Followed

RODRIGUEZ

                I woke up from my unconsciousness. Oh, no. Sam. What was I going to do? I had one job: Protect Sam. I failed. I would've cut the ropes, but they took my ring. Suddenly Tod came into the room. He came to the back of the chair and undid the ropes. As soon as he was finished, I tried to stand, but I gasped in pain in my left leg and fell. I remembered the disabled joint Daniel had given me. Tod came and got me to my feet and helped me stand.

               "I'll kill him! I'll kill Daniel when I find him!" I said. Tod didn't say anything. It took us about five minutes to get there. I gasped when I saw it.

               "Oh, god..." To my horror, Sam was lying on the floor with blood on her hand, her shirt, the floor, and her handkerchief.

               "No! Let me go!" I struggled free, fell, dragged myself over to Sam, and sat up next to her.

               "Rodriguez," she tilted her head to me.

               "Call the police!" I said to Tod. He did as instructed.

               "Sam, I will have to see how bad the wound is," I told her. She removed the handkerchief. She had been shot, but the bullet only skimmed her, so she survived. It was also deep enough for stitches. She started to cry.

               "Shh," I tried to soothe her. "I know it hurts. The ambulance is coming."

               "No, Rodriguez," she cried. "I killed Daniel!" She sobbed, pointing at Daniel, who lay on the floor, motionless. I didn't know what to say. I checked to see if she was right. I tilted his head back and forth. He was dead, and I knew he was because there was blood all over him, and it didn't look like he was breathing. The ambulance, along with the police, had arrived.

               "Oh no!" Tod exclaimed, "The police! They're gonna take me and kill me." he tried to hide.

               "No, if you hide, they'll know it was you."

               "But I didn't shoot her! Daniel did, and Daniel's dead, Ruth's unconscious. Sam is shot, and you're disabled, and who's the only one left to blame?! Me!" Tod said nervously.

                "So Daniel shot Sam, then Sam shot Daniel, then let me guess: Ruth was about to shoot Sam again, but you knocked her unconscious?"

               "Right," he said. The police came in and aimed their guns at Tod.

               "Stop," I said, holding up my hand. "He didn't do anything!"I shouted, and I pointed to Ruth, "She did," Ruth was coming out of unconsciousness, "She was aiming for Sam but shot Daniel instead," I added, "Daniel shot Sam and then dropped dead," I lied. Then I continued, "Tod didn't do anything except make her unconscious." When I finished my explanation, they nodded.

               "And what about you? Are you hurt? " One of them asked me while handcuffing Ruth.

               "Yes," I answered, "I'm fine, but I have a disabled joint in my left leg."

               People with stretchers came and took Sam and me to the hospital. I felt mixed emotions. Happy that we finally had the chip. Mad that they shot Sam. Shocked by all the drama. Pain. Panic. Fear. Overwhelmed. Sad. Sad because Daniel was dead. I'm glad my hands didn't shed his blood. I've never killed anyone before. Daniel may have been my enemy, but he was still a good spy for his country.