The next morning, Ashley went to take Jenny for a walk in the woods. Colby watched them go down the path, smiling as Jenny waved a chubby hand in his direction.

Zach sat across from him with a book in his hands. Colby glanced around, checking to see if any enemies were nearby. After a while, the two brothers began to sense something was off; it was too quiet
"Hey, Zach." Zach put his book down and gave his brother an inquisitive glance. "Ashley and Jenny should have been back now; let's go look."
Zach agreed, following Colby. He frowned when he saw no signs of life anywhere, the only sound being birds chirping in the trees above.
Colby turned to Zach, a worried expression written across his features. "Ashley would have screamed if she and Jenny were in danger."
Zach nodded. He'd heard it too. As he opened his mouth to respond, his eyes fell upon something behind the two men. A low growl escaped his lips and he quickly drew his gun, scanning the area around them, alert for any threats. When nothing appeared, he holstered his weapon. They went a little further down the path, hearts sinking when they saw Jenny's sweater on the ground. Written in the dirt were the words "Zach = traitor."
Zach shook his head, unable to accept what he'd seen. "No...I would never...." he whispered to himself, his voice laced with anguish.
Colby moved forward, picking up the piece of fabric and holding it tightly in his fist.
"They took them! Your faction took them!" Colby exploded, fury radiating from every fiber of his body.
"This is your fault...all your fault!" Colby continued, his breathing quickening.
Zach shook his head, unable to understand how their situation could have come to be.
"Look...I thought they'd come after me! Colby, you have to trust me if we're going to get Ashley and Jenny back!" Zach pleaded, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder to stop him from advancing blindly into the woods.
"Why would I trust you, Zach? Why would I listen to anything you have to say?!" Colby demanded.
"Because I'm telling the truth!"
Colby pulled away from his brother's grip. He knew Zach was right. Zach sighed, looking at the discarded baby sweater
in his brother's hands. He took a shaky breath and turned back to Colby. "I know you're scared. But you have to believe me."
Colby stared blankly, his eyes searching his brother's desperate ones. "There's a bounty on your head, Zach."
"Let's go back to the cabin and get some weapons. We need to work out a plan. And we need to keep our wits about us, okay?" Zach instructed, his tone calm as he approached Colby and gently touched his arm. He waited patiently for a response.
For several moments, Colby remained silent. He was struggling with himself, knowing that they had to do everything in their power to save Ashley and Jenny.
*******
Ashley held Jenny tight to her as she was led blindfolded through the woods. She had been snatched before she even had a chance to fight back. Her captors were ruthless, but they also weren't stupid. They'd caught her in the middle of the woods, so they figured that no one else would stumble upon her. As Ashley was led deeper into the woods, she couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that lingered in the pit of her stomach. The forest was dense, and she could barely see where she was going. All she could hear were the sounds of twigs snapping underfoot and the hushed whispers of her captors. She clutched Jenny tighter, feeling helpless and vulnerable.

After what felt like hours of walking, they finally arrived. Ashley's heart sank as she saw that she appeared to be in some kind of cave. It was the faction's hideout, and she knew that she was in deep trouble.

As she was pushed to her knees, Ashley could see that the pace was filled with armed men. They all turned to stare at her as she entered, and she could feel their eyes scanning her up and down, sizing her up. She couldn't help but feel small and defenseless.

The leader of the group stepped forward, his face twisted into a sneer. "Well, well, well," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Look what we have here. A little lost lamb wandering into our neck of the woods."

Ashley swallowed hard, trying to stay calm. She knew that she had to keep her wits about her if she was going to get out of this alive. She took a deep breath and spoke up, her voice surprisingly steady.

"I don't want any trouble," she said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I just want to go home."

The leader laughed, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, I'm afraid that's not going to happen, my dear," he said. "You see, we have plans for you and your little one here." He gestured towards Jenny, who was snuggled up against Ashley's chest.

Ashley felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She had no idea what these people wanted with her or her baby, but she knew that it couldn't be good. All she could do was hope that Colby and Zach were out there somewhere, looking for her.
"Zach's a bleeding heart; he'll give us what we're owed if it means saving a woman and kid." the leader said.
Ashley glared fiercely at him, ready to fight.
"Who are you? What do you want with us?" Ashley cried, holding Jenny protectively. The leader stepped forward, looming over her.
"That's none of your concern. You'll see soon enough." he sneered, reaching out a hand and touching her cheek with a dirty finger. The touch sent waves of fear surging through Ashley and she flinched away.

"Zach stole from us when he left; the kid had to have a moral compass. "
The leader chuckled darkly as he rubbed his filthy fingers together. Ashley tried not to think about the fact that his filthy hands may have just touched her skin.
"Now, we'll keep you and the baby until Zach decides to come crawling back. " The man grinned evilly. "If he doesn't..." He trailed off. "...well, you know the consequences."
Ashley didn't even bother asking what he meant by 'the consequences' since she knew full well that it wasn't good. All she could imagine was the worst possible scenarios.
"Put them in the cell." The leader ordered. Ashley clutched Jenny close, feeling the baby squirm. She tried to quiet the child, hoping that it wouldn't make things any worse.
A tall, thin man walked forward, pointing towards the cell in question. Ashley followed the man inside, keeping a tight grip on her child, ignoring the whines of protest coming from Jenny.
When the three reached their destination, the man grabbed Ashley roughly and shoved her through the bars of the cell, leaving her alone in the dim light. She cradled the baby closer, hugging her to her chest. Tears stung her eyes as she watched one of the gang members lock the door from the outside. She tried to think of a way to escape but knew it would only put Jenny in danger. So she settled for sitting quietly, praying that someone would find her soon.
Ashley jumped when the door slammed open, startling her.
"Don't make any noise!" A  male voice hissed. Ashley clutched Jenny tight to her. An older man walked into the cell.

"It's okay!" He reassured Ashley, keeping his distance.
"Are you..... you a member of the faction?" Ashley asked hesitantly, tears still streaming from her eyes.
The man smiled sadly at her. He removed his jacket and handed it to her then took a seat next to her.

"Name's Shane. My brother Blake and I are friends of Zach. " Shane explained. He looked at the child, who was now awake and watching them. "Is she yours?" he asked gently.
Ashley nodded, sniffling softly. "Yeah; this is Jenny," she replied.
Shane smiled and extended his hand to meet Jenny's, his palm dwarfing her small hands.
"Blake's going to sneak out and tell Zach. We'll help get you out." He informed her, his expression serious.
"Why are you helping me? Why should I trust you?" Ashley asked, still cautious.
"Look, I can understand why you might not trust me. But Jack has hurt too many innocent people. The only way he'll stop is if he's dead. Can you at least try to look at this my way?" Shane questioned, giving her a pleading glance.
"Okay," Ashley agreed grudgingly.
Shane smiled. "Good girl. Now, sit tight. I'm guarding you tonight, so you'll be safe."
Ashley nodded and put her sweater around Jenny as a blanket,  making sure to tuck her daughter in. She rested her head against the wall of the cage, closed her eyes, and prayed.