The Mars Experience

Chapter 23: Donna's POV

If the cops have body cams on, we're screwed. There'll be pictures of us hung up everywhere. Ransom. After I finish making sure Athena isn't taken and locked up, she whispers to me.

"You see that cop over there? That's the same guy I shot on the shoulder back in the tree alley. His name's Cole. He's the one that took down Conner. You wanted a chance to kill him, take it."

She isn't daring me. Her hatred is directed towards him. She wants me to do it. "I'm sorry I couldn't do it myself," she adds.

My finger freezes on the trigger. Before I can do anything, a man tackles me from behind. I see everyone racing out of the fight, but I'm surrounded. They turn around to try to rescue me. That is, until Jedrek races forward and gets handcuffed too. Hugo pulls Athena and they run to Apollo and Zac. Two guns are fired in their direction, but they're more focused on keeping Jedrek and me captured.

I focus on the cop, reciting an overly rehearsed speech of my rights. Jedrek looks towards me and tries to mouth something, but I can't understand what he's saying. I space out again and try to understand his words. No luck.

I snap back to reality by the cop clearing his throat. "Your name, ma'am?"

I can't lie about my name. The cop will figure out my scheme soon enough. I try to move my hands near my jeans, but they're behind my back. "Donatella Orman," I mumble.

"Excuse me?"

This time, I bark. "Donatella Abbot Orman." I eye him up and down and scowl.

"Watch your tone, young lady," he says. "I hate you", I think to myself.

I watch everyone make distance as Jedrek and I get slammed into two separate cop cars. My hands are handcuffed behind me and the cop shoves my head down to tell me to crouch when entering. The seats are leather and surprisingly nice, or they would be if they weren't covered in unrecognizable stains.

In front of me, two officers begin talking into the radio. "We believe we caught two of the fugitives with Conner Findlay. Lopi's with me and one of the fugitives who claims to be Donatella Abbot Orman... but we might have to look into some files."

"I'm not a dangerous criminal. And I'm not a liar," I mumble under my breath.

"Honeybunch," 'Lopi' says with a western accent. "You need to sit quiet and still, all right?" She speaks slowly. Her high-pitched, nasal voice scrapes into my brain.

"We are cops and you have been caught, all right? You assaulted a cop, all right?"

What are the chances I make it out alive if I jump out through the window right now?

"And you look like one of them, 'Yuma Rebels'. We ain't gonna let you go so soon, honey, so get used to it." Although she used to just sound annoying, now she's deliberately being rude.

"Yuma Rebels?"

"Well, we have adapted to the use of old-style body cams on uniforms," she replies dreamily. The other shoots her a look to tell her to be quiet.

"Well, point is, we have all of y'all's pictures. People have been looking everywhere for you! Dangerous group, and we caught the two of y'all." She whips her hair from a low ponytail around to strike my face. It's unnervingly red, dry, and frizzy.

"You have beautiful hair," I smile. "What color dye is that?" I mean it as an insult, but she takes the question literally.

"Bright cherry red, sweet pea."

The rest of the ride is pure silence. I arrive at the police station and it's already dark out. Jedrek is sat next to me, and we each have two guards supervising us. "This security level is insane. We're teenagers!" he complains.