Taken In

Chapter 2

Javier's POV

Turning my music down I turn into the gas station ahead of me, I guess I was too busy thinking about other shit to notice my tank is almost on E.

Pulling into the shell I see someone outside by the road, maybe a girl? I place my focus back on driving and park next to a pump before filling my tank. Walking into the station I look at the girl again, she was still on the floor and out in the pouring rain, she's probably a crackhead or something, not any of my business anyway.

"$90 on pump 5" I tell man in front of me while I walk to the counter, picking up a 6 pack of Tecate's along the way.

"Oh yeah and these too." I place the cans on the counter while the red neck looking type guy in a shell uniform turns to me. "Sure thing." He responds. Waiting for him to ring everything up I look out of the gas station window, hearing the rain aggressively hit the roof above us.

"It's raining real hard out, roads will be flooded before the morning I bet." The guy at the counter says. I nod in agreement while reaching in my back pocket to get my wallet.

"Your total is $94.85." The worker says with a smile. I nod and pull out two fifties before placing them on the counter.

While he places the money in the register curiosity gets the best of me and I decide to say something.

"That girl in the street over there with the big red hair, she been there long?"

He looks at me in a confused manner before turning towards the store window, watching the girl from earlier remain on her knees in the street.

"Man I don't know. She came in a couple of minutes ago asking for a hotel, she didn't look at me or nothin, just kept her head down. Her face was all bruised up too, probably a druggie or something." He shrugs at the end of his sentence and I nod in response.

"Yeah probably, keep the change." Picking up the beers I leave the store and get in my truck, backing up a little before reversing to get home. Before I leave I look at the girl in the street, still on the floor. My headlights allow me to see her clearly and I watch her for a little. I don't know why I feel like I can't leave, crackheads aren't rare in San Antonio, so this one shouldn't be any different.

Driving towards the exit slowly I pause and see her backpack. It's a frog- is she a kid?

I turn off the ignition and get out of the car before I can even think. I know I'm being dumb as hell but it's too late now.

I approach her slowly and the closer I get the more I realise she isn't drugged out, she's crying. I start to hear a mix of loud and quiet sobs, with tear filled hiccups in between. Shit, what am I getting myself into.

"Hey are you alright?" I ask while keeping my distance. I should've kept the car running in case this turns out to be fucked up but it's done now.

She ignores me an continues to cry, or maybe she can't hear? Is she deaf?

I sigh and grit my teeth in annoyance, thinking about how shitty this situation would go- Gabriel would call me a pussy for doing this and he's right.

"Hey miss are you alright." Standing closer to her I tap her back gently. As soon as I tap her she jumps back instantly, making me take a few steps away. She looks at me with wide eyes before wiping her tears away. The man in the gas station was right, her face is all kinds of fucked. She has a busted lip and everything.

"You alright?" I ask again, placing my hands out gently so she knows I'm trying to help.

She continues to look at me, this time with a blank expression. "Can you hear me?" I ask. Once again thinking about how dumb I am for doing this.