Simple Question

Eric stops Static for the umpteenth time to scan the area. Standing up in his stirrups, he looks across the clearing, his eyes squinting as he strains to see as far as he can. Nothing. Still nothing. He'd ridden clear out to the edge of camera line and had seen no sign of Stacy. 

Sighing, he sits back again and retrieves his walkie-talkie from his saddlebag. "Hey, Mick? Sparky?" 

Mick's voice crackles back several seconds later. "Eric?" 

"Yeah. Anything?"

"Nope. Thought I saw tracks once but I haven't even seen the missing four-wheeler. Sparky hasn't either." 

Eric gives a little growl. "Alright. What's your plan?" 

"Not sure. I'm getting worried. Stacy's not back at the ranch either." 

"You thinking foul play?" 

"Either that or an accident."

"Well I'm not gonna stop looking til we find her."

"Me neither. Keep in contact."

"Yeah." Eric puts the walkie-talkie away again and looks one more time across the clearing. "Stacy, where are you?" he asks aloud. Mick was worried... and so was he. He really didn't think it was the Agency... not without some other sign or taunting that they had her. What he feared was an accident. Even if Stacy knew which way she was going, the terrain could be rough on the trails in spots. 

For a moment, Eric remembers their brief but heated argument. The words she'd said to him. The words he'd said to her. The angry, passionate kiss.

His pulse quickens slightly. He could still taste her returned kiss. He could still feel the way her arms had slipped around him right before he'd yanked himself away. He'd been on fire. And confused. 

He was still confused. 

Static chomps at his bit and paws at the earth, anxious to get moving again, and bringing his rider's mind back to the mission at hand. Eric shakes his head and readjusts his weight in the saddle. "Alright, come on." Steering his mount back towards the path, once they reach the trees, he pulls to a stop again. He saw nothing. No sign of anything. 

"Well, my friend..." He pats Static's neck. "Let's go left this time." 

Riding for a short while longer, Eric is just about to turn around, when something catches his eye. There was a downed tree up there and... His adrenaline kicks in. An upturned four-wheeler. 

Urging Static forward at a lope, he approaches quickly, sliding to a stop in front of the small wreckage. Looking around wildly, it only takes a moment to finally spot Stacy nearby sitting on a tree stump. Relief washes over him as he sees her stand. She was up and walking. Thank God.

Eric steers Static around the tree and slowly walks him up to Stacy, pulling his horse to a stop right near her. Just looking down at her silently for several long moments, his relief is hidden well behind his unemotional expression. She probably wished for anybody but him to find her. Anybody with more brains than he had. 

Finally dismounting, he covers the couple steps to her and cocks his head, seeing the dried blood on the side of her head. "You alright?"