Behind the Bars

Prologue

Andrea's POV

"See you guys next week." I said running out the door

I haven't had off from work in years. I usually don't take off from work because I don't want to.

And I'm not one of those people who adores their job because mine isn't awesome. I'm a detective in the special victims unit in Brooklyn, NY. I pretty much work with people who have been raped.

There's always a lot of crap going on so they sorta need me at work all the time. I'm a natural sloth and a huge fan of Netflix but I go to work everyday.

My boss says I have to use some of vacation days up so I decided I'd get it over with this weekend because there's not much going on in the office.

I don't have a car so I take my bike or the bus everywhere. It's around 10:30 pm on a Friday in October.

(Phone rings)

"Hey Tara."

"Hey girl! I heard you finally took off this weekend!"

"Yeah, I didn't want to though."

"Why not? You need a break."

"Not really, I have nothing better to do with my life."

"So then why don't you get your ass down here in the Jersey Shore and we can get some drinks!"

"Uh I don't know"

"Come on babe I miss you!"

"Okay okay maybe I'll think about it"

"Yes! We should drive down on..."

I totally zoned out when I saw a women around the age of 21 curled up on the side of the street crying with her head between her knees.

"Sorry I have to go Tara, duty calls."

"Wait! But Andrea!" She shouted right before I hung open

I walked slowly over to the women to see what happened

"Ma'am are you okay?"

I heard her mumble something but I couldn't make it out.

"Ma'am?"

She darted her eyes up at me when I tapped her shoulder. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. She was so frightened when I tapped her that she bolted to the side of a building.

I ran up to her and she stared straight into my eyes with fear.

"It's okay ma'am I'm not going to hurt you."

I pulled out my badge and she looked at me with some relief. It was obvious that something happened to her.

"Can you tell me what happened ma'am?"

There was a long pause before she sighed and looked up at me and said

"It was the man, the man with the clover tattoo."