Perfectly Imperfect | ✓

Nineteen

"Rosealine! We don't have time for this." He called out after me as I slowed down. Unable to catch my breath I wheezed as a figure crawled down the hall towards us. "Alli?!" I yelled out to her. The figure only coughed loudly in return the alarms screeched above us deafening the sounds that roamed around us. "Oh my God. Allison!" I ran to her side trying to lift her up. I failed miserably, but Niko saved me by wrapping her arm over his shoulder dragging her along with us. Finding an exit seemed impossible, with the cloudy fog overtaking both our vision and lungs the windows see,ed to disappear when the alarm sounded off. With no light penetrating the blank panes we were lost. Lost and suffocating. It was only a matter of time now.

[~Lucas~]

"Detective." Our lab technicians called me over. I sprinted as fast as my long legs could carry me. The missing persons finally got the lead on a location for our girls. "The blood was a match for Allison Rodgersman." She nodded reading off the papers. I sped towards the sheriff's car buckling up while we zoomed down toward the beach. The wheels barely skidded to a stop as I jumped out leading the team of dozens or firearms behind me towards large doors. Blaring alarms and red flashing lights startled us as we broke down the door. Throwing around masks we protected ourselves from the cloudy gases that consumed the halls. "Allison?! Rosealine?!" The police shouted through the foggy siren filled mansion. I came across a heavy bullet proof door signaling for the team behind me to open it with caution. Moving along I found an open room with a man laying sprawled across the floor, unlike the several other bodies throughout the estate this one wore a white suit with a pool of blood encircling his head on the floor.

"Lucas..." a weak familiar voice croaked to me. I dropped my gun to the floor as I slid towards the three bodies lying together unable to stand. My hands shook violently at the sight of Allison's leg, I reached out, taking off my mask I placed it over her face and scooped her up in my arms. Her chest barely rose and fell, I heard the wheezing of the two others so I called for back up and waiting for their arrival. "It's okay baby, you'll make it." I cooed to her, even though she probably couldn't hear me. I found my way back to the main entrance, the toxic fog escaped into the sea breeze air.

I coughed violently placing the paralyzed body onto the stretcher and running back inside as another gas mask lie on the floor begging to be used. "Everything is going to be okay." I chanted to myself helping the older couple make their way out of the house, still bonded up in ropes.

[~Rosealine~]

Lucas and what seemed like every other officer in the district swarmed the house as Niko and I sat side by side in the bench of an ambulance. "They're over there." I pointed out to him holding the oxygen mask to my nose, his parents were yards away making a statement to police. "They look like Rian." He smiled softly. I admired this innocence to him, he was vulnerable and genuine.

"You mean Rian looks like them." I corrected him. He glanced at me smirking, "Niko Davila?" Another police woman greeted him. He nodded politely, "we just have a few questions we'd like you to answer truthfully." She smiled holding his shoulder. He looked back at me wearily, I sent him a kiss wishing him luck. Seconds later Mr. and Mrs. Davila walked my way introducing themselves. "The pleasure is all mine." I shook both of their hands. "No need for formal introductions. Thank you, for being there for my son. His brothers were always a bit rough around the edges." His Dad smiled at me outlining the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes.

"I wonder what the gangs turned into." His mother innocently sent him a cheeky smile. I awed at their adorable relationship, Lucas followed up next in line for company. He enveloped me in a giant hug holding me tightly. "I hate you." He grumbled into my hair.

"Why?" I pulled away still holding the mask to my face.

"Because you almost died. And you got yourself and my baby kidnapped in the process." He poked my shoulder. I rolled my eyes sarcastically. "Yeah sorry about the whole leg thing, she's a little bit of a fighter. Who would've known?" I shrugged enjoying his light-heartedness. "In all seriousness. Are you okay?" He held my shoulder softly. I nodded staring into the distance, Niko's parents embraced him with tears of joy radiating from their bodies. "I'm going to go check on Allison, you're welcome,e to ditch the mask for some fresh air if you'd like." Lucas offered jingling the sheriffs keys in his hand. "That'd be wonderful." I removed the mask from my head, gently tossing it into the ambulance.

We drove in silence down the beach boulevard. The afternoon felt calm and normal, the oceans waves crashed against the shoreline, slowly relaxing my nerves one by one. "You know. For a rookie detective you solved this case pretty quickly." I mentioned not glancing in his direction, I felt his stare burning through me regardless. "That's because it's my passion. And I would've put a bullet through that man's head if you all wouldn't have beat me to it." He sighed. I laughed quietly.

"Yeah, well I'm okay and Niko's okay. But I can't say the same for Alli." I groaned getting out of the car. It's been a long day.

[~Allison ~]

I opened my eyes slowly, adjusting to the bright lights of the hospital. "Not so nice seeing you here again, huh?" My doctor smiled at the foot of my bed. I used my arms to lift myself up so I could sit. "Yeah, unfortunately. What's the diagnosis, Doc?" I wiped my face in exhaustion. "Knowing you. You'll be up and running in a few weeks, two at least. The bullet missed your ACL so you're safe, just try to avoid any stairs or things of that nature over the next couple weeks." She explained holding my hand.

"Where's my mom?" I thought aloud feeling around for the phone I didn't have.

"We have no idea, we're thinking maybe Canada according to her receipts on the table. But your brothers gone too." Lucas leaned against the doorway smiling. I gasped in surprise at his relaxed and cozy figure, "God, I've missed you." He hastily walked over placing a kiss on my bandaged temple. "Girl. You can't scare me like that ever again. We are done adventuring until you heal up." Rose slid into the room crashing onto my bed. "I'm glad to see you're alive. Where's Niko? Is everything set?" I asked hinting about his family. She nodded smiling, "Your knight in shining armor here saved the day." She pushed his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. Just doing my job." He sighed stroking my arm gently. "So I think it's best we don't tell your mom about this..." he motioned to my body.  I laughed agreeing. "As much as this is all I want to do. I'm going to trust you two girls to stay here, there's enforcements outside if any gang members want to pop out of the blue again." We've got some follow up questions for some of our people of interest," he kissed my hand hugging Rosealine goodbye.

"Looks like it's just us. Again." She sighed flipping through the limited channels on the hospital screen. "Indeed it is." I leaned back closing my eyes, I deserved a few minutes of disappearing...mentally.