“Sirs, we are approaching Resolute Island.”

“Thanks Crabtree. Alright lads, listen up, ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once. Gillies could be anywhere on this island, and he know it better than all of us combined, so stay alert! We’ve got three young ladies needing help down there, but be careful. We don’t want any misfires.”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

The ferry’s horn blew; they’d reached the docks.

Murdoch was the first off, followed by George, Henry, and then the rest of Station House Four.

“Julia said the cabin was in the center of the island. A wooden cottage.” Murdoch pointed into the woods. “That way!”

They sprinted off into the woods, calling for the girls.

“Julia! Julia, where are you?”

“Dr. Grace! Emily!”

“Constable O’Shire! Constable! Killian!”

They finally reached the cabin. Approaching cautiously, Murdoch knocked on the door. It flew open, and Julia rushed into his arms. She began to sob.

“It’s okay, Julia, I’m here.”

“William, where’s Killian and Emily?”

“You mean you haven’t seen them?”

“No. Killian escorted me home, and then went back to give Dr. Grace some more light in the ice cellar. They haven’t come back.”

She completely broke down in a fit of hysterics.

“It’s okay, Julia, we’ll find―”

“Julia! Julia!”

Killian came tearing out of the woodline, full sprint, tear and blood stains splattered across her face.

“Julia, it’s Emily. He’s taken Emily!”

“Is she―” George’s question hung in the air.

“No, not yet. Gillies took her. Hidden her somewhere. He left a note.”

Killian gave the note to Murdoch who, in turn, gave it to Inspector Brackenreid.

“Bloody hell. This bugger isn’t playing around. Two hours, eh? O’Shire, when did you find this?”

“‘Bout an hour ago, sir. George,” she turned to the constable. “Gillies said we’d find Emily at ‘the place where she finds peace’. Where could that be?”

Everyone turned to George.

“Well,” he struggled to remember. “She likes to dance. Plays a little piano. Swims. She likes to get a drink here and there at the pub―”

“Wait,” Killian interrupted. “Did you say she likes to swim?”

“Well, yes. One year she made the Varsity Swim Team.”

“Of course,” said Killian. “He’s keeping her at the swimming hole.”

“But that makes no sense,” argued Julia. “He has only two weapons left. The gun and the bow.”

“Does it really matter?” George snapped. “Emily―Dr. Grace―is missing. We have to find her.”

“I agree, George, but first, what’s going on?” asked Murdoch, clearly confused.

Julia summarized the story.

“Murder nine years ago. O’Shire family. Assortment of weapons. Gillies.”

“Oh.”

“Well, I agree with Crabtree,” said Killian. “James Gillies may have spared me twice, but I don’t think he’ll spare Emily.”

“I agree.”

“Let’s go!”

Killian grabbed her bow and quiver, strapping it to her waist, and led the others to the swimming hole, everyone on her heels.

“Emily!”

“Dr. Grace!”

“Emily!”

They reached the swimming hole, but there was no sign of Emily. Killian looked down into the water.

She stripped off her bow, quiver, and knives and put one of them in between her teeth, pirate style.

“Hold these. Don’t lose them.” She handed them to Henry.

She stepped back, and before the Inspector could yell, “Don’t be stupid,” she sprinted, dove off the diving rock, and knifed into the water.

She hit the water, and it was cold. Forcing herself to not go into shock, she held her breath and groped around in the darkness. She felt around for anything out of place… out of the ordinary.

She hit something hard. It wasn’t a rock. Lungs bursting, Killian briefly opened her eyes. It was a case.

She surfaced, breathing hard.

Pulling the knife out of her mouth and treading water, she yelled, “I found her!”

George and Murdoch both dove into the water next to her, and Killian too took a deep breath and dove under.

George and Murdoch were trying to pull the case up to the surface, to no avail.

Killian felt along the top until her fingers passed over something cold, something metal. A latch.

She flipped it and stuck her knife in between the hole and yanked back. A body tumbled out into her arms. She signaled to the men to surface. They nodded, and Killian herself kicked off the ground and broke the surface of the water.

Gasping for air, she swam over to shore, one arm around Dr. Grace. She reached the shore, and Henry helped them out.

Emily wasn’t breathing.

Killian bent over Emily and administered two breaths and then 30 pushes to her chest.

“Bloody hell, O’Shire, what are you doing?” The Inspector looked scandalized.

She gave two more breaths and then answered, “Saving her life!”

Killian kept pushing and breathing into her friend, but there was no result.

“Come on, Emily, breathe. Breathe!”

Killian slapped Emily, but her head just lollied. Tears began to fall down her face.

“Killian, stop,” said Murdoch. “She’s gone. There’s nothing we can do.”

He tried to pry her from Emily’s prone body, and Killian struggled, but Murdoch was bigger and stronger. She got free of his grasp and she pulled up Dr. Grace’s lifeless body up to hers and embraced her.

“Come on, Emily. Please wake up. Tell me you’re okay.”

Emily remained still.

Suddenly, she coughed, water coming out of her mouth.

Emily looked at Killian and said, “I’m okay.”

Killian started crying again, but this time, they were tears of joy. She fiercely hugged her friend until she said, “Can’t breathe.”

Killian let go and helped Emily to her feet. She locked eyes with George Crabtree and walked towards him. They looked at each other in silence for a moment, and then they kissed, a long sweet kiss.

Then a shot rang out, and George fell into Emily, a bullet hole in his shoulder.

“No!”

Emily lowered George to the ground, and Killian spun, looking for Gillies. She spotted him running deeper into the forest.

She grabbed her bow and quiver, nocked an arrow, aimed, and then fired. The arrow hit true, striking Gillies in the leg, but he pulled it out and kept running.

Killian dropped her bow and ran after him. He was fast, especially for a wounded man, but Killian was a trained officer of the law and fueled by rage.

She caught up with him and tackled him. She began to punch him until he held up his hands and said, “Okay, okay, I’m caught! You can stop hitting me now.”

Killian lowered her fist, and then punched him once more for good measure.

“That was for George,” she snarled. “You should’ve known better than to attack a constable. Do you know what happens when you try to kill one of our own?”

Gillies shrugged.

Killian grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him up close.

“We teach them the meaning of pain.”

She dropped him, letting his head make a satisfying smack against the forest floor.

“So this is where our grand adventure ends? Are you going to miss this?”

“No. Not one bit.”

“Not even a little?”

“No.”

“Well, I will. It’s been fun, torturing you and Murdoch, it really has.”
   

“You’re insane,” she said, disgusted. “Completely crazy.”

“You’re right, I am crazy.” Gillies grabbed Killian’s wrists and twisted sharply. He rolled Killian over. She was now one the ground. He held her arms down and put his face extremely close to hers.

She tried to struggle, but his grip was too strong.

“Crazy in love.”

Gillies kissed her.

She struggled all the harder, trying to get Gillies off of her. Killian managed to kick him off, but she was so much in shock that she could barely feel the pinprick sensation of a needle piercing her arm.

She tried to sit up, but was stuck in a kneeling position.

“What did you do?”

She felt herself falling unconscious. Killian could hear her friends calling for her, but she was too weak to call back.

She fought to remain conscious, and lifted her head to see Gillies smiling evilly down at her.

“Don’t worry, I’m not killing you, just putting you to sleep. A temporary coma.”

Anesthesia.

“Clever.” She struggled to speak.

“Oh, don’t fight it,” he coaxed. “Just relax. You’ll be fine.”

“Never.” Killian’s head dropped. “I won’t.”

Gillied bent down next to her and cupped his fingers under her chin. She met his eyes.

“Go to sleep.”

“No, I―I can’t.” She was losing her eyesight.

Gillies leaned in close and whispered, “Sleep.”

His voice was barely audibly, and so soft. She was losing her willpower. Gillies gently closed her eyes, picked her up, and carried her off, but she couldn’t fight back.

Go to sleep.

Killian plunged into unconsciousness.

~~
So sorry about making you guys wait. I started school and have been busy adjusting to being in a new place without my friends. I will try to update sooner now.

~
All credit goes to Flynn Writer.
Crazybird out~