte would never take a risk without help from others, but Reid didn't care. Not even if there were several of them waiting for a fight. He ran throughout the whole first floor but all the doors and windows were barred. In the dark, his eyes took too long to adjust. Where are you? He wanted to scream but that could be worse. They could hide or… The worst came to mind and he shuddered.

His next steps led him to the basement where even less light lit the way. Main floor might be too risky. They'd take her downstairs where no one could hear. But each room was empty, the tunnel blocked off.

They were just… gone.

Heading back up the stairs to the first floor, Reid was ready to beat an answer out of Lancaster when he stopped. He couldn't see it before. His eyes hadn't adjusted then but once they had, he spotted blood on the wood floor. In the tight corridor near the hidden entrance, a few spots remained. He stopped and touched it. It wasn’t fresh but hadn’t completely dried.

Reid raced back upstairs, entirely out of breath. “They're gone,” he blurted as he entered Lancaster’s office.

The freed Lancaster stood with Eric and Helena and enlightened them in a panicked fashion. The commotion brought Shannon out from his bedroom too, though alone.

“Who's gone?” Shannon asked groggily, half-dressed.

“Monte, Greg, and Gabriel I’d bet. They took Ashley and there's blood downstairs.” Reid couldn't say the words fast enough and the realization seemed to dawn on the others quickly.

“Wait, where's Tish?” A familiar panic settled in Shannon’s eyes. Without another word, Shannon abandoned the group and ran for the tower.

Reid followed him to the base of the tower stairs but lost sight of him up the corridor. When he reached the radio room, huffing, he found Shannon untying Tish. Her lip was split, a bit of blood at her temple, and her eyes were closed.

Shannon shook her, and she didn’t move. “Tish?” His voice quaked and Reid froze where he stood. A concussion, sedation, the list of things to keep her still on the floor ran through his mind as he remained fixed in one spot. Only when Helena showed up did Tish get a real once-over from a medical professional.

“She looks okay,” Helena said. “Get her upright. Give her a moment.” She helped Shannon lift her, his hands shaking, and then Tish’s eyes fluttered open.

“Babe, you alright?” Shannon asked.

Tish smiled back up at him as she tried to right herself.

“Who did this to you?” Anger filled the spaces in Shannon’s features and Reid watched the same happen to Tish. I know the feeling, he thought, his patience wearing thin.

“That fuck, Monte.” Her mouth contorted into a sneer, pulling at her split lip. She tried to move but looked dizzy and Helena insisted she take it slow.

“Why the hell would-” Eric started to ask but Tish wasn't hearing him.

Her eyes locked on Helena. “Brendan said you lied to the council.”

The accusation hung in the air.

“That you didn't tell them everything about the transmission,” Tish continued. “He told Monte every word and that fuck said he overheard you 'plotting' with Lancaster.”

“Plotting?” Lancaster chipped in from behind. “We weren't plotting, so much as-”

“Shut up,” Eric barked.

“They were talking to Jonas when I was coming up,” Tish said, taking Shannon’s help to stand. “I overheard them saying they’d ‘take matters into their own hands', some stupid shit like that.” She rubbed her jaw. “Before I could say anything Gabriel dragged me up there and they tied me up.”

“And hit you?” Helena went to check Tish's lip but she inched away.

“Didn't think I'd fight them?” she snapped. “I will not be fucked with.”

“How long ago was that?” Reid pressed, but Tish just shrugged.

“A few hours,” Lancaster offered quickly.

I slept through it all, I fucking fell asleep through all that...

“But they could not have gotten far.” Lancaster started down the stairs and they all followed. “They would have taken one of the vehicles, at least that's what we had prepared for.” Rushing to a window that faced the front of the manor house, Lancaster looked out. With a wince, he sucked in the air through his teeth. “The small school bus seems to be absent.”

Lancaster motioned to another stout bus-like vehicle. “The bus was in better condition than the Wheel-Trans vehicle but they would have needed to siphon gas from the other tanks. The school bus was nearly empty. As a matter of fact, the Wheel-Trans would be too.”

“Then we need to do the same.” Reid looked to Shannon and Tish. “Can you two take care of that?”

They nodded and Shannon helped Tish to the main stairwell, supporting her wavering balance.

“I'll grab supplies,” Eric offered before grabbing Lancaster by the shoulder. “Show me where your weapons and hidden stock are. Now's the time to share.” The doctor nodded and moved along, leaving Reid with Helena.

“This has all gone to hell.” Helena sighed as she looked out at the mess of cars barricading the entrance to the estate.

“What was the plan then?” Reid’s voice was intentionally cold. She didn’t seem able to look at him, her eyes focused instead outside. “They changed right? Tish isn’t wrong. You changed the fucking plan and didn’t tell anyone?” He ground his teeth. “Didn’t tell me?”

“It’s complicated.”

He didn't believe her. Helena always kept him at arm’s length but now it wasn't solely Reid who paid the price.

“We didn't trust them,” she finally said. “The ‘Outreach’ or… ‘Escort One.’ Whatever the hell they’re calling themselves. They never asked how many we need to evacuate or if anyone needs special medical attention. Just some bullshit about confirming her identity.”

“So you lied to the council.” And to me. To us. Ashley couldn't have known. But Reid had his doubts. “Who knew about this new plan?”

“Just Eric, Lancaster, and I,” Helena said. “We were going to take samples of Ashley's blood to confirm her identity and get people evacuated before-”

Reid cursed and smacked the wall beside the window. “You sell her for an escape?”

“It wasn't my choice!” She frowned. “Fuck, Reid, you act like this is all so simple now. Clear. Uncomplicated.” Helena still wouldn’t look at him. “And you know what? You’re right. It’s not about good or bad out here, remember? You’re the one that told me it is just about surviving. As simple as that, right? Do what it takes. Whatever it takes.”

He swallowed hard. The last terse words he’d said to her before he’d left to find Ashley seemed like a lifetime ago. They tasted like bile in his mouth. Whatever it takes.

“Maybe…” She paused to take a steadying breath. “Maybe we could look the other way after people get out and just… lose track of her. But we won’t get that chance if she’s gone. Monte and those idiots will hand her over without promise of evacuation and screw us all in the process.”

“And that would be terrible,” Reid said bitterly. “Not getting anything for all our hard work.” He clenched his stinging jaw but refrained from lashing out. We have to move fast if we're going to catch up.

“I'm not going to argue with you. We didn't tell anyone because of shit like this; someone doing something stupid.” There was a finality in her words as she looked up to him.“If it wasn't Monte it would have been you. I'm doing what needs to be done to protect those people back at the college. You should try to remember that.”

She brushed past him looking determined and a pang of resonating guilt slipped into his bones.