Rebirth

Chapter 19 - The Race

Cloud felt his phone vibrate in his back pocked and slowed to a stop. Red ran up behind
him and paced around the bike as Cloud flipped the phone open. He remembered Tifa's
words back at the bar.

"But you keep your phone don't you? You never answer it so why do you keep it?"

She was right, he did usually let his calls go into voice mail, but not this time. Not
anymore.

"Yea?" he barked into the phone.

"Cloud? Its Barret. What the hell is going on? I got back to the bar and found those two
asshole Turks here with Marlene and the place busted up."

"Barret, I'm glad your back. Red and I are on our way back to the bar. We should be
there in about an hour . . . they took her Barret."

"Who? They took who? And who is they?" asked Barret, sounding confused. All he
could get out of Marlene was some story about a church and a giant.

"They took Tifa," he said, choking on his words.

"What? Why?"

"I'll explain everything when I get there. Try and reach Vincent will you. He may know
something by now. See ya in a few." He snapped the phone closed and pushed it back
into his pocket.

"Lets go," he said to Red and took off down the road.

After an hour of riding they finally reached the bar. Barret and Vincent were standing
outside with Marlene next to the big black SUV. Cloud could see that they were talking
intently, Barret gesturing wildly with his big gun arm. Cloud had to smile at the sight
despite himself.

He pulled up to his two friends and turned off the bike. Red walked around the area, his
nose to the ground.

Barret and Vincent walked over to the bike as Cloud dismounted.

"Vincent told me everything," said Barret.

"Were you able to follow them?" Cloud asked Vincent.

"I looked for them after you left but they had already gone. I brought the other children
back to town."

"Hey Red!" Barret yelled over to the animal. "What ya doin', buddy?"

Red picked up his head from the ground he had been sniffing and looked at the big man.
"Divining for water, what does it look like I'm doing?" he replied with a good natured
sneer.

Cloud pulled Tifa's glove out of his shirt. "She must have dropped this when they took
her . . ."

Vincent and Barret glanced at each other. It was obvious their friend was in hell. Barret
put his big heavy hand on Cloud's shoulder and said "We'll find her, Cloud. She's a
strong girl. She'll be ok."

Cloud turned his head and brushed away the beginning of a tear, trying not to let them
see.

"I talked with Cid and Yuffie. They're on the way here. Yuffie will stay here with
Marlene and Cid will join us to help look for Tifa," said Barret. Cloud smiled up at him.
He was relieved to have his old friends around him and, for the first time since
discovering Tifa had been taken, saw a glimmer of hope. He would get her back.

"That's good, but I can't wait for them. They'll have to catch up to us."

He turned to Red and watched the big animal circle the yard, searching for Tifa's scent.
Red had been walking back and forth with his nose to the ground trying to pick up
anything that would tell him which direction she had been taken. He stopped dead in his
tracks.

"There she is," he murmured to himself. He put his nose back to the ground to find the
direction her scent went and loped out of the yard.

Cloud jumped back on the bike and revved it back to life while Barret and Vincent ran to
the SUV. When Red was on the hunt, you had to hurry to keep up.

Barret called back to Marlene. "You stay here like we talked, baby. Yuffie will be here
in a little while to play with you."

"Ok, Daddy!" she answered, waving at him as he jumped into the big truck.

The two vehicles followed Red who was running at a full gallop now. He was leading
them towards the mountains.