Shadows In Durango

*****Vincent's POV*****

Hurrying us both up the path, with many horrified people now staring at us on our passing wondering why on earth I had just attacked that man like I did, I quickly swerve amongst a sea of people approaching us to blend in more. "Did he say where he seen the poster?" I ask, my tone sharp as I glance down at Sofia who still looked somewhat startled and in shock herself.

"Uh, y-yeah, at a bus station was all he said." She babbles, as I nod once and decide to exit the zoo at the next gate up ahead.

Suddenly annoyed that our light hearted day had quickly came to a crashing end, I holler a cab over to pull up on the side of the road - ushering Sofia inside before climbing in swiftly after her.

The driver eyes us both in his mirror, as Sofia stares out of the window in deep thought and allows me to take over.

"How many bus stations are there in the city?" I ask, as the driver pauses to think briefly before responding.

"There's the main one that isn't too far from here." He retorts as I nod instantly and ask him to take us both there.

He starts to drive without another word, turning up the radio ever so slightly to ease the tension we had brought with us into his cab.

I reach across and take Sofias hand in my own bloody one, as she turns to offer me a lazy smile before her eyes fall back to the passing world outside.

I knew she was shaken up, and rightly so. She had been too close to being taken back to her father and I had only went and turned my back for mere seconds to use the bathroom!

I hated to admit it, but I would have to do something about this sooner rather than later because her father was proving to be more persistent in finding her than what I had even imagined... He could very quickly become a serious problem for us and I had vowed to keep her safe.

It doesn't take long before we pull up slowly to the drop off point by the bus terminal, as I toss some cash at the man and thank him briefly - climbing out and waiting for Sofia to do the same. Sofia instantly moves around the car and tucks herself close to me, a silent plea for me not to leave her alone again.

"Calm down it's ok... let's just take a walk around and see if we can find it." I force my tone out to be softer, as Sofia hums momentarily and nods only once.

The terminal was large, and nobody seemed out of place or suspicious.

We walked along the perimeter of the bus terminal, Sofia's hand tight in mine. I could feel her tension, her fingers trembling slightly as we scanned every notice board, wall, and lamppost for signs of her face.

The terminal was a maze of bustling travelers, their luggage trailing behind them, oblivious to the hidden danger we were trying to escape.

"Do you see anything?" I asked, keeping my voice low as I glanced down at her. Sofia shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes darted from one board to another, searching desperately.

We kept moving, slipping through the crowd as naturally as we could, but my mind was racing. If there was a poster here, it meant that her father was closing in. He was proving more resourceful than I'd given him credit for. The worrying thought on top of everything else was that if the guy at the zoo had seen it, others could have too.

We couldn't take any more chances by staying in the city for much longer...

After a few minutes of searching, I spotted a noticeboard tucked away near the entrance to one of the smaller terminals, away from the main rush of people.

The fluorescent light flickered above it, casting an eerie glow over the old, weathered papers pinned to it.

"There," I muttered, tugging Sofia towards it as her eyes widened in horror.

We stopped in front of the board, and my stomach dropped instantly. Right in the center, there she was, her missing person's poster.

Her face stared back at us, though the photo was older, from when her hair was slightly darker, but there was no mistaking that it was Sofia.

The words **"MISSING"** were printed in bold letters across the top, and beneath it, a description of her, offering a hefty reward for any information leading to her return.

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"Fuck," I whispered, my jaw tightening and without another thought, I reached up and ripped the poster down, crumpling it in my hand before stuffing it in my side pocket.

Sofia looked pale, her eyes wide and panicked. "H-how many of these do you think there are?" She asks, evidently concerned, as was I.

"I don't know," I admitted, glancing around. "But we need to get out of here. The longer we stay, the more we risk someone else recognising you."

I pulled her away from the board and started leading us toward the exit, but my gut told me things were about to get worse.

The poster meant that her father was getting desperate, and desperate men were known to make rash decisions.

Just as we were about to reach the exit, I spotted a man standing near one of the benches, his phone raised, pointed in our direction.

His gaze fixed on Sofia.

"Bastard," I hissed under my breath, instinctively pulling Sofia behind me. The man had seen us. I could tell by the way his eyes widened, by the way he lowered his phone slightly, as if trying to decide what to do next. "Vincent, what's wrong?" Sofia's voice was a whisper, but I could hear the fear creeping back up into it.

I didn't answer her. My mind was already working through the possibilities. If that guy knew about the poster - and it sure as hell seemed like he did he could easily call her father with a location.

He could make things even more complicated than they already were...

Without hesitation, I approached him in large strides, my posture threatening. "Delete it," I growled, my eyes locking onto his. "Now."

The man blinked, his phone still in his hand. He looked between me and Sofia, confusion flickering across his face, but he didn't move quickly enough for my liking.

"I said fucking delete it!" I barked, taking another step towards him.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! My voice echoed out in to the open space, drawing the attention of a few people nearby but I didn't care.

He fumbled with the phone, his hands shaking as he quickly deleted the photo. I watched closely, making sure it was gone before I nodded once. "Good choice."

Without another word, I turned and grabbed Sofia's hand again, pulling her out of the terminal and onto the street.

We walked quickly, my mind racing, trying to figure out our next move with the adrenaline pumping through me in heat waves.

I knew we couldn't stay in the city much longer... not after this.

Her father's reach was wider than I thought, and with every passing hour of us being here, he was getting closer to finding her.

I stopped when we reached a quieter street corner, pulling Sofia into the shadow of a nearby building. I pressed my back against the wall, exhaling sharply as I ran a hand through my hair in order to think straight. My other hand still held onto hers, not wanting to let go.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, looking down at her. "I didn't think this through, Daryl was right." I admit, although the words killed me to say out loud.

Sofia shook her head, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "It's not your fault, Vincent, I wanted to come here with you."

I sigh heavily, frustrated. I should've been more prepared for the 'what ifs'. This will quickly become Daryl's best 'I told you so' moments.

"The apartment is our safest option until we leave the city. I'll call my father and speed things up here so that we can go back home. I'll handle all of this, trust me." I state, deciding to look for another cab to take us back.

I squeezed her hand, silently vowing to protect her no matter what it took. But deep down, I knew that this was just the beginning. Her father wasn't going to stop until he had her back, and we would have to confront the problem head on one way or another.

"I'm going to keep you safe." I promise, before a car pulls over and we get in off the street.

I'll do whatever it takes...