The Truth Never Told A Lie

Chapter 11.

"Carson Whitchel? What on earth?"

"Surprised are you? Well, in that case, I supposed I must be surprised. The 'always on guard' Emily Wilkes isn't so on guard now." He laughed and his buddies joined him. I wrenched my arms free and stepped back from them.

"Must you leave so soon?" Carson's tone was cynical. "Do you have a meeting? Perhaps a date? Well, I'm sorry to detain you then." Carson tossed my purse up and down. It was really beginning to rain now. "You see," he continued. "A lot of people are asking questions about you."

"Oh?" I tried to remain uninterested.

"Who are you, Emily? Or should I rephrase the question: What are you?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh, come on! I thought you were a lot smarter than this? Smart enough to, I don't know, read my mind?"

"This is absolutely ridiculous Carson! I have no idea what kind of game you think you're playing, but this is stupid! Now, just let me have my purse and I can go home."

"Your purse? Ah, yes. Is this really so important to you, that you would chase me almost a mile just to get it back? What is so important about it? Money? Gift Cards? I.D., perhaps? Emily, you may not answer my questions, but I have a feeling that something in this purse will."

"But why are you so desperate to get information about me?" I asked.

"Revenge, my dear." I winced at the endearment as he continued, "Blackmail can go a long way, you know."

He began to rifle through the items in my purse. He found my Taser and threw it to a guy with a tattoo.

I tried to lunge forward and grab it, but his men held me back. Two of them, I realized, were Clay and Matt.

"Come on, Carson, just give it back! Besides, you couldn't blackmail me if you wanted to."

Carson persisted in searching my purse. "Why not?"

I swallowed hard. This question would either gain me my purse and my freedom or hurt me all the more, but I had to try. "Are some of your friends here from the White Tigers?"

Carson's head shot up at that. The White Tigers was a gang of juvenile delinquents who comprised the most notorious of any gang in Pearl City. Anyone found associated with any part of the faction were thrown in prison. Murders, assault, robberies; all were connected with the White Tigers. But when I first saw that in Carson's eyes, I wasn't surprised to find that he was associated with the bunch.

"How did you know?" He asked. "Well, no matter then. We'll just have to finish you off then, once I can get.... Oh, brother! Oh, brother! Look what we have here!" His buddies leaned forward to look at what he held in his hands.

"We've found ourselves an undercover F.B.I. Agent!" He lifted my badge for all to see. I was horrified. But I gathered my wits.

"Actually, I'm not undercover, I'm just off duty."

"Well then! This should be even more fun!" Carson went on. "I think that this answers all of my questions. Except, of course, for one." He had been kneeling, but now he stood and circled me dangerously. "What makes a teenage girl like you so special to the F.B.I.?"

I remained silent. Carson chuckled, and goosebumps ran up and down my arms. I shivered. We were all soaking wet by now.

"We've got all night to get the answers." Carson flipped the badge up in the air. It glinted in the glare of the street lights.

I used the split-second distraction to wrench my arms free again from Clay and Matt's grip. I grasped my switchblade, which was in my pocket. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." I thought grimly.

"Back off! All of you!" For once I was wishing I had stayed in contact with my security. My training in metal weapons would help, but only for a short time. I had to think of something and fast.

All five of them advanced, and I saw a couple of knives coming out on their end. Things were getting really ugly, and there was no way out of here. I threw the blade half-hazardly at Carson but missed. Drat, this rain! He grabbed my hair and pressed a knife to my throat. "The jig is up, Wilkes!" He whispered in my ear.

"Hands in the air, all of you!" A loud voice shouted from behind us. Bright lights shone in our faces. Carson dropped his knife as two agents stepped forward with handcuffs and guns. One of them walked up to Carson, whose hands were held high.

"Carson Whitchel, you're under arrest!"

Mmmmmm who is it? :D