The Subway (Now Available on Amazon!) (Unedited Version on Wattpad)

Chapter 34

It took the police a while to arrive since we were practically in an abandoned part of New York now, but when they finally did arrive everything was hectic.

There were at least ten police cars and three ambulances and I was surprised to actually see our local news station had shown up in their van. They hopped out with their cameras and microphones ready.

I felt like I was going to be sick.

I didn't know our situation had become so well known in such little time. Or maybe it hadn't been a little time. Maybe we had been down there longer than I originally thought.

I wasn't exactly keeping track of time while I was fighting for my life.

The paramedics were the first to reach us and Archer and I were instantly torn apart.

One of the paramedics, a man probably in his late twenties with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, kneeled down in front of me with a red medical bag in his hand.

"You must be Gemma Conners." He said, his voice kind.

I nodded slowly. "How did you know?"

The paramedic chuckled. "Your picture has been up on almost every news station since yesterday morning."

My eyes grew wide at that bit of information.

First off, we'd been down there for almost two days?!

How many times had I joked with my parents that taking the subway would end up with me being kidnapped and my picture on the news?

I really hoped they hadn't used my high school ID picture.

If I hadn't been through what I had I probably would've laughed at the whole thing.

The paramedic continued to talk while he rummaged through his bag and checked me over. "Your parents really care about you. They've been on the news begging for your return. They offered up a pretty large amount of money too and all in less than forty eight hours. They must know some important people."

Unexpected tears filled my eyes at the thought of my parents. I couldn't imagine what they had been going through.

And then another thought suddenly popped up.

"You said they even offered a reward?" I asked.

The paramedic nodded as he slowly dabbed a cotton pad against my forehead which stung like hell.

"Yep."

They better not have offered up my college fund.

We were going to have to talk about this.

When would I see them?

As soon as that thought crossed my mind I heard the screech of tires against asphalt as a car came to a stop.

I looked up to see two cars, one a silver Porsche and the other a black Jeep Cherokee, just as they skidded to a stop.

I watched as my mom and dad came rushing out of the Jeep towards me and who I assumed were Archer's parents quickly climbed out of the Porsche and rushed towards him.

"Gemma!" I heard my mom wail and the next thing I knew both she and my dad were kneeling on the ground pulling me into a tight embrace and smothering me with kisses but I didn't mind, at least not this time. I had missed them so much and I honestly thought that I might never get to see them again.

When they finally pulled back they both had tears in their eyes.

"Oh my poor baby. What happened to you? When we got the call from your school yesterday morning saying that you hadn't shown up we didn't know what to think." My mom said, her voice shaking.

"You didn't... y-you didn't run away did you? Is something going on? If—." My dad started.

"No! I'd never run away. I have no reason to." I cut my dad off.

"Is that what you guys thought? That I ran away because I wasn't happy at home?" I asked quietly.

"We thought that maybe we had done something." My mom said.

I shook my head. "You guys didn't do anything. Besides, I couldn't run away even if I wanted to. I can't cook. I'd starve to death and we all know how I feel about my food."

Teary smiles appeared on both my parent's faces and I smiled back.

"So what happened to you?" My dad asked.

I opened my mouth to reply but the paramedic interrupted.

"I'm sorry but we should really get her to the hospital so she can be properly checked."

My parents nodded and when another paramedic came over with a stretcher I let them lift me up onto it and roll me over to the nearest ambulance. Once inside I took a look outside.

The flashing lights of the police cars and ambulances bathed everything in red and blue.

I watched as a few policemen completely tore away the boarded up entrance of the subway station and then made their way down into it.

I shivered, knowing they would find Dylan first, who I wasn't sure was dead or not, and a lot of other bodies down there.

When one of the policemen came back up and rushed over to a group of paramedics by an empty ambulance and they quickly followed with a stretcher I knew Dylan was probably alive other wise they would've been heading down there with a body bag.

Next I turned my attention to a man and woman who were both hugging a now uncuffed and ungagged Rose.

I frowned at that but decided not to worry about it.

She wasn't my problem anymore.

"You ready sweetie?" I looked up as my mom climbed up into the ambulance and took a seat next to the stretcher.

I nodded. "Where's dad?"

"He's going to follow in the car."

I nodded again and just before the doors of the ambulance closed I caught sight of Archer in an ambulance opposite the one I was in with that stupid grin that had started to grow on me, on his face.

He gave a dramatic wave, the kind you saw the girls do in old movies when their husbands went off to war, and I couldn't help but laugh.

I returned the wave, just as dramatic, and watched as his grin turned into a soft smile to match my own and then the doors of the ambulance were closed.