by M. M. Koenig
I shuffled out of the hospital and approached my car at a toddler’s pace. I had no idea where to go, but home wasn’t an option. I slid into the driver’s seat and hunched over to grab the wires. A loud tap on the window startled me. I glanced over my shoulder to see a man in uniform. “Shit,” I muttered.
This is going to be very bad. No way in hell I’m getting out of it either.
The cop circled his fingers to roll down the window. I bit my lip. My handiwork with the wires could only make that happen. I elected to open the door and stepped alongside him while doing my best to look innocent, but it didn’t matter. My clothes were still covered in blood; I had wires in my hand; and the best part was that I had no ID on me. Except for feeling a tad on the insane side, I didn’t have much going for me.
I squinted at his nametag. “Officer Nedgo.”
His stone-cold expression had me nailed to the wall. “Miss, what were you doing?”
I chuckled, but stopped just as quickly when I saw the less than amused scowl coming from him. “There isn’t a chance in hell you’re going to believe me,” I answered pointedly.
His eyes creased together as he grew more irritable. “Try me.”
“This is my car. I don’t have my keys or ID to provide it though,” I said in a long, drawn-out sigh.
He raised an eyebrow. “It’s interesting that your keys and ID are missing.”
I shrugged. “I’m telling you the truth. As crazy as it sounds, this really is my car.”
He focused on my clothes and asked, “Care to explain why you’re covered in blood?”
“It’s my friend’s. He’s barely holding on,” I clarified, gesturing to the hospital.
Officer Nedgo grunted, plainly dissatisfied. He was on the younger side and seemed torn between continuing to question me and arresting me. I clasped my hands behind my back.
“What are you doing?” he asked, flabbergasted.
“Take me to the station. I’ll call someone so we can clear this up. If you check above the passenger visor, my insurance card is there,” I replied, turning my back to him.
He opened the driver’s side door and leaned across the console to grab my insurance. “It says this car is registered to a Mia Ryan,” he commented, squinting at the card.
“Yes, and that would be me. Like I said, I don’t have my ID to prove it.”
He sighed. “Well, I guess we should make that trip downtown.”
I smirked. “Awesome. I was looking for a place to go.”
Officer Nedgo shook his head and gently put on the cuffs. As we approached his squad car, he paused to take a long, hard look at me before grabbing the door and putting me inside. I kept my eyes shut and comfortably laid back against the headrest as we made our way downtown. Before I knew it, we were at the station. He opened my door and motioned for me to get out. I slid across the seat and obliged. Officer Nedgo led us to the back entrance of the station.
Wishing for more time, I looked at him in desperation and said, “I suppose there’s no chance of talking you into driving around for a while.”
He stared at me, clearly confused. “This is the most bizarre arrest I’ve had yet.”
My mouth curled into a small smile. “Well, at least it’ll be a story for you.”
Not humored, he said, “Come on. Let’s find out if you are who you say you are.”
We entered the building and weaved our way around a maze of desks. He stopped at one at the far end of the room, situated me in a seat, and released my cuffs. He settled himself behind his desk and pulled out some files before pushing his phone in my direction. I picked up the receiver to call the one person that probably wouldn’t kill me for disappearing.
“Hello,” Bri answered, her tone anxiety-ridden.
“Hey, it’s me,” I said quickly.
“Mia! Where the hell are you?” Bri shouted.
I held the receiver back and smiled sheepishly at Office Nedgo. He raised an eyebrow.
“Listen, I don’t have time to chat. I need you to grab my keys and ID and come down to the police station as soon as possible,” I replied, watching Officer Nedgo, who indicated that I should wrap it up.
Bri huffed. “Mia, what’s going on?”
“I don’t have time to explain. Please come to the station,” I urged.
“Fine, I’m on my way, but you better have one hell of an explanation,” she snapped.
“When you get here, ask for Officer Nedgo. I have to go. Thanks Bri,” I replied patiently.
“We are so having a pow-wow when I get my hands on you,” she shot back.
I hung up and looked cautiously over at my new buddy as he worked away on his computer. His lips pressed into a thin line before he got up and slapped the cuffs back on again. I stood in anticipation of being hauled to a cell. He pointed to my chair before taking his own again.
“I’ll let you sit here where I can keep an eye on you. You seem on the crafty side. I have a feeling giving you time alone isn’t the best idea.”
I gave him an appreciative smile. “I am … but I’d never use those skills now. You’ve been far too generous with me. Thank you.”
He gazed at me, utterly bewildered and said, “You’re the strangest person I’ve brought in – and that’s saying something, since I’ve been here nearly fifteen years.”
“I took you for a rookie,” I commented, surprised.
Officer Nedgo chuckled. “Is that why you volunteered yourself?”
“Well, yeah. It seemed like you were having a hard time deciding what to do with me.”
“I was. You didn’t strike me as a criminal, but you had a smidge of crazy in your eyes.”
I nodded, because he was spot on. After we had discussed my clothes, he busied himself with the paperwork on his desk. I resorted to counting the amount of cops that walked in with donuts or fast food bags. I was up to thirty when Bri burst through the doors. She stepped up to the front desk talking a mile a minute while throwing her hands in the air for emphasis.
“Umm … that’s my friend. You might want to grab her before she ends up sitting in the chair next to me in a pair of her own cuffs,” I said, nodding towards Bri.
He gave me a perplexed look and asked, “Is she going to threaten us?”
“No, but she has a colorful vocabulary. Her mouth alone could get her arrested.”
Officer Nedgo’s forehead creased as he became more confused. I shrugged and nodded towards Bri again. He rose from his seat and strode towards the front. I watched intently from the safety of my chair as he approached Bri like she was a wild animal. She had gone into wrath mode, so no one was really safe. After Officer Nedgo had talked her down from her tantrum, he turned her so that she was facing me. She shot him several murderous glares before stomping towards me. The cells looked pretty damn pleasant compared to what I was about to get from her. As she approached, I opened my mouth, but she cut me off with a hand gesture to the throat.
“As I was explaining to you and the imbeciles back there, this is Mia Ryan,” Bri growled.
“I understand you’re probably upset, but lose the attitude. We still have a few things to clarify before I can release your friend,” Officer Nedgo replied patiently.
“What more needs to be clarified? I gave you her license. You have her insurance card. I’d say this is a closed case,” Bri retorted, tossing her hands up.
I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing. If Bri had the opportunity, I didn’t doubt that she’d deck someone, judging by the amount of rage exuding from her.
“This is your last warning. Don’t push me,” Officer Nedgo snapped.
Bri huffed before crossing her arms and giving him a look to get on with it.
Officer Nedgo exhaled roughly. “Ms. Ryan said her appearance was from finding a friend badly beaten. Can you confirm this story?”
“Yes, my boyfriend and Mia found Micah Ivers in a grave condition. Mia called 911 for an ambulance so I’m sure you can find her on tape somewhere,” Bri answ
ered, annoyed.
His face became stiff as he glanced at his screen. I shot her a look to tone it down. She ignored me and continued with her theatrics. I prayed he’d find enough to let me go without asking her any more questions. If he didn’t, I foresaw a cell for the two of us in our near-future. Officer Nedgo typed away, only to pause every few minutes. Eventually, he focused on me, clearly annoyed by the look of it too. I smiled sheepishly in return.
“Everything you’ve said and your friend has confirmed appears to be true. I’m going to release you. In the future, I strongly suggest you start your vehicle with keys. I’m also giving you a citation for driving without a license on you. Pay the fine and then you’re free to go,” he ordered before getting up. He released my cuffs and handed over my insurance card, ID and keys before whispering. “Good luck with your friend. Something tells me you’re going to need it.”
I massaged my wrists and made a mental note that I’d rather not be cuffed like that again. It wasn’t my first rodeo, but this was an entirely different scenario. My lips curled into a small smile as my mind drifted to a dirty place. Bri smacked me across the head and pushed me towards the front. I scowled at her on our way to the receptionist’s desk where the ladies behind it noticeably grimaced once we were in front of it. I looked over to see if Bri had happened to grab any money for me, but her hands were empty. I cleared my throat and tossed a hand in the air. Bri cussed under her breath as she dug through her purse to get a credit card. She slammed it down on the desk. I placed the citation down with less enthusiasm. One of the ladies took them before looking directly at me.
“The total will be $500. All on the card?” she asked, uninterested.
“How the hell can it be that much for forgetting to have your license on you? It’s not like she was driving without a valid license. How do you people—” Bri ranted.
I slapped my hand over her mouth and sweetly said, “Yes, all on the card.”
I cringed when her teeth punctured my skin. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and she bit down even harder until I removed my hand. The lady ran the credit card, but made sure to take her time. She was antagonizing Bri on purpose. I wanted to scream at the chick to hurry up before we really had a situation on our hands. She slid the copy over for Bri to sign. She quickly scribbled on it and threw the copy at the lady before shoving me towards the door.
“Do you want your receipt?” the receptionist asked tauntingly.
Bri stopped and raised a finger as if she was really about to go off. I pulled her arm down and hauled her out the door. “Let go of me!” Bri shouted as we hit the sidewalk.
I stopped to face her. I’d rather let her get it all out while we were outside, rather than being trapped in a car where her hands were within reaching distance of me. “I’m sorry Bri. You know I’m good for the money.”
Her jaw dropped before she snarled, “This is so not about the money. Are you out of your damn mind? I thought you went crazy last time, but this is starting to top that real quick.”
“Put yourself in my shoes. Ask yourself if you wouldn’t go a little crazy,” I shot back.
“Yes, I get that you’ve uncovered a secret that was more than likely to remain buried your entire life, but you jumped out of a moving vehicle!”
As we stood glaring at each other like two hotheaded idiots, people in the parking lot stopped to stare at us. I shook my head and walked away. I wouldn’t put it past us to get written up for disturbing the peace. If our tempers flared high enough, the results could be disastrous.
“Where are you going?” Bri asked, flustered.
“I’d rather not get hauled back in there, so if you want to continue shouting at me, then I suggest you follow me,” I answered without slowing down.
“You’re such a pain in the ass!”
I whipped around and pointed at her Audi. “If you’re about done with your temper tantrum, I’d like to get out of here,” I bit back. Bri remained still with her hands on her hips as if she was trying to prove she could be more stubborn than me. I cocked an eyebrow and pointed out, “You know how handy I am with locks and cars.”
Bri stormed towards me. She got in her car and shut the door with more force than necessary. I slid in and rested my pounding head against the seat. She looked over, still completely enraged, before pulling out of the parking lot like the road was about to disappear. I was fully expecting her to continue ranting, but she remained quiet, which was fine. Our brief sparring had exhausted me – not to mention that I ached all over.
“My car is at the hospital. We should go get it,” I spoke up after a bit.
“It’s hilarious that you think you have a say in where we’re going. You lost that privilege when you decided jumping out of moving vehicles was a rational choice,” Bri exclaimed.
“I wanted to confront Chase. Deep down you had to know where I was going. Why you were so frantic is beyond me,” I muttered.
She slowly tilted her head, with more rage than earlier and snapped, “Excuse me. Did you question why we’d be so frantic? I just want to make sure I heard you correctly.”
“Yeah, I don’t understand,” I repeated.
Bri accelerated until she hit the next exit on the interstate and took it much faster than the limit allowed. I gripped the ‘oh-shit handle’ as she came to a screeching halt in an abandoned parking lot. Bri opened her door and slammed it shut with even more force than she had at the station. At this rate, it was probably close to falling off. She paced the side of her car with her hands curled until she dropped to her knees.
Damn. She’s probably getting sick and it’s my fault.
I scrambled out of the car and over to her side to catch the tail end of it. Bri held up a finger, her middle one no less, clearly showing she didn’t want me to take a step further. When she finished, she took a deep breath as her eyes connected with mine. The pain in them made every part of me want to disappear. My heart skipped a beat as a good dose of self-hate hit me.
“Mia, you just found out the biggest secret a person can, and you followed it with ditching everyone that cares about you,” Bri cried.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t walk in that house without losing it.”
“That’s exactly why we were worried. The more worked-up I became, the more panicked we all got. Those boys don’t know about last year, but I do. I know you didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did, and I was the one that found you practically dead. I’ve seen you broken beyond repair. This is worse. The look in your eyes when you hopped out was nothing short of insane. I didn’t know what you—I couldn’t fathom you would—”
“Bri …”
“Mia, we care about you. If anything happened to you, it’d be like a wrecking ball to us,” she said in between sobs.
“I’m sorry. The slight hold I had at that point was slipping. I wanted to talk to Chase before I lost it. I put that above anything else. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’d never kill myself – no matter how miserable my life became.”
Bri blinked her blurry eyes. “I didn’t think you would, but I never expected Jayden would reveal such a horrible secret about your life. I’m sorry we pushed you, but I’m grateful we have the truth.”
I scoffed. “I don’t think grateful is the word I’d go with.”
“It’s better you know. At least now you can back out of this whole thing. Clearly, they aren’t going to hurt you if you have as much money as Jayden says you do. Maybe you can make them an offer so they leave you alone,” Bri suggested, her tone pleading.
I shook my head and quickly replied, “You don’t make deals with these types of people. I’ve learned that the hard way. You also don’t let yourself believe you can one-up them by thinking you have the upper hand. It’s a recipe for disaster. Apparently, my mom discovered that in a very painful way as well.”
“You can’t possibly go. Please tell me you’re not that stupid. They want you, Mia. When they have you, they won’t let you go,” Bri shrieked, looking at
me as if I truly was nuts.
My eyes drifted to the blood on my clothes. There was a good chance that it could be my own within the next few days. My chest tightened at the prospect. I shoved those thoughts aside and shuffled over to the passenger side of the car. “You sound like Chase.” She opened her mouth to argue but I gestured to her car and said, “I’ll fill you in on the way home. I finally feel the need to rid myself of these clothes.”
Bri took a huge breath of relief as she opened her door. “Thank God, because I think I keep getting sick from the blood.”
On our way home, I filled her in on my conversations with Chase, Lillian, and Lyla. As we hit our street, Bri was about to ask something further, but I barely heard her. I was far too busy focusing on the pins and needles taking over my body as a full-blown anxiety attack hit me. The thoughts from the parking lot crept into my head and demanded attention. It was all about to become my reality – my life. My stomach tied itself into knots as my mouth parched. I grabbed Bri’s arm tightly, utterly terrified. She slammed on the brakes as I opened the door.
I dropped to my knees and hurled until sweat started pouring from me. Every ounce of what I’d been ignoring for hours flew out. Once finished, I rolled onto my back. I didn’t cry, sob, or even feel. Along with the contents of my stomach, every emotion had left me. I was empty, without a clue of who I was anymore. After a few minutes, Bri pulled me up into a sitting position.
“Come on, Mia. I know you’re scared, but you can’t avoid it,” she said gently.
“Bri, this is about to become my life. I don’t want it. I’m not ready to face what lies ahead,” I whimpered.
“I don’t want it for you either, but that’s not how the world works. Besides, the boys are probably a step away from taking someone out with both of us gone,” Bri answered, rubbing my back before stepping aside.
I reluctantly got up. I’d worried everyone enough and it was time to stop being selfish. I maneuvered around her to take the sidewalk.