The Pursuit

Twenty-Seven

⬻Damien⤖

We sat on the back patio, surrounded by the broken window and shattered glass. The older man introduced himself as  Officer Swanson. I examined him as he took my statement and then Maggie's. His older hands would scribble down our words and he looked at us both with such pity. I focused on the sunspots on his hands and the veins that were protruding out of his skin, the deep purple coloring mixed with the blue. I could feel my lungs burn the more I adjusted to the air around me and watched his scribble down Maggie's words.

I held Maggie's hand tightly in mine. I wasn't going to let anything harm her ever again. My thoughts went back  earlier this morning. I listened to Maggie describe what happened with Sam in the yard and I cringe inwardly. The more she described her attempts for help that went unanswered the more I sulked in my position.

The officer pushed her to give any information she could but I wanted her to stop. I wanted her the halt the truth of how I couldn't help her. I couldn't protect her from that monster who stalked her. She was so brave as she recapped pulling me and Haku out of the house. When she described trying to help Benji I closed my eyes and tried to focus on something else. I rubbed her hand in mine and felt as though I might wear a hole in her skin from my movement.

"Do you know where Mr. Bryant would have gone?" I perked up as I hear the officer ask Maggie.

"What?" I asked him with quick curiosity. The officer looked to me and away from Maggie. I could feel her grip tighten and her breathing change into a frantic pant. Officer Swanson narrowed his eyes at me. I could feel Maggie searching the area looking for Sam. Her palm was sweaty and she disengaged from me.

Officer Swanson adjusted himself with a pad in  his left hand  and twirled his pen in his right hand. "Mr. Bryant evaded us. We have yet to locate him", he stopped there as if he made a mistake.

"Where is he?" Maggie asked hysterically. "Where could he have gone? He was right there in the water! He had me in his hands!" she screeched at him. I pulled her hand tighter to mine and she calmed herself.

"Miss, we have officers searching the area, land and water for him. We are aware that he was here and have statements from the other victim. Do you know if he would have assistance on the island?" Swanson pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down at our hands. He shook his head and looked down to the broken glass on the ground.

"Victim?" Maggie asked hesitantly. I see her search for an answer and she shook her head vigorously, "Where is Haku?" She started to stand up but the officer cut her thought.

"Mr. Kama," he paused and Maggie sat back down holding onto his word. I pull her towards me and prayed silently that my uncle is okay. We both look at the officer holding our breath. "Mr. Kama was taken to hospital with respiratory failure", Swanson said factually.

My body filled with a sensation of fear as I worried for him. "Will he be okay?" I asked with every ounce of hope.

"I have no information about his status", the officer said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

"This is ridiculous!" I yelled out. I waved my hand around the yard and looked into the man's eyes. "What do you know?" I asked with venom. "What is the point of you all being here", I waved my hand around the scene again, "You know nothing  and let Sam get away!" My rage boiled over now. Maggie pulled away and I banged my hands on the table with force.

"Mr. Williams," Swanson got my attention. "The pieces are still being put together. The only two coherent people right now are you two. I'm just here to take your statements and then move you both away from the scene." His irritation was evident. "I just need to know if you have any knowledge of where Mr. Bryant would be". He searched us again and then the shoreline.

"We don't know where he is", Maggie said quietly. My anger was about to explode.

"He's gotta be somewhere! He can't just disappear into thin air!" I hollered at the both of them. The officer didn't flinch. Maggie recoiled a bit in her seat and I regretted my annoyance seeping out.  I could feel my resolve weakening. I knew I wasn't supposed to push myself but damn it this monster had hunted us down and almost killed us. He almost took Maggie back into that hell she was so desperate to get out of.

"Mr. Williams?", a voice called from behind us. I turned and saw another man and a female walk through the patio door and out to the patio. The man was tall and dark. He was younger than officer Swanson. He moved through the glass crunching the shards in his movement. They both wore suits, wrinkled in parts but both of them stoic as they moved.

The male  out stretched his hand and I reluctantly gave mine. "I'm Detective Levi and this is my partner Detective Shelton", he said and turned to his partner. She smiled politely at us and looked out to the beach.

"Detectives, I'm still taking statements", Officer Swanson interrupted the new meet and greet. He wrinkled his nose in frustration.

"Officer", Detective Levi started, "Perhaps your assistance could be more useful elsewhere". He lowered his gaze and smiled condescendingly at Officer Swanson. 

Swanson rolled his eyes and bid us goodbye. He walked off into the chaos in the front yard. The detectives sat down at the table and the world came in full force around me. They sat and asked us the same questions as Officer Swanson. My irritation was in full force by the time they ended. They gave us an escort back to my mom's house and walked through with us while we gathered up our belongings.

It wasn't until we were boarded on a plane that the reality of the day finally hit me. I was exhausted. I was done emotionally and physically. I was cleared by the doctors at the hospital when we went to visit Haku and Benji. Benji was staying over night to be observed by doctors and Haku was going to be laid up for days. He had all sorts of monitors and hoses attached to him. It was a nightmare. I was at a complete loss at what to do or how to do it. I knew there was only so much I could do anymore. I wouldn't be able to help Maggie like I thought I could. I wouldn't be able to take away all of her agony. She had been getting so much stronger and then it was ripped away from her. 

I looked over to her next to me and she stared out the window of the plane. I reached for her hand but she moved it away and into her lap. I could see the hunch start to return to her shoulders, the weight of the world falling back on her.

I was going to lose her and I was pretty sure about it. I knew that this was the weirdest experience I'd ever been a part of but it was the most exhilarating at the same time.