Cold Hearts in The Rain

Chapter 23

"Doe, where are you going?!" the officer shouted. He clearly didn't see the man nor get that I was on a mission.

Before I could even make it to the man, our police escort grabbed me roughly by my wrist and yanked me back. I heard a sickening pop. I screamed in agony.

"Oh my god," he said. "I'm so sorry!"

He was going to be sorry. The man was storming towards us.

"The man!" I shouted. That made the officer look up and pull his gun out. My grandparents were at my side in an instant.

"Get up, Doe," my grandma said, sounding panicked.

"It hurts," I groaned.

"Put your hands up!" the officer shouted. The man was still far enough to escape, however, and that's exactly what he did. He made a beckoning motion with his finger towards the cop and then turned and ran, hiding in trees in the nearby woods.

"We have a 5150. Requesting back up," the officer said into the walkie talkie, and then ran off.

"No!" I shouted. "He'll kill you!" My grandpa attempted to go after him, but I grabbed him with my good arm.

"You. Are. Not. Going," I commanded. "He will kill you. At least the officer has a gun..." Though I doubt that would help. He seems crafty.

"Let's get you into the car then," my grandpa said, finally. "And then pop that arm into place."

***

Caleb laid down silently, his head on my lap, as I rubbed my shoulder in pain. The officer still hadn't come back and backup was still on the way. Worry filled me, along with dread. That man had to have killed him.

"Are the doors locked?" I asked my grandpa. He then proceeded to lock them. He was sitting in the front seat and my grandma in the passenger side. She was reading a book to pass the time.

It was starting to get dark when backup arrived.

"We haven't heard from him," two other officers commented when my grandpa opened the window to the car and asked about it. "Which way did he go?"

He was about to tell them when the radio went off. Immediately the officer picked up his walkie talkie.

"Frank? Frank you there? You all right?" he asked.

"T... Two of the...m," our escort said. "G-ganged u...p on me. Run."

"Where are you, bud?" the second officer asked, calmly.

"Bleeding," he whispered. "Dying. Tell Anna... I love her."

"We have to find him," the first officer said. "We can't leave him to die."

"What other option do we have?" the second one said. "We have to get these civilians to safety."

"You know how to drive a car?" the first officer asked my grandpa. He nodded.

"Good. Drive to the police station. We have some business to attend to here."

***

They're all going to die.

Caleb managed to sit up and look at me.

"How are you feeling, Doe?" he asked.

"Confused," I whispered. "Can you... distract me?"

"How?" he asked. I leaned forward and kissed him. He responded by softly nibbling my lip. I moved closer to him as he wrapped his arms around my waist.