Eating For Two

Chapter 11.

Celina gasped beside her, covering her mouth with her hand as she watched the events unfold. The boys led Lucy into a bedroom, but they didn't bother to close the door.

Zoe's eyes remained glued to the screen as the unthinkable happened - Lucy was violated right there in front of them, on camera. Her mind raced, thoughts whirling like a tornado.

She wanted to look away, but couldn't tear her gaze from the screen. The anger that had been simmering inside her boiled over, threatening to consume her.

Who were these evil little fuckers? How could they do something so heinous? And why had no one heard anything? She clenched her fists, vowing to find them and make them pay.

Her heart ached for Lucy - for the pain and trauma she would have to endure, both physically and emotionally.not only did she have one rapist. She had two.

Zoe had to remain professional, though - she couldn't let her rage cloud her judgement. She made a mental note of the boys' appearances, committing every detail to memory. They would pay for what they'd done, she promised herself.

Celina's face paled as she watched the footage, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. Zoe turned to her, her own emotions barely contained behind a veneer of professionalism.

"Do you know who those boys are?" she asked gently, already dreading the answer. Celina sniffled, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Yes," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"They're Chris and Elijah...they're in the grade above us at school. They're...they're 17." Zoe's heart sank further at the revelation. They were older - and likely stronger - than Lucy.

She couldn't imagine what kind of monsters they were to do something like this to an unconscious girl. But she couldn't let her anger take over - she needed to remain focused on getting justice for her baby.

She reached out, placing a comforting hand on Celina's shoulder. "Thank you for telling me," she said softly. "This will help us immensely." Celina nodded, looking down at her lap. Zoe's mind raced with questions as she stood up, her eyes still locked on the screen.

She knew she had to act fast - every second counted in a case like this. Turning to Mr. Winston, she radioed for backup.

Zoe left the Winston residence, the haunting images of the CCTV footage playing over and over in her mind. She couldn't believe what had happened to Lucy - her own daughter, raped by two heartless boys.

She drove back to the station in silence, her thoughts consumed by anger and despair. As soon as she arrived, she handed over the footage to her fellow detectives, her hands shaking slightly. They assured her they would review it thoroughly and get it into evidence without delay.

With grim determination, she set to work tracking down Chris and Elijah's addresses. It wasn't long before she had them - both living with their parents in upscale neighborhoods, far removed from the horrors they had inflicted on Lucy.

Zoe dispatched officers to both homes, instructing them to arrest the boys and bring them in for questioning.

As she sat in her office, waiting for updates, the weight of the situation finally caught up with her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought about the pain Lucy must be feeling, the violation she had suffered.

The room spun around her, and for a moment, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She had to be strong - for Lucy, for justice. But in that moment, all she could do was sit and grieve for the innocence her daughter had lost.

Just as Zoe was about to lose herself completely to her grief, her phone rang - Angela's number flashing on the screen. She answered in a rush, her voice thick with tears. "Zoe, it's me," Angela said, her own voice strained. "Lucy...the surgery was successful. The baby..." Zoe held her breath, praying for good news. "is alive," Angela continued.

"She's going to be okay." Relief washed over Zoe like a tidal wave, momentarily drowning out her anger and sadness. The baby - Lucy's baby - had survived the surgery.

704 words :) please vote x