It took some time for the paramedics in the fair to treat Oliver and stabilize his vomit fit. Turned out there were a lot other people going through similar problems as Oliver, but they were mostly kids and a few elder citizens. However, Evan was thankful that there was a medical team in the fair for such health issues. He sighed at the sight of a very weak Oliver limping with his elbow crutch and being supported by Harry partially as they walked out of the makeshift tent.

"I can't believe you managed to get on to the roller coaster. How did they even let you? I mean, couldn't they even see that damned elbow crutch you're hanging from?" Evan had a bitter but amused edge to his tone.

Oliver shrugged, the movement of his shoulder very minimum due to circumstances. "It's called Oliver's charms, man. By now you should've known that."

"Charms!" Harry exclaimed. "That was quite a pity party you pulled off back there, showing off your broken leg and bruises, just to get on the ride and start vomiting..."

Harry was describing more about Oliver's fascinating or irritating escapades since they arrived at the fair... but his voice trailed off noticing Evan frown and look around.

"Something wrong, Evan?" Harry asked.

Evan jogged ahead and looked around frantically again. "Ramona was supposed to be right here with Julius. Where're they?"

He clearly remembered leaving them at this exact place. A stab of worry clutched him suddenly.

Harry put a hand on Evan's shoulder. "Maybe they're just walking around a bit."

Oliver nodded too in agreement while standing on his own now, one good leg and the elbow crutch his only supports. He couldn't wait for this crutch to leave his eyes sight already. "Yeah, Harry's right. Why don't you call her on her phone though? It'll be easier that way, you know."

Before Oliver had even begun providing the idea of calling her, Evan already had his phone in hand, dialing her number. His frown deepened when repeatedly it said that her phone was switched off. He didn't have a good feeling about how things were turning up.

"It's saying switched off... damn it!" Evan hissed under his breath.

Harry and Oliver too frowned along with Evan this time. Why would her phone be turned off?

Evan paused suddenly and slowly lowered the phone from his ear. A very familiar object lying on the ground near a kids' ride grabbed his attention. Briskly he ran towards it and crouched down to pick it up. The same stuffed elephant he won earlier for Julius, Evan recalled how Julius absolutely had refused to let this elephant go since the moment it was given to him. How the hell was it now laying forgotten in dust?

Evan felt his head throb as a telltale sign of a strong headache coming. His broken hand, which was still loosely in a sling, was beginning to ache as well.

Somewhere, something had gone seriously wrong. That he could feel in every vein of his now tensed body.

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Julius rubbed on his little nose which was running, he was still sobbing staring at the place where he had last seen Ramona. Occasionally, he would lift his hand up at that direction and weakly mumble "Mama...". Restless and vulnerable, the boy laid on his side on the dusty ground.

And that's how Coralin found him.

"Oh!" Coralin gasped looking at the little boy Julius, lying on his side on the dusty ground looking so vulnerable. She immediately jogged towards the toddler she had bonded with just this morning when Ramona was in her shop buying a dress to wear in the fair.

Coralin picked up the lonely boy who was crying and hiccuping weakly. This sight would break anyone's heart. Coralin looked around wondering why the hell this poor, little boy was in this condition, that too alone. Hell! There might be an awful lot of nasty people wandering around in the fair.

"Why in the earth are you alone here, you sweet munchkin!" She mumbled to herself while wiping gently his red face and floating nose with a wipe.

"Where's your daddy? Or Ramona?" She looked around once again but in vain.

Coralin was returning home calling it a night, but now, after having found Julius in this condition she quickly reversed her way back into the fair.

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The car almost flew out of Montpellier and through the hill roads towards an unknown, distant location. The lights of the houses and shops grew smaller and smaller. It had been hours but Ramona didn't dare move her eyes from the rear view mirror that showed what she was leaving behind. What she was made to leave behind.

Somehow, she wasn't feeling shocked anymore. It strangely felt like a wait had come to an end.

This was what she had been fearing all this years. This doom was what she had been experiencing in her nightmares. Her doom of the past finally returning and becoming her present and future. Her paranoia had finally come to life.

It was this ache, this impossible ache in her heart she was feeling now. The ache of leaving her heart behind, in the town she called her home, where Evan was. Where Julius might be still looking for her, his "mama". At that little piece of sunshine's thought, her lips twitched for it badly wanted to stretch into a smile. But she didn't dare show any expression on her face, she didn't know what would tick Lucas off. He still hadn't uttered a thing since the moment he pushed her inside the passenger side of the car.

She shivered slightly, not because of the coldness but this darkness the car entered into. Lucas was taking her away from her life, away from light.

For once, during her time with Evan and Julius, she had thought, she could have every happiness existing under the sky. But how could she forget about this monster in her life who she knew in heart, would never cease to haunt her.

What might her over-protective, slightly crazy brother be doing now? And Evan, what was he doing right now? She just hoped they had found Julius and that too unharmed.

Nothing mattered, just the welfare of the people she loved.

She was so engrossed in thoughts that she didn't even realize when the was pulled down in front of a dark silhouette of a lonely cabin.

"Honey, it's time to pick up from where we left." His disgusting drawl of those fake sweet words made her want to puke, right over him. But the underlying meaning, that made her only close her eyes and attempt to send back all the salty tasting tears to where they came from.

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"I swear, he was alone, lying there in the parking. Ramona wasn't there or anywhere in sight." Coralin said looking at Evan as he almost snatched away his son from her.

"But..." Evan was breathless from running around in the fair, searching for the two most important people in his life. He felt like an absolute maniac without them. "... Ramona couldn't have left Julius like that for no reason."

Coralin stayed quiet, she was worried too and agreed with Evan.

Evan hugged Julius tightly as the little boy leaned into his shoulder and began crying again. His favorite word "mama"... sounded like a string of tangled and messy set of whines.

Closing tired and fear filled eyes for a moment, Evan inhaled Julius's milky scent to calm himself. But that didn't help, not at all.

Something had happened to Ramona, something bad. And not knowing what exactly it was, was absolutely terrifying.

"Where're you Ramona?" He mumbled to himself.

The living room was filled with this heavy tension. This tension that seemed too eager to bite down the shoulders of each one present there.

Evan clenched and unclenched his good hands fist. The last few hours he had been feeling distress beyond imagination but right now, after listening to what this prick of a sheriff had informed them about and still had the gall to sit in front of him like a cool cucumber, made a temper rise inside him. A temper too much for one man to hold back.

Harry seemed to be in a similar state, but at least he could release some of the steam of that temper by yelling. "So you mean to say Mr. Sheriff that a week ago someone had informed you about seeing a man in the town looking awfully similar to Lucas?"

"Yes, we got that kind of information from one of the recruits." The sheriff, Arnold Heralds, answered with a grim face.

"And what did you do after you got that information?" Harry asked through gritted teeth.

Arnold Heralds, the tough man in uniform, looked uncomfortable under everyone's scorching glares. Especially that new man in town, Evan Stewart seemed to be the topper in glaring department. No wonder, Harry and Billy had once come to him to file a report against Evan after his fresh arrival in the area.

"I... well, we ignored it as Lucas was inside the Parisian Jail. There was no way he could be in two places at once." Was Arnold's answer.

"What about now, our oh so brilliant sheriff?" Oliver mocked from where he was sitting beside Evan in the couch. He added, "Now some people have also reported about seeing Lucas entering the fair premises. What about that?"

Arnold sighed. "Listen, I understand what you guys are going through but I first need to confirm that it's actually Lucas, considering that he's still inside the Jail - according to the Prison personnel in Paris. And besides, we can't file a missing report until 24 hours have passed of..."

Evan had had just enough. He was going to rip this stupid prick's useless throat.

In a matter of a second, he had sprung out of the couch, aiming straight for the sheriff's throat. And the next moment Arnold was pinned to the floor with a glowering Evan crouching above him. Evan's hand was squeezing Arnold's throat, throttling the stupid jerk to a plausible death. Arnold clawed at Evan, even kicked up at his still healing hand. But Evan was seeing so much red in anger that it was impossible for him to focus on any form of pain, no matter how severe.

"My Ramona's missing..." Evan bellowed at his face, "God knows where she's at this moment and in what condition, she might be injured - hurting possibly in that bastard's hands. And you're busy gibbering nonsense, sitting here like a useless moron, doing nothing when you should be out there with a search team looking for her!"

Oliver and Harry along with a junior officer that came with Arnold, were attempting to pry Evan off of chocking a sheriff to death. But the task was next to impossible, it was as if Evan was possessed. Hearing the horrible commotion, Coralin came running out from the next room with Julius, Nora was on tow. Both the female refused to leave Julius in such a state. The poor little boy had been constantly looking around hoping to see his mama. His crying had stopped but this impossibly quiet state of this child was as much heart breaking.

Nora had pressed a hand on her mouth is shock and Coralin gasped in horror at the sight. They yelled from the sideline for Evan to stop while the men physically tried to wrestle the guy off or at least try loosening his grip around the sheriff's neck.

Only when Julius began crying in fright at the sight of this chaos, did Evan finally felt this haze of rage lift off of him. As Julius's sobs overpowered all the other noises in the room, Evan let himself be dragged off.

Oliver held onto his shoulder as Harry ran to see if their precious sheriff was still functioning. Evan inside the jail now, would be the topping of this bitter cake they all despised.

Evan looked at Julius sobbing in Coralin's lap as Nora and Coralin both tried to calm him. Feeling so helpless, Evan hid his eyes in the palm of his hand.

"It'll be alright man. Don't loose it now." Oliver patted Evan's shoulder consolingly. "Julius needs you, Ramona needs you. And for them, for her, you need to calm down and think properly, Evan."

Evan rubber his closed eyelids with his palm. "It's not the time to think, Oliver." Evan said lifting his head up and opening his eyes to see Arnold rubbing his neck, slowly recovering.

In a throaty voice, Arnold began squeaking how illegal Evan's actions were and how he could... and would shove his ass behind the bars for raising a hand on a sheriff. Evan chose to ignore it all.

Picking up his phone from the couch, he scrolled through the names in his contact list.Evan mumbled at Oliver not raising his eyes from the screen of the phone. "It's time to bring in my own weaponries."

He stopped at the name he was searching for and dialed the number.

Oliver whistled looking from over Evan's shoulder. "Hmm... this weapon, I know him yeah. He's Brandan's favorite hand in the whole FBI too. By the way Evan, should I kick that sheriff out now?"

Evan just grunted absentmindedly in response.

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The room was not totally dark but these rays of light coming from that slight crack of the door only reminded her of him being in the next room, very much real, very much terrifyingly back in her life. She didn't dare move, not even a tiny bit and kept up her pretense of being unconscious. Her muscles ached from lying in the same way on the cold, hard wooden floor of this shabby, little cabin.

The moment Lucas had pushed her inside the doors, he had been all over her, kissing and caressing her like he was her lover. No matter how much Ramona didn't want to rile this monster up, she couldn't help but cringe, it was like an instinct to push him away. She could bear all the pain but not this level of intimacy with the living form of disgust that was Lucas. Especially not after what she had shared with Evan, not after how Evan had showed her the way she deserved to be loved, to be made love to.

Lucas had backhanded her getting irritated, so hard that she found herself swing around and not long after her head connected to the wall. For a minute she had truly been unconscious but then she just faked it, hoping Lucas wouldn't find it attractive pouring his lust out on a body that was as good as a dead one. Thankfully he had backed off muttering curses after that and dragged her body carelessly towards this bed. He left her lying on the floor, with her one hand handcuffed to the metal foot-board of the bed.

Ramona had her eyes slightly opened since a while now, just looking around without moving her head too much. Apart from the bed she was handcuffed to, in the name of furniture there was only a chair a few feet beside the door. The only window of the room had metal bars making it a perfect prison.

She was properly caged, at least she didn't expected less from Lucas. The barely there hope that she had lingering in her heart was slowly evaporating to nothingness. There was no way of her escape this time. Even if she managed to get out of the cabin somehow, how the hell was she supposed to find help or a mean to contact someone back in town. This hill was as deserted as Mars. The forest contained wild animals, not that she cared about those creatures, she had seen worse in Lucas.

She heard noises in the next room. She snapped her eyes closed and slowed down her breathing. It seemed like Lucas was coming back to the room she was in and... was he talking to someone?

"Yes, yes damn it, I know you wanted the kid but that little filthy piece of shit was screaming my ear off!" Lucas seemed pissed.

"Well if you put it like that, then the deal is off Jonathon. Yeah, maybe. Yep, I back-stabbed you and didn't keep my word." Lucas chuckled in humor. "But you know, I'm out of jail and have my sweetheart with me now. Then why the hell should I care anymore? It's not like you're a saint yourself and I'm definitely not your slave. Besides everything's fair in love and fuck."

Snapping the phone off Lucas chuckled some more to himself.

Ramona had the urge to furrow in confusion. Who was this Jonathon? And why would he want Julius? Her blood went cold realizing that someone had planned this with Lucas. A plan, a deal, where Lucas would get her and... this Jonathon would get Julius. And she had this suspicion that this Jonathon guy was probably the reason why Lucas was out of jail and no one had a clue.

Something sinister was going on behind all that could be seen.

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"That's why I tell you not to include mental people in a plan." Jeffery said in a monotonous tone.

Jonathon was seething silently after smashing his phone into the wall. He pressed his forefinger between his eyes. "Shut it, Jeffery. I already have too much in my plate and your rubbing salt over it all, is not helping. For once... for once I had one of their off springs almost at where I wanted but that Lucas..." Not completing the sentence, he grunted in rage.

Jeffery leaned forward in the plush leather sofa across the room. "That's why I don't hunt in riddles. Just straightaway barging in and shoving bullets down the throat you despise, is much easier, faster and juicier." He had this sparkle in his eyes as if reminiscing a sweet memory. Indeed, there happened to be a sweet memory as such.

Jonathon scowled glaring at the wall before him. "You think I don't want to do the same, huh? That freaking Brandan had covered himself and his group of bitches up with bodyguards! How am I supposed to get to him? At least I could get to Evan, that billionaire's living like a common man in that stupid town... but that son of a bitch Lucas had to ruin it all in the final moment." Jonathon yelled exasperated.

"Why don't you go for their neck yourself instead of depending on mental people like Lucas?" When Jonathon gave him a look, Jeffery added while making himself a drink. "I know, I know. You have to come out of your hide out for that. But think about it, dude, won't it be worth all the destruction you would be able to cause then?"

Jonathon was quiet for a long time after that, that Jeffery thought he wouldn't get any reply from him. But Jonathon did open his mouth and his voice came out cold and dangerous.

"Probably it would. It would be, actually, worth it."

Jeffery nodded while smirking. Then he asked with a raised eyebrow, "But what happens to Lucas now?"

Tilting his head to the other side Jonathon clicked his tongue. "Well, he loses my protection, that's what."

Jeffery's smirk intensified as he proceeded to make Jonathon a drink as well. Alone, Jeffery used to think that he had everything under control in the mafia business after his older brother's demise. But now that Jonathon had joined him after the public exposure of his involvement to the underworld, Jeffery realized that together, they were invincible.

And Lucas, well he just lost a powerful backup.