Mysterious

Chapter 45

"You're not doing this on your own, Brunz." Ari and Phil looked at each other deciding that they would all go look for her.

"I need to call Urbana, but after that we're going to find her.." Phil told them. Bruno grabbed his keys flipping the light off quickly going to his car.

"Hurry, dude!" he yelled. He ran his fingers through his hair and then clutched the wheel tightly after they all got in the car to find her. Ari turned on the radio to see if anyone was talking about it. Bruno's number one pre-set was dead. Number 2- dead. Three- dead. He flipped through Bruno's XM stations to find the traffic station.

"Everything east of the 405 is closed. If you need to get home or find someone...just be patient. The area is impassable and dangerous..." the traffic girl said.

"I don't care. I need to get to her." he said under his breath. They hit a wall of traffic in her direction.

"Where was she when she called?" Phil asked.

"I didn't ask. She said she would be home in like 20 minutes so maybe at Sunset...but then I told her to come see us instead...oh my god. She wouldn't have been up that high if I hadn't told her to come see us...it's all my fault. It's all my fault....why did I tell her to come see us? Why?" he started intellectualizing the situation.

They sat in traffic for nearly an hour. He continued to blame himself for not being able to find Arissa. The guys tried to calm him down, but also knew that there wasn't much they could do to keep him from worrying.

They came to a recently imposed stop where a young police officer stood. He rolled down the window after the officer asked him to. "My wife...I need her..." he told the officer.

'Sir, there are lots of people we are looking for. I'm going to give you this," the officer handed him a sheet of paper with the phone number for the Red Cross and several hospitals. "Call these to find her. No one is allowed beyond this point."

"But why are those people there?" he asked about the cars in front of him.

"There was another small aftershock a few miles ahead. They will get turned around soon enough." the police officer told Bruno.

"I don't care. I have to get to her..." he told the officer. "You can arrest me if you want to. But I am going to find her..." he told him.

"Sir, take these forms. You will find her. We will find everyone.."

**

"There's a girl over here!" a police officer yelled to his partner. "Come help me get her..." several officers joined him seeing Arissa's arm move.

"She's alive..." his partner said. "Ma'am? Can you hear us? We're here to help you..."

"Please...I can't feel my legs. And my arms...they hurt so bad..."

"We're going to help you. What's your name?"

"Arissa...." she said quietly.

"Okay Arissa. Just hang in there. We're going to help you..you'll hear a really loud noise. Just know it won't get too close to you. It's to move the guard rail."

She felt something fall near her and the car that had pinned her. The noise stopped and the officer spoke, "Now, you're going to fall when we make this last cut. So, there's a few of us behind you. You'll fall on us. It's okay if it hurts. We're taking you to the hospital."

"Tell Bruno..." she answered him.

"We'll tell him when you get out of here, Arissa. Arissa...what's your last name?"