The black car reached the dormitory. Mildez's eyes peeled all around.
"You live here?" she asked, unbuckling her seat belt.
Suddenly, her partner placed his giant ebony hand atop hers, shaking his head with a stern look.
Her brows creased at him as she whispered, "What?"
Ronny opened the side door in the back, helping Arliss out before answering, "Yes, we live here." His tone was a bit annoyed by her ignorance of their lives.
When Mildez attempted to step out of the vehicle, her partner reacted by swiftly reaching across her and forcefully slamming her door shut without uttering a single word.
Startled and feeling frustrated, Mildez exclaimed, "Mike?" in confusion.
In response, he pointed a finger and commanded in a deep, authoritative voice, "No."
Arliss approached the window, and she rolled it down.
"Officer, I'm fraid he's right. Rape is rampant like a plague in this part of town..."
Mildez gulped at his words and then glanced around the alley. The men's gaze, strategically positioned in every corner, seemed to fixate on her like a group of lions locking eyes with their prey on the savanna.
Just as she was starting to feel more uncomfortable, a faint but piercing wolf whistle cut through the air, causing her to roll up her car window quickly.
Ronny walked Arliss inside and helped him lay down on the cot, even pulling his blanket up for him and removing his boots. He walked to the kitchen, filled Arliss's canteen with water, and brought it back.
"I'll be back in no time. I'm sure this is nothin'," Ronny offered with a reassuring grin and began to leave.
Arliss watched his vanishing form as his eyelids began descending, and he caved into sleep.
***
The peace and order officers, the keepers of the city's balance, departed from the shadowy alley, their destination the heart of the municipality.
During the silent journey, a palpable tension filled the air, signaling an impending revelation. Finally, Mildez turned to face Ronny, who nervously wiped his hands on his trousers.
"Ronald, what I'm about to tell you, I'm not sure if you're aware of," Mildez's voice quivered with uncertainty.
His bushy and dirty eyebrows arched up, waiting for her to continue.
She cleared her throat momentarily, gazing at Mike and then back to Ronny.
"Do you remember the in-processing procedures when you were arrested as a teen?"
Ronny thought for a moment, "Uh... vaguely..."
"Do you remember your blood being drawn?" he nodded, puzzled by the direction of the conversation.
"We collected your DNA that day. It's standard protocol. Whenever a crime occurs, we store the perpetrator's DNA. In some cases, when minors are involved, it's also used to trace relatives."
"...I see..."
"Ronald... When you were taken into custody, you insisted that your only known relative was your father, whom we couldn't locate. We were considering transferring you to an orphanage until you disclosed that Arliss had been looking after you and would take responsibility for you. Orphanages are overfilled nowadays. We try to avoid that approach if possible."
YOU ARE READING
The Bitter Truth
General Fiction"Do ya like it?" he asked, eager to know her thoughts. She nodded, her eyes honestly drinking in every detail of the beautiful world just beyond her fingertips. "Imma gets us there one day, Saija," he spoke softly. She tried to hide it, but a smile...
