Elias stood in the middle of the quiet shop, his mind racing but his hands steady. He did not waste time shouting or letting panic take over. He knew exactly who to turn to and what to say. He pulled out his phone, leaned against the workbench, and began to make the calls one by one.
The first person he rang was his oldest brother Gideon. It only took two rings before the line opened.
“Elias?” Gideon’s voice came through clear and strong. “You sound different. Is something wrong?”
Elias spoke straight to the point, no extra words. “They took her. Mara. I went out of town to get timber and when I came back, she was gone. There are signs all over the place. The same symbol we used years ago is here. They did this to get to me.”
There was a short pause on the other end, then Gideon’s tone
