Villains on My Mind

Chapter 17

I've never sat in the front of a squad car before. In the back, yes. I might or might not have jaywalked flagrantly in front of the cops one time. I was in a hurry, okay? And I didn't see them, and it was an empty Brooklyn street, so I figured they wouldn't care, but care they did. And I got angry at them for fining me about such an insignificant matter, so I spent the night in jail. The back of that police car had smelled appalling. This was definitely nicer.

"So, what's gotten the devil chasing after ya?" Jerry asks suddenly. We've spent most of the ride quiet, driving uptown toward Harlem. I clumsily wriggled in the seat to remove the white panes of the Stormtrooper uniform, leaving just the black one-piece garment revealed underneath. I figured I'll get shot by someone thinking I'm the enemy fighter, just strolling on the streets of Manhattan in my armor.

"Oh, you know. I'm a sucker for murderers." I reply wryly. He doesn't laugh. He gives me an oh-come-on-glare.

"You've just had bad luck 'is all." He defends and shrugs his shoulders.

"Yeah. One could say that."

I'm looking out the window at the passing buildings and yellow cabs. I crack a window open, taking in a lungful of the smell of New York City. Grease from street food, spilled coffee from running pedestrians, gas from honking cars, cigarette smoke from stressed-out New Yorkers, and garbage riddled streets with rats on the sidewalk. I missed hating it already.

We're driving up on 5th Avenue, Central Park to our left now. It's beautiful. I think Jerry thinks so too, otherwise he wouldn't willingly drive in this traffic. He lowers his window now as well, resting his elbow out of it, gazing up. Suddenly the car veers to the left and then to right. I let out a shriek and he tries to steady the car, gripping the sternwheel knuckles white. He gazes up again, eyes wide with terror. Oh shit.

"They're here, aren't they?" I ask, but it's more of a statement. I know the answer.

I roll my window fully down and look up. Kylo Ren's ship. Fuck. I'm so dead.

"Jerry, " I start as calmly as I possibly can. The blood in my veins is rushing through my body at a defining pace. "I'm going to need you to drive somewhere underground, or we are going to have to get out of this vehicle right now, and run."

He starts maneuvering the car, flicking the sirens on, "Ain't gotta tell me twice."

"Jerry! Shut off the sirens!" I shout at him and try to shove the knobs near the place on the console where he pressed them on. "They attract way too much attention!"

"Goddamnit," I hear Jerry mumbling under his breath, pressing the right control to turn them off. "We're not moving anywhere with these off."

"Fine. Just pull over right here." I say as I'm already unfastening my seatbelt, and opening the door of the still moving police car. I look up at the direction of the petrifying noise of Kylo Ren's vessel, and witness how the trees of Central Park strain from the airstream of it. Gradually and gracefully the ship begins its descend straight down, wings rising. Like death itself.

"Jesus, Ana!" He shouts and directs the car, so that the front left tire is up on a sidewalk. Then he hits the breaks, dashing out of the car now too.

"Where are you running to!?" He yells from behind me, as I'm already crossing the street with other panicked New Yorkers. A man runs past me, almost elbowing me as he manically takes puffs of his smoke. I look back and Jerry is catching up to me, fast. Damn it, Jerry.

I stop abruptly in the middle of the street and turn around. "Jerry, you can't follow me. I'd be putting you at risk, please, just run the other way. Or break into one of these buildings and hide in the basement. I'll guarantee you'll be safer there than with me."

"Fucking shit, Ana. I'm not leaving you, you get that? So just drop it, I'm coming with."

"NO! You can't, I'd- "

"YES, I can, and I will. For fuck's sake, the Commander of the First Order is after you and you expect me to just take it and run like some fucking coward? Ain't happening."

He seizes my arm and starts dragging me off the street, running with me now. "You're going to get yourself killed, Jerry!"

"Well I'm a cop, so it's kinda something that might come with the job description. Now, get your fucking feet moving and run!" He jerks me forward and I start running with him. Fine. Clearly, I can't change his mind. And I can't outrun him either, he's fast. So, I guess Jerry's coming with. Please lord, don't let him die because of me.

"You got a plan?" He asks as I turn the corner.

"68th & Lexington station. It's just three blocks from here." I'm scrambling not to hit other running people, their screams making me anxious, dread raising its ugly head in my gut. I look back as cries start to erupt. I think I hear laser beams exploding as they hit their targets.

Stormtroopers are on the ground. With orders to shoot on sight.

"The trains aren't running, Ana!" He shouts as I'm trying to catch my breath, but I feel like I just can't get enough air into my lungs.

"I know, but the tunnel is a good place to hide and still get around the city." I manage to shout, in between heavy breaths. In addition, I'm hoping maybe the fact that I'm deep underground, would make it harder for Kylo Ren to read my mind. I don't know if that's the case, but it's the only strand of hope I've got right now.

We've made it now two blocks running, and I'm so out of breath I can feel my muscles getting already sore and fatigued. That gym membership which I pay for but never use, now it would've paid off. Instead, I'm out a couple hundred dollars and still unable to run two blocks. One more block. One more. Jerry seems to be doing fine, although that doesn't surprise me. He's supposed to be able to run after people.

The streets are getting emptier by the minute, people hiding in the buildings and some in their cars. I glimpse back and see Stormtroopers emerging from the green of Central Park. They point their blasters toward fleeting people and blue laser beams star ricocheting around. Chaos. Just utter chaos.

A hand pushes me forward. "C'mon, Ana we gotta go," Jerry says, a little winded now too.

We make a final sprint, the subway station in sight. So close. Then suddenly, Jerry does a soccer-mom-move and stops me dead in my tracks with his hand in front of me, as a truck crashes down from the sky. It lands so thunderously loud in front of us, my ears are ringing sorely, and pure panic takes over. I can't think of anything else, besides the fact that a fucking truck just obstructed our path.

"What the f- " Jerry utters, disoriented. People start screaming, havoc flaring up all around us. After a while of just staring at the now smoking truck in disbelief, I realize we got to move. Right now. Every last one around us starts fleeting like ants. Now it's my turn to yank Jerry toward a back alley I saw half a block away. I still stare at the truck, not believing what my eyes see, as I'm pulling his blue uniform sleeve to get him moving.

Finally, he does. Jerry turns around unsteadily, and we start running. Until I see it.

The grim reaper standing in the middle of the 68th street, which is now almost entirely abandoned of life. My blood ceases and I can't even blink. I can't move, my legs won't comply me and I'm not sure if he's doing it or is it just the shock that ripples through my body. Jerry is frozen by my side, undoubtedly not knowing what to do either.

Then, Kylo Ren ignites his dreadful lightsaber, and I feel like passing out. This is it. This is how my great escape ends. How my petty, insignificant little life will end. I glance at Jerry, he's just gawking at Kylo Ren in disbelief, possibly refusing to believe that he is in fact, face to face with the petrifying Commander of The First Order. I'm sure he's heard a lot about him. But he doesn't know what's beneath that metal mask. I do, and it makes him so much more frightening. And I'm also faced with an indisputable fact. I failed to save Earth.

"Ana," His distorted voice comes through, almost echoing on the now forsaken street, "We're not done yet."