Zach stared at the phone, the silence on the other end a tangible presence. The kidnapper's words echoed in his mind: "Find her. Find the person you hit that night. Find out what happened to them." It was a twisted game, a cruel twist of fate that forced him to confront the ghost of his past.
He had spent years running, burying the guilt deep within himself. Now, he had to exhume it, face it, and hopefully, find a way to atone. He had to find the person he had hit, the person he had left for dead.
He knew he had to start with Ethan. Ethan was the only person who knew about the accident, the only person who could give him a starting point. He dialed his friend's number, his hand trembling as he waited for the ring.
"Zach? What’s going on?" Ethan’s voice, laced with concern, answered.
“Ethan, I need your help,” Zach said, his voice strained. “I need to find the person I hit that night. The night of the accident.”
Ethan’s voice went silent. Zach could almost hear the gears turning in his friend’s mind.
“Zach, I thought we agreed to keep that quiet,” Ethan said, his voice hesitant. “You know, for your own good.”
“I know, but it’s not about me anymore,” Zach said, his voice firm. “It’s about Mekaila. It’s about finding out what happened that night. I have to know.”
Ethan sighed. “Okay, Zach. I’ll help you. But you have to promise me you’ll be careful. This could be dangerous.”
“I promise,” Zach said, his voice filled with a newfound determination. “I’ll be careful.”
Ethan gave him the name of the local police station. Zach hung up the phone, his heart pounding in his chest. He had to find out what happened that night. He had to find the person he had hurt. He had to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
He drove to the police station, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He walked into the station, his heart pounding in his chest. He approached the desk, his voice shaking as he asked for the officer on duty.
The officer, a tall, imposing man with a stern expression, looked at him with suspicion. “Can I help you?” he asked.
“I… I need to report an accident,” Zach stammered. “It happened a few years ago. I… I didn’t report it at the time.”
The officer’s expression hardened. “Why not?” he asked.
Zach hesitated, his mind racing. He couldn’t tell the officer the truth, not yet. He had to find out what happened first.
“I… I was scared,” Zach said, his voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t know what to do.”
The officer’s gaze remained fixed on him, his expression unreadable. “What happened?” he asked.
Zach took a deep breath, his mind racing. “I… I hit something in the road. I didn’t know what it was. I swerved to avoid it, and then I… I just kept driving.”
The officer’s expression softened slightly. “Okay,” he said. “Can you give me some details?”
Zach hesitated, his mind racing. He couldn’t give the officer too much information. He had to find out what happened first.
“I… I don’t remember much,” Zach said, his voice shaking. “It was dark. I was driving fast. I… I just don’t remember.”
The officer nodded, his expression still skeptical. “Okay,” he said. “Can you tell me where it happened?”
Zach paused, his mind racing. He knew he couldn’t tell the officer the truth. He had to find out what happened first.
“I… I don’t remember,” Zach said, his voice shaking. “It was a long time ago.”
The officer sighed, his expression weary. “Alright,” he said. “If you remember anything else, come back and tell us.”
Zach nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He left the police station, his mind racing. He had to find the person he had hit. He had to find out what happened that night. He had to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
He drove back to his house, his mind racing. He had to find a way to find the person he had hit. He had to find out what happened that night. He had to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
He walked into his house, his heart pounding in his chest. He saw his daughters, their faces lit up with joy, and he felt a surge of love and protectiveness. He had to do this for them. He had to find out what happened that night. He had to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
He sat down at the kitchen table, his mind racing. He had to find a way to find the person he had hit. He had to find out what happened that night. He had to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
He picked up his phone and dialed Ethan’s number. “Ethan, I need your help,” he said, his voice strained. “I need to find the person I hit that night. The night of the accident.”
Ethan’s voice went silent. Zach could almost hear the gears turning in his friend’s mind.
“Zach, I thought we agreed to keep that quiet,” Ethan said, his voice hesitant. “You know, for your own good.”
“I know, but it’s not about me anymore,” Zach said, his voice firm. “It’s about Mekaila. It’s about finding out what happened that night. I have to know.”
Ethan sighed. “Okay, Zach. I’ll help you. But you have to promise me you’ll be careful. This could be dangerous.”
“I promise,” Zach said, his voice filled with a newfound determination. “I’ll be careful.”
Ethan gave him the name of the local police station. Zach hung up the phone, his heart pounding in his chest. He had to find out what happened that night. He had to find the person he had hurt. He had to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
He drove to the police station, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He walked into the station, his heart pounding in his chest. He approached the desk, his voice shaking as he asked for the officer on duty.
The officer, a tall, imposing man with a stern expression, looked at him with suspicion. “Can I help you?” he asked.
“I… I need to report an accident,” Zach stammered. “It happened a few years ago. I… I didn’t report it at the time.”
The officer’s expression hardened. “Why not?” he asked.
Zach hesitated, his mind racing. He couldn’t tell the officer the truth, not yet. He had to find out what happened first.
“I… I was scared,” Zach said, his voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t know what to do.”
The officer’s gaze remained fixed on him, his expression unreadable. “What happened?” he asked.
Zach took a deep breath, his mind racing. “I… I hit something in the road. I didn’t know what it was. I swerved to avoid it, and then I… I just kept driving.”
The officer’s expression softened slightly. “Okay,” he said. “Can you give me some details?”
Zach hesitated, his mind racing. He couldn’t give the officer too much information. He had to find out what happened first.
“I… I don’t remember much,” Zach said, his voice shaking. “It was dark. I was driving fast. I… I just don’t remember.”
The officer nodded, his expression still skeptical. “Okay,” he said. “Can you tell me where it happened?”
Zach paused, his mind racing. He knew he couldn’t tell the officer the truth. He had to find out what happened first.
“I… I don’t remember,” Zach said, his voice shaking. “It was a long time ago.”
The officer sighed, his expression weary. “Alright,” he said. “If you remember anything else, come back and tell us.”
Zach nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He left the police station, his mind racing. He had to find the person he had hit. He had to find out what happened that night. He had to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
He drove back to his house, his mind racing. He had to find a way to find the person he had hit. He had to find out what happened that night. He had to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be.