Ground Zero

Preface

I felt a slight buzzing at my hip and reachedfor my cell phone, unbeknownst to the other hotel staff around me. I looked atthe message that my boss had sent me, it read: "have you got the information yet?" Having anyone see me with mycell phone out would create a hugeproblem. For one thing we weren't allowed to have cell phones out on the job.For another, if anyone here read the text I had just gotten I was doomed. I hadmy fingers read to type when I felt a sudden burning at my side. I wasn't readyfor it and it knocked me down. I kicked out with my foot but my attacker easilyavoided my silly attempt to render him helpless. I tried again but I wasgetting weaker. I don't know if any of you have ever been tasered by one of thetassers my school creates but let me tell you, It hurts! It took all of mystrength to just turn my head to the side and that's when I saw him. Mr.Richardson. I was under cover working at his hotel for my school and he was theone that held the tasser now. No not one tasser, but two! I felt my other sidebegin to burn as well and then I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't scream. Ihad been trained not to react to pain in a verbal way. But I did collapse. Mr.Richardson came up behind me and shoved me feet first into the maid's cart. Heshut off the tassers but I was too weak to do anything to get my dignity backor get out of there alive. I took shaky breaths all the way to the basement.Then I passed out for a while, or I thought it was a while since it was quitehard to measure time in my predicament.