feet
while I hobbled after him for a few steps.
“ Stop!” The cop was fifty feet away, pointing his flashlight
at us as he drew near. Shane swore under his breath, holding my
bicep as he tugged me alongside him. Adrenaline kicked in,
providing a low anesthetic for the pain. I ignored my body’s
attempts to slow me down, warning me of my injured
ankle.
I shook
Shane off. “I’m fine! I can run!” We had no idea which direction
everyone else had run. After a few feet, we cut across the road,
aiming to lodge ourselves between the close-knit houses along the
street—and to escape the cop’s view. Glancing over my shoulder, my
face fell in dismay. He had seen where we’d turned and was gaining
on us! Whatever happened to the overweight, donut-eating cops
everyone stereotyped? We could have really used one of them at the
moment, instead of this guy, who was fit and chasing us like he had
something to prove.
Just let us go already! I wanted to
shout. I hoped he’d consider us good and scared and surrender the
pursuit, but it seemed we were out of luck. Not only that, but we
could also hear him on his radio, calling for backup.
Really? You need backup?
“ Come on, come on!” Shane’s hushed voice called to me as we
leaped over bushes and slipped passed trees. We stumbled back onto
another street, running at a diagonal to hide between another row
of houses. As we crossed the curb, my damaged ankle finally gave
out and I fell to my knees with a grunt. Shane had already made it
between the houses before he looked back and saw me struggling to
my feet. Just up the road, a cop car flashed its lights, heading my
way—and not fifteen feet behind me was Hero-cop.
“ Shane, run! Get out of here!” I cried. He hesitated until I
shouted again. “Go!” On my feet once more, I turned right. My
crippled run slowed me down, but at least I was drawing the cop on
foot in my direction, away from Shane. I knew that if someone were
to get caught tonight, it was better that it be me.
Not
thirty seconds later, Hero-cop wrapped his large hand around my
bicep, whipping me to a halt. Without even giving me a chance to
face him, he ordered me to my knees.
“ Put your hands behind your back,” he commanded, his voice
booming with authority. His handcuffs clanked together with
anticipation. I kneeled on the curb, my eyes catching the curious
onlookers driving by and a woman peeking through her blinds. I
tried to ignore their stares, my face flushed and my breaths
heaving in my chest. Some teenagers driving by hollered at me with
laughter, mocking my arrest. I kept my eyes down, anger and
adrenaline keeping me heated, despite the cold weather wrapping its
icy breath around me.
With the
handcuffs locked in place, the cop turned me around to face him and
his unwarranted “backup.” He was definitely younger—probably new in
his career, which explained his zealous chase and unexpected
fitness.
“ What have we got here, Jared?” The second cop said, assessing
my appearance. He looked a few years older and didn’t strut the way
Hero-cop did. “They gave you a pretty decent chase,
huh?”
Hero-cop
shook his head with a laugh. I swear his chest puffed out as he
spoke, highlighting his muscled frame. “Nah, it was
nothin’.”
I rolled my eyes at his ego. I couldn’t help myself from
speaking. “Yeah, good for you for catching an injured
sixteen-year-old girl .” I didn’t break away from his glare. “Fantastic job.” His
frown hardened, while the other cop seemed to suppress a smile. I
knew I shouldn’t have said it. It certainly wouldn’t help my
situation, but the anger I’d felt at my so-called friends needed to
be redirected somewhere.
“ Have a seat,” Hero-cop said, gripping my arm and yanking me
backwards. I landed on my rear, seated on the edge of the
curb.
Whatever. I probably deserved that.
The
other cop winked at me with a grin. Confused but happy for a
possible ally, I let a smile slip in return, while
while I hobbled after him for a few steps.
“ Stop!” The cop was fifty feet away, pointing his flashlight
at us as he drew near. Shane swore under his breath, holding my
bicep as he tugged me alongside him. Adrenaline kicked in,
providing a low anesthetic for the pain. I ignored my body’s
attempts to slow me down, warning me of my injured
ankle.
I shook
Shane off. “I’m fine! I can run!” We had no idea which direction
everyone else had run. After a few feet, we cut across the road,
aiming to lodge ourselves between the close-knit houses along the
street—and to escape the cop’s view. Glancing over my shoulder, my
face fell in dismay. He had seen where we’d turned and was gaining
on us! Whatever happened to the overweight, donut-eating cops
everyone stereotyped? We could have really used one of them at the
moment, instead of this guy, who was fit and chasing us like he had
something to prove.
Just let us go already! I wanted to
shout. I hoped he’d consider us good and scared and surrender the
pursuit, but it seemed we were out of luck. Not only that, but we
could also hear him on his radio, calling for backup.
Really? You need backup?
“ Come on, come on!” Shane’s hushed voice called to me as we
leaped over bushes and slipped passed trees. We stumbled back onto
another street, running at a diagonal to hide between another row
of houses. As we crossed the curb, my damaged ankle finally gave
out and I fell to my knees with a grunt. Shane had already made it
between the houses before he looked back and saw me struggling to
my feet. Just up the road, a cop car flashed its lights, heading my
way—and not fifteen feet behind me was Hero-cop.
“ Shane, run! Get out of here!” I cried. He hesitated until I
shouted again. “Go!” On my feet once more, I turned right. My
crippled run slowed me down, but at least I was drawing the cop on
foot in my direction, away from Shane. I knew that if someone were
to get caught tonight, it was better that it be me.
Not
thirty seconds later, Hero-cop wrapped his large hand around my
bicep, whipping me to a halt. Without even giving me a chance to
face him, he ordered me to my knees.
“ Put your hands behind your back,” he commanded, his voice
booming with authority. His handcuffs clanked together with
anticipation. I kneeled on the curb, my eyes catching the curious
onlookers driving by and a woman peeking through her blinds. I
tried to ignore their stares, my face flushed and my breaths
heaving in my chest. Some teenagers driving by hollered at me with
laughter, mocking my arrest. I kept my eyes down, anger and
adrenaline keeping me heated, despite the cold weather wrapping its
icy breath around me.
With the
handcuffs locked in place, the cop turned me around to face him and
his unwarranted “backup.” He was definitely younger—probably new in
his career, which explained his zealous chase and unexpected
fitness.
“ What have we got here, Jared?” The second cop said, assessing
my appearance. He looked a few years older and didn’t strut the way
Hero-cop did. “They gave you a pretty decent chase,
huh?”
Hero-cop
shook his head with a laugh. I swear his chest puffed out as he
spoke, highlighting his muscled frame. “Nah, it was
nothin’.”
I rolled my eyes at his ego. I couldn’t help myself from
speaking. “Yeah, good for you for catching an injured
sixteen-year-old girl .” I didn’t break away from his glare. “Fantastic job.” His
frown hardened, while the other cop seemed to suppress a smile. I
knew I shouldn’t have said it. It certainly wouldn’t help my
situation, but the anger I’d felt at my so-called friends needed to
be redirected somewhere.
“ Have a seat,” Hero-cop said, gripping my arm and yanking me
backwards. I landed on my rear, seated on the edge of the
curb.
Whatever. I probably deserved that.
The
other cop winked at me with a grin. Confused but happy for a
possible ally, I let a smile slip in return, while
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