Prepared

Chapter 2: Meet The Officers

I run from the old familiar apartment, and I don't stop once to look back. I know they are following me, and I don't know if I will live this one. I have trained myself based off of everything dad taught me, but it might not be enough. This seriously makes no sense. Their not even American. How do they know me, but I don't know them?

I make my way towards the city. I should be able to hide in the crowds. They wouldn't start shooting in a public place right? I hope not, I don't want other people being hurt because of me. But I don't have any where else to go.

My shoulder is starting a slow throb. It is gonna slow me down. I can feel the warm blood trickling down my arm, and soaking the navy blue long sleeve in wearing. I wince, the adrenaline is keeping most of the pain at bay. But how long would that last?

I risk a glance behind me, and my heart skips a beat. And not in the happy way. They are catching up. Guess they are in better shape then I thought. Now there are five of them making things even more complicated. Guns in hands, sprinting to catch me. They start shooting at me, and I try to pick up my speed as I make my way to the city.

I swiftly turn a corner, shooting back at them while catching my breathe. I wound two so far. Till I'm down to three. I can't seem to shoot them and my ammo is running low.

A big burst of energy courses through me. I take it and run so fast I didn't even know it was in me. I don't stop till I reach the city.

I take in a deep breath while using my senses to take in the city. I loved LA that's why I never had the courage to leave it even if I should have.

I tucked my handgun into the back of my jeans and put my dirty shirt over it. I walk down the streets still breathing heavy from running.

I don't like how I feel, exposed. I hardly ever come here during the day, and if I do, I don't carry a gun or wear bloody shirts.

People giving me disapproving looks and others pitiful ones. No ones gonna offer to help? Damn that's cold. It's not like I'd accept their help anyway.

I glance behind me and see the bulky Russians walking my way. I was right though, they hid their guns. Guess they didn't want the attention.

They were quite a ways behind me but I picked up my pace. I reach the end of the sidewalk and cross the street blending with the crowd, but as I'm crossing I see a cop on the other side of the street finishing up writing a ticket.

Oh no. The cops know me from stealing, but they've never actually caught me. I'm not bouta change that.

I turn around towards the other end of the sidewalk, but a man bumps into me and I crash to the floor on my bleeding shoulder.

I let out a painful groan, just had to be my bad shoulder. I felt the blood ooze onto the black asphalt. I hear a car horn honking at me. The loud noice making my head swim.

"Hey stop that!" I hear a man yell.

I feel someone softly touch my shoulder, " hey you alright?"

I turn my face towards the man and squint at him. Great it's that cop. I don't need to go to jail right now. Well, maybe then I'd have a home. Wow that's just sad.

I try to sit up, and my body listens. I grab my shoulder, and grimace. He's tall with very short dark hair, and eyes that are a very dark brown they almost look black. He kneels down onto one knee in front of me

He looks at the blood on the floor and then to my shoulder."What happened kid?" He asks.

"None of your business," I give him a death stare. I don't like cops, not after one shot my father.

"Look kid, all I'm trying to do is help. You look like your in a lot of pain. Why don't you come with me over to my car, so we can get out of the middle of the road?" he looks pretty sympathetic, but I don't trust him. I don't trust anyone.

And I wasn't going to with him until I looked straight ahead, and saw the Russian men stopped dead in their tracks. Going with this cop could keep me safe, for the moment. He is right about the pain too. My adrenaline is wearing off with every second, and the pain just keeps intensifying. I look down at my legs.

I get up slowly trying to find my balance, blood loss was making me a bit woozy. The officer smiles and guides me to his car.

I watch him pull out his radio and open his mouth as if he's about to speak, but I don't give him a chance.

I snatched the radio out of his hand,"what are you going to say?"

He looks at me shocked," I was gonna call it in and take you to the hospital. You don't look so good and your bleeding everywhere." He gestures to my shoulder.

"No, no hospitals. I'm good." If I go to a hospital they would find out it's a gunshot wound. That means more questions for me to answer, and I don't really have a lot of answers.

He sighed," well kid your gonna have to tell me what happened. So we're going to the station."

I just stared at him.

"It'll be quick, you just tell me what happened I'll file the report and then you can leave. I promise." He said.

No. Those last two words hung on me so heavily I thought I would pass out. He shouldn't promise. Not after dad promised he would come home safely. Not after he promised to always be there for me.

I don't want to go with him, but I don't have a choice. I look up to where the Russians are still watching me. I wonder if they will show up at the police station. One of them puts his finger to his throat and moves it across, then points at me.

I open the passenger side, and flip them off before I duck inside the car. Probably not my smartest move, but they pissed me off.

I'd never been in this side of a police car. It was rather nice, way nicer than the back.

We were soon on the road. Me hating every second of it, knowing they would recognize me. So im just cradling my bad arm like if it was baby.

He looks over at me," how you doing kid?"

Truthfully not so hot, but I wasn't going to tell him that." Stop calling me kid."

"Alright, then what's your name?" He asks.

I ignore him, and don't reply.

The Russians know where I am going. Maybe they won't attack while I'm in the station though. It would be to irrational for them to barge into the station to take me. That means they would wait till I would leave the station. I might go to Jail though.

Great let's see going to jail or risk being killed by Russians. I have great choices here. It probably might not even be my decision to make. Was it?