cooperate, and best case scenario, they’d take all our shit and get out. Not that we had a lot of shit for them to steal. I didn’t want to think about the worst case scenario. Thankfully, I didn’t ever keep cash in this house. I learned that lesson a long time ago when I first started bringing home tips. My mom would steal every dime from me. Then we'd end up behind on our rent.
I went down to the floor, shaking as I put my hands on my head.
“Tell us where the cash and drugs are, and we’ll leave you just like we found you,” one of the men said.
I looked over at my mom, pissed that this was about drugs, and likely set up by someone who knew she usually had them.
“Damn it mom! Tell them where the hell your stash is or I’ll beat the shit out of you myself,” I told her.
“Lauren! How fucking dare you?”
“Don’t even start with me. Tell them now !”
“It-it’s in the ceiling tile, above the toilet.”
“You better be telling the truth or so help me God!” I warned her.
One of the masked men laughed and said they needed a hard-ass like me to help them with more hits. We waited while the smaller man checked out the bathroom.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he man came back into the living room.
“Got it. Almost a G and a little coke.”
“Alright ladies, last chance to tell us where else to look before we tear the place up.”
“That’s all there should be. I swear. I don’t do drugs or keep cash,” I told them.
“Oh good, so you’ve got debit cards.”
Shit, I was hoping they wouldn’t want to chance using a debit card and getting noticed on the camera.
“Where's the card?” the man that seemed in charge asked.
“In-in my purse, in my bedroom.”
“JW, check it out and hurry.”
“Got it, and a cell phone too,” JW said when he came back into the living room a few moments later.
Damn it! I had never wanted to beat the shit out of my mother as much as I did in that moment. I didn't even have a smartphone, it was one of the old-ass flip ones, but it was the only one I had.
“Let’s go ... Lauren Jefferson,” the masked man that was in charge said, reading my name from the debit card in his hand.
“W-what?” He couldn’t have just said what I thought he said.
“You’re coming with us. After you get us the max cash out of the account then we’ll let you go.”
“Shit,” I mumbled as I stood up and started walking toward them. I looked down at my shorts and tank top with no bra, and almost asked if I could change. I decided that was probably a hell no, and just slipped on a pair of my flip flops I kept at the door.
“Let’s go boys. I’d like to get some sleep tonight.” I tried to sound like I could care less that they had guns pointing at me, and were forcing me to get into a car with them to go God knows where.
At least they had their own car and didn’t hijack my rental. We rode in silence to the nearest ATM several blocks away. The passenger got out and stayed a few feet away while I went up and withdrew the four hundred dollar limit with shaking hands. When I turned around the passenger came at me, jerking the money from my hand, then, thank God, got back into the old red Toyota Corolla and drove away.
Well shit. Now I was stranded in a crappy part of town with no car, no phone, no bra, and no money, in my pajamas. What the hell was I going to do? One person quickly came to mind. A nice guy who also happened to be a cop.
I didn’t have Tyler's number. I didn't know Caleb’s number, since I'd just entered it into my contacts a few days ago. Hell, I didn’t even know Jess’s number by heart. That only left the police station or my worthless mother. Cops it was.
I walked a few blocks until I found a convenience store that was still open. My fear, shame, and anger had turned to tears along the way. I asked the clerk to use their phone to report a burglary and kidnapping, and he reluctantly handed it over.
I went down to the floor, shaking as I put my hands on my head.
“Tell us where the cash and drugs are, and we’ll leave you just like we found you,” one of the men said.
I looked over at my mom, pissed that this was about drugs, and likely set up by someone who knew she usually had them.
“Damn it mom! Tell them where the hell your stash is or I’ll beat the shit out of you myself,” I told her.
“Lauren! How fucking dare you?”
“Don’t even start with me. Tell them now !”
“It-it’s in the ceiling tile, above the toilet.”
“You better be telling the truth or so help me God!” I warned her.
One of the masked men laughed and said they needed a hard-ass like me to help them with more hits. We waited while the smaller man checked out the bathroom.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he man came back into the living room.
“Got it. Almost a G and a little coke.”
“Alright ladies, last chance to tell us where else to look before we tear the place up.”
“That’s all there should be. I swear. I don’t do drugs or keep cash,” I told them.
“Oh good, so you’ve got debit cards.”
Shit, I was hoping they wouldn’t want to chance using a debit card and getting noticed on the camera.
“Where's the card?” the man that seemed in charge asked.
“In-in my purse, in my bedroom.”
“JW, check it out and hurry.”
“Got it, and a cell phone too,” JW said when he came back into the living room a few moments later.
Damn it! I had never wanted to beat the shit out of my mother as much as I did in that moment. I didn't even have a smartphone, it was one of the old-ass flip ones, but it was the only one I had.
“Let’s go ... Lauren Jefferson,” the masked man that was in charge said, reading my name from the debit card in his hand.
“W-what?” He couldn’t have just said what I thought he said.
“You’re coming with us. After you get us the max cash out of the account then we’ll let you go.”
“Shit,” I mumbled as I stood up and started walking toward them. I looked down at my shorts and tank top with no bra, and almost asked if I could change. I decided that was probably a hell no, and just slipped on a pair of my flip flops I kept at the door.
“Let’s go boys. I’d like to get some sleep tonight.” I tried to sound like I could care less that they had guns pointing at me, and were forcing me to get into a car with them to go God knows where.
At least they had their own car and didn’t hijack my rental. We rode in silence to the nearest ATM several blocks away. The passenger got out and stayed a few feet away while I went up and withdrew the four hundred dollar limit with shaking hands. When I turned around the passenger came at me, jerking the money from my hand, then, thank God, got back into the old red Toyota Corolla and drove away.
Well shit. Now I was stranded in a crappy part of town with no car, no phone, no bra, and no money, in my pajamas. What the hell was I going to do? One person quickly came to mind. A nice guy who also happened to be a cop.
I didn’t have Tyler's number. I didn't know Caleb’s number, since I'd just entered it into my contacts a few days ago. Hell, I didn’t even know Jess’s number by heart. That only left the police station or my worthless mother. Cops it was.
I walked a few blocks until I found a convenience store that was still open. My fear, shame, and anger had turned to tears along the way. I asked the clerk to use their phone to report a burglary and kidnapping, and he reluctantly handed it over.
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