KILLED

Chapter Four

Johnsmen picks me up by the waist, suddenly, and I have to bite my lip to hold back a screech of terror. But a second later, I am set on a metal floor, and I mentally breathe out a sigh of relief, at least until I hear the sound of car doors closing, a lock clicking, and an engine starting.
"Tess? Where are you?", Tyler asks loudly into the earpiece. "What's happening?"
"I'm in the back of a vehicle, most likely a van", I say quietly. "I'm alone, but I have no clue where I am."
"Let me guess: still blindfolded with-"
"Yes. I have no idea where I'm head-Ahhh!" I fall to one side, hitting my head on the cool metal floor as the van suddenly jerks into motion and turns to what I think is the right.
"You alright, kiddo?"
"I'm moving!", my voice becomes desperate as I struggle to get to my feet, remembering a lesson Sara's dad once gave me before he became addicted to alcohol.
"If your arms are ever tied behind your back", he had said, pulling out a pair of fake handcuffs from his pocket. "All you need to do is get your hands in front of you, and that'll make it easier to escape. So turn around."
I had obeyed, and he clicked the metal around my wrists before turning me back around  to face him.
"Jump and pull your legs through the space between your arms."
Now, I hop as high as I can, pulling my arms forward and landing lightly on my feet when they are where they're supposed to be.
"Tess, are you still with me?", the analyst asks. "We're tracking your cell phone and following you."
"I'm here", I say back. "And I'm getting out of this."
I reach up, pulling down the strip of cloth away from my eyes, blinking at the light for a moment before looking down at my wrists.
Yeah. Not getting that off without help.
Instead of trying, I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone.
"Hey, Tyler", I say suddenly. "How close are you to me?"
"Close. As soon as you reach your destination, we'll get you outta there. Don't worry. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."
"I'm not worried", I assure him. "I was just curious."
"Why? What are you doing?"
I click on my game and say, "Just killin' some time."
"Please be careful." My mom is the one at the microphone now. "Please, when you stop mving, do not interfere. Let the detectives do their job."
"Mom, it's okay", I say, tapping on the screen. "I know what I'm doing."
I think.
>>>>--------->
When the van stops moving, I quickly exit out of my game and put my phone back into my pocket, and tuck myself into the corner by the doors.
When they open, I swing my foot out, nailing Johnsmen in the nose.
The man crumples to the ground and I jump onto the earth and take off running.
"Hey!", I hear an unfamiliar male voice shout. "Stop her!"
The next thing I hear is the sound of gunfire, making me wonder yet again: What did Sara get into?
"Tess!" I keep running, even though it's my mother who shouts my name, taking a left turn, hoping to make myself a harder target to hit.
That was a mistake.
I scream in pain as metal hits flesh, and I watch in slow motion as the bullet hits a nearby tree. It grazed me, but damn is the wound bleeding. I'm on the ground, I realize, watching warm, sticky, bright red blood pool out of my leg and onto the dirt.
Another shot rings out, but that fact hits me too late, and just as it scrapes along my cheek.
And the funny thing is, the first thing that comes into my brain is Man, these people are horrible shots.
Unless they actually want me alive.
The next thing I register is Tyler and my mom kneeling on the ground beside me.
"Tess. Tess!" The analyst shakes my shoulders and says, "Kiddo, I know you're losing a lot of blood, but you need to focus."
"It's.. hard", I manage between panting breaths. "Tired."
He ignores me, fiddling with the now bloodstained cord for a moment before they come free.
"Great", Tyler says to himself. "Chloe, I need you to run back to the van and get the medical supplies." When my mother hesitates, he adds, "I'm going to stop the bleeding."
She nods and takes off.
"God, what the hell were you thinking?!", the analyst mutters, as if to himself. "That was bravely stupid."
I open my mouth, but close it, a streak of fire burning on my face.
Focus. Notice.
I notice that the air is silent and there is no more gunfire, and that the other van is gone. I also see the two detectives running towards us with my mother close behind.
"She alright?", Detective Patrick asks when he reaches us. He tucks his gun into it's holster.
"She'll need a hospital for stitches, but she'll be okay",  is all he says as my mother hands him the plastic kit.
Tyler opens it and hands a piece of gauze to the detective, saying, "Press that to her face firmly with the heel of your hand."
Patrick does as he's told, and I let out a quiet whimper through my teeth at the pain that comes with the pressure.
A few feet away, I can see McCormick on his cell phone and I strain to listen, but all I catch is "Bleeding heavily from bullet caused wounds."
Probably 911.
I nod to myself, pleased with the conclusion I have arrived at, but the detective's thumb tenses up under my chin and I end up making a strangled noise.
Everything feels kind of numb now, like my body is floating on the clouds.