Tentatively, Cliff ran his hand through Zane's silky brown hair. It was so soft, he mused. His touch made Zane stir, and he sighed in his sleep. Thankfully, he didn't wake up. Cliff was glad he was resting; the first few nights Zane hadn't slept a wink. He had been too scared to let his guard down.

Looking at him, Cliff wanted to hug him, but he feared Zane would wake up. He was so defensive, and honestly, Cliff couldn't blame him. Cliff had done something that even baffled him. Now, he didn't know what to do.

Lying down next to him seemed like an okay idea though, so he did, and he wrapped him arms around Zane waist loosely. He was so warm Cliff couldn't help himself as he nuzzled the boy's neck. In a way, Cliff wished he were awake so he could stare into those beautiful chocolate eyes of his. However, his conscience reminded him that this was the only way to hold him without resisting, especially after what he had done that afternoon.

Kissing the back of his neck, Cliff breathed in Zane scent like a fragrance he'd been searching for for a long time. There was just something about this boy that brought a sort of missing happiness to Cliff's chest. Zane frowned in his sleep and subconsciously tried to pull away, but Cliff held him securely, refusing to let him go. Zane was a happiness he wasn't willing to relinquish.

However, just as quickly as his happiness came, it also disappeared. Cliff had been watching the news lately and they had been talking about the killing of Zane's family. It was getting too much attention. Rowen wouldn't be happy to hear he had screwed up so badly, and Cliff knew he had to lie low if he wanted to stay out of trouble this time. As Cliff combed Zane's hair with his fingers, he wondered what he would do. Even if he didn't say anything, Rowen was bound to find out on his own; it was only a matter of time.

Zane seemed to be having a bad dream. He kept tossing and turning uncomfortably. Cliff smoothed his hand down Zane side to sooth him, and it worked a little. But only just. Exhaling into Zane's hair, Cliff settled in for the night. Maybe he would finally sleep too.

*******

Something warmer than a blanket seemed to be engulfing me. It was cozy... I felt myself shuffle closer as I slowly opened my eyes to face my bedroom window and see the sun coming through to greet me. I felt my mood dissipate almost upon waking. To my disappointment, there was no bedroom window and no sun. There was just the barren wall of a basement and a dim overhead light. Rolling to my other side, I rubbed at my nose with a sigh and suppressed a yawn as I blinked wearily.

I shot straight up and tumbled out of the bed in a tangled, frantic mess. From my seat on the floor, eyes wide with horror, I could see very clearly a person who had not been there when I had closed my eyes. As I looked on, my family's murdered slept soundly.

With a racing heart, I had to try not to react too loudly. Cautiously, I got to my feet to stare at him, too shocked and confused to utter a word. Then I pursed my lips with a glare. This creep thought he could just climb into my bed, and get comfortable, and pretend like I'll be okay with it?

I scowled at him and was about to sock him in his stupidly defenseless face when I stopped in my tracks. I turned my gaze to the door. There was no lock on the inside, never had been. So, if he was in here, it had to be unlocked, I theorized. Glancing at Cliff every few seconds to make sure he didn't wake up, I hurried to the door. I placed my hand on the nobb and turned it slowly, cringing as it squeaked. As I pulled the door open, I turned to look back at Cliff, but, thankfully, he had not been disturbed, so I wasted no time in hurrying from the room.

I ran up the steps as quietly but as fast as I could and ran in the direction of the front door. It was locked and I turned to look around the house for another door. Finding one in the kitchen, I found it was unlocked. I threw it open and ran out.

The second my bare feet hit the grass I stopped. As I scanned my surroundings, the only thing I could see were trees and trees and more trees for miles around. It went on as far as the eye could see and then some, I was sure. It was almost more intimidating than the four walls of the colorless basement.

Before I could think much more about it though, I heard a voice shout from inside the house behind me. "Zane! Where are you?!"

Before I even knew I had moved, I took off into the endless green. The trees flashed by in waves of varying colors, and I worried I was going to get lost. As I ran, however, I saw an old cabin and raced to it, looking over my shoulder as I did. Not seeing Cliff behind me, I went inside and closed the door with a slam! and turned to survey my hiding spot. It looked like it had been abandoned a long time ago, but it was a good enough for the time being. If I could hide out for a while, maybe I could slip away without Cliff finding me. I collapsed down on the disintegrating couch to wait and soon, I couldn't help smiling to myself. I had gotten away. I had made it out alive and I was going home. Sure, I was in the middle of no-man's land, alone and without food, but at least I wasn't in that place anymore. At least I was free.

*******

Sam sat in the driver's seat and James in the passenger's. They had gotten a lead in a neighborhood not too far away from Zane's. The people there said Zane used to take runs in the neighborhood early in the mornings. He usually stopped by the park when the neighborhood kids wanted to play basketball, so maybe some of them knew what was up.

However, after two hours of asking probably a dozen kids about Zane's disappearance, along with many sets of concerned parents who didn't like their kids talking to strangers, the two agents got back in the car without having made much progress. He hadn't gone for a run the morning of the murders, and no one had seen him around since he'd left for his first college semester.

"That was a whole lot of useless time. Now what?" Sam asked.

James sat in the driver's seat this time and they pulled away from the curb. "I actually don't have an answer for you this time," he said, equally disheartened. "Maybe we should- What the hell!" Before he could finish his suggestion, James slammed on the brakes and the car came to a screeching halt.

A boy who looked about the same age as Zane had run into the street and stopped in front of them, waving his hands wildly. James leaned out his window as the boy jogged up to the car. "What do you think you're doing? I could have hit you," he said seriously.

The kid didn't acknowledge James' warning. He got right to the point. "You're the FBI, right?"

Sam leaned over from the passenger seat to see him better. "Yes. What do you need?" he asked.

"My name is Kevin Botis, and I live in the same neighborhood as Zane Chelter's family. Some people neighbors were talking about the murder that happened yesterday and they said you guys had been going around asking questions about Zane," he said. "I might have some information you can use."

"What sort of information?" Sam asked.

"Zane and I were close in high school before he graduated. We took the same route when we would go running," the kid, Kevin, explained. "I was taking my usual run this morning and I saw a car I didn't recognize parked in the driveway to his house."

James grabbed his notebook from the dash and a pen. "You didn't happen to get a license plate, did you?" he asked.

"Actually, I did," Kevin said confidently. He waited until James was ready before repeating a set of numbers and letters. "It was: 14R-TF5. Does that help?"

"Yes, that helps a lot," Sam said. This was great, they had a plate number they could trace.

Before Kevin left, he put a hand on the car door. "Please find him. I don't want anything to happen to my best friend," he said.

James smiled encouragingly. "We will do our best to bring him back safe," he promised.

Kevin forced a return smile but there was worry hiding behind it. "Thanks."

The boy stepped away from the car and watched the two of them drive away. When the car reached the police station where the two agents had set up a base-of-command, James went to make coffee while Sam went straight to his computer to search the database for the plate number they'd received.

Fifteen minutes later, Sam waved to his partner. "I found him. The car belongs to a man named Clifford Dine. He lives about a two hours drive from here on a big plot of land."

"How big are we talking?" James asked.

"Three hundred acres," Sam said.

James whistled low. "Wow. That's big."

"Yeah," Sam said, frowning. "Big enough to hide someone away where neighbors won't hear. Come on, we'll head over right now."

*******

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