Chapter 240: MIA

River POV

She quickly grabs me and pulls me into tight embrace as she starts crying harder.

"Ohhhh River, they'll be okay, they have be okay" she squeezes me tightly.

I can't speak, I just hug her tightly and nod my head as I cry.

Pickle reaches Lincoln and hugs him tightly "We're here for anything you need just let us know brother." He nods.

"Thank you" he says softly pulling from him.

Lincoln goes to shows the military men out.

I go and put Hadley in her crib, she's falling asleep in my arms. I walk back out to them and I just stand there.

"Tokash is dead, we should reach out to his mom and sisters they'll need us." they all turn and look at me. My voice is all scratchy and horse.

"Oh my god" Chailor gasps as she starts crying again.

"We need to get some things packed for the baby and head to my parents" Lincoln tells Chailor.

"I'll have someone take you guys" Flame says quickly calling someone on her phone.

I look up and make eye contact with Pickle.

He quickly comes over to me and pulls me in his big arms and holds me tightly while I cry silently.

"River, how do you know about Tokash? They said they couldn't give us any names?" He asks sweetly petting my hair and holding me like I'm going to shatter. Honestly if he wasn't holding me I probably would shatter and fall to the ground. My body feels as broken as my heart right now.

"Nathan called me" I say taking a deep breath they all look at me puzzled.

"Burks. He called me, he tried to call you but you didn't answer" I say as I look at Lincoln.

"It was a weird number and I was in a meeting, I should've answered it. It shouldn't have been you." he looks so broken. He looks at me and Chailor. I try to pull from Pickle but he won't let me.

Lincoln just slowly sits back onto the couch

his head slumps into his hands and I can hear soft sobbing coming from him. That kills the rest of what I was holding in and now I'm afraid I'll never be able to stop crying.

He looks over when he hears Flame crying.

He looks at her shocked as the tears run down his face.

Then he jumps up wiping tears from his face

"Who's MIA with him?" He asks softly looking from her to me. She shakes her head and cries harder.

"Nunzio, Mumford, Finn and six others I didn't recognize their names" I gasp out in between a sob.

"Oh sweetie" he says as he quickly pulls Flame in for a hug.

"Those three men are some of the strongest people I've ever met, we've got to have hope that they are okay" Lincoln says reassuringly.

Chailor starts crying harder and Lincoln pulls her in to the hug with Flame.

"Finn is strong, we all just have to be strong too for them." Pickle says wiping my tears and then his own.

Lincoln again wipes his face with his hand, takes a deep breath and says "I have to call my parents and sister." he let's go of Chailor and Flame and heads to his room closing the door.

Pickle quickly pulls them in to his arms with me.

He kisses my head and holds it for longer then he usually does.

His phone is ringing again for the 15th time since he's been here.

I look up at him, is something else going on?

"It's Brain again" he says looking at Flame.

Then Flames phone starts ringing.

"If you don't answer it sweetheart you know he's going to send Gio and the whole compound looking for you" he kisses her head.

"I know" she said sobbing "He's my person and when I hear his voice it becomes too real."

She takes a deep breath and wiggles out of his arms.

"Cervello" She answers in a loud sob.

"I'm not alone I promise my love. Pickles with me and River we're over at Lincoln's place. I need you Ry..." she cries out.

"I love you too Cervello" that's all I hear of the conversation before she steps outside.

This isn't real he can't be gone. Are they at least together?

Who would take them?

Is he hurt?

Is Denalii hurt?

Are they even alive still?

I can't stop as I just keep spiraling into the darkness.

Lincoln POV

It's been the longest five days of my life.

I've just been walking around in a fog, numb and lifeless. It's the same for the others.

River hasn't talked or left her bed in four days. It's been the same for my mom other then the taking part and I don't know how to help them. I can barely function myself.

If it wasn't for Mia and Pickle holding us all together I don't know how these last few days would have gone. Lucky's pissed cause everyone's told him to stay in Mexico with Annie like planed. He finally agreed when it was brought up that Annie shouldn't see her like this.

I jump as my phone rings pulling me from my dazed state.

"Hello" I say with no emotion.

"Mr. Spencer?" A female voice asks.

"This is him."

"I'm secretary Lynn Davis with Colonel Ludlows office." She says.  "We have recovered four people during our search for those who are missing. Unfortunately three were deceased without any tags on and one is in critical condition and still unconscious. Their tags were probably taken as some sort of souvenir. DNA testing has been ordered but we are giving the families a chance to come to Germany and identify their loved ones if possible without waiting the extra days on DNA testing."

I can't breath. Could one of them be Finn? Do I tell my parents and River before I find out for sure?

"Mr. Spencer are you still with me?" Lynn's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, sorry." I say quietly.

"We're sorry to tell you this over the phone. The person in critical condition may not survive and we want his family to have a chance to be by his side before." She says.

"I'll be there please send me the information and I'll fly out immediately." I say thanking her before hanging up.

The door bursts open with a bang and it's River with a backpack "I'm coming with you." She says breathing heavily. I quickly grab her in a hug.

"We don't know it's him and if he's one of the others I don't want you to see that." I say wiping a tear from my cheek.

"Lincoln I'm going! You can't go alone!" She yells.

I kiss her head it's so good to hear her voice again. I turn from her when I hear my mom's voice.

"Lincoln sweetheart your father and Pickle are going as well. Me and Mia are coming here to stay with Chailor and the baby." I pull her and Chailor in my arms with River.