Chapter 7

Mom gave out an ear-splitting scream and rushed over to them.

"Call an ambulance," she shouted on the top of her lungs to no one in particular. "Get help! Please somebody help me!" Pete rose from over the body and stood gingerly. Face dazed, scratched and blotched. He looked over at me. At a moment like this I did the complete opposite as anyone else; instead of fearing him and running away I ran into his arms. He smelled of iron and blood but I held him even tighter. Somehow there was this unexplainable and profound love inside for him. I looked up and saw tears.

"I'm sorry Kay-lee, I didn't mean to. I'm not that sort of person and-"

"I know," I whispered. The still present shock breaking my voice."Its OK dad, I know." He ran his hand through my hair and pulled me to him again. And we stood like that, for what seems like an eternity. But unfortunately, ruining the moment; over the sound of my mother's cries, my heavy breathing and my dad's heart beat hammering against my ear, I heard the distant sound of sirens..

***

"All of you on your feet now and put your hands in the air," came a harsh voice out of s bullhorn. The sound of the whoo whooing was maddening; because it came from both the police car and the ambulance. And as two cops emerged from the cop car so did four paramedics from the ambulance. They took Lloyd's limp body and placed him on a stretcher. Then they lift him into the ambulance and was off with him. And it was our dealings now.

"Which one of you is responsible for this?" The man who'd spoken earlier in the bullhorn said.

"He is!" My mom shouted pointing at Pete, "that's the b*****d that killed him!"

"Is it true?" The officer asked but I couldn't tell if he was aiming the question to me or Pete.

"Yes," both of us answered in unison. The officer gave a disapproving look then made his way over to us, pulling out the familiar twin joint-metal circles. My heart fell and somehow it was as if everything came gushing to me again and my mind was going into overdrive. It came so sudden I couldn't even try to fight it. And then I was falling, to the floor and into darkness. Dad's voice shouting my name the last thing audible...

***

I jumped awake to the feel of water on my face. I blinked my eyes open to see that I was in an interrogation room of a police station. I looked at the thick wide-eyed lanky man before me, wiping the water vigorously off my face.

"You couldn't have just shaken me awake?"

"And you don't think I've been trying that for the last 20 minutes," his tone was harsher than mine. I sighed in frustration.

"Why am I here?"

"We need to ask you a few questions about what happened."

"Don't you have my mom and dad for that."

"We need information from all the persons present at the scene." Something about him really turned me off.

"Get back to me another day because I really don't feel like talking."

"Then get your make-up kit and curling iron princess because then you'd be spending some time behind bars for refusing to cooperate with an officer in the investigation of a serious crime." He got me there. I signed again with a frown and told him all that happened from when I reached to the gates to when I was splashed awake here. He exhaled deeply, running a hand over his nearly-bald head.

"Now you didn't mention to me where you were before you got home. And from investigations you've been missing for almost two and a half weeks."

"I was over a friend's house," even I could hear the lie.

"Which friend?"

"His name is Tom"

"Where does he live?"

"We weren't at his house we were at a hotel."

"Which hotel?"

"The...uh...uhm..."s**t. I blew it. Not one hotel name would come to my mind. He laughed.

"You're such a bad liar." I didn't know what to say after that. I thought I could actually pull it off that I was at a hotel with a friend and make it look as if I was engaged in some sexual escapade as a way of rebelliousness to my finally turning 16 rather than have him some how make me spill that I was in a house-with-no-windows-and-doors-locked-from-the-outside with a masked abductor I knew nothing about but was actually falling for. I was so abashed I just hung my head.

"Well unfortunately our session is up. Wherever you were or whoever you were with is besides the point now since you are home unharmed. That's just between you and your parents to deal with. Your report on what happened earlier was helpful, thankfully the guy didn't die or that Pete would have gotten life for sure."

My head snapped up. Eyes wide.

"Lloyd isn't dead?"

"No he's not but he had severe injuries which means Pete could face some charges for inflicting serious bodily harm to another individual."

"Where's Pete? Can I see him?"

"Look little girl I'm the only one who gets to ask questions ok and our time is up so out you go."

"But please I need to see him-"

"You can't, he's on lockdown. You'll be informed on his date in court for questioning. Now please, kindly leave, I know you wouldn't appreciate being thrown out.

I walked out of the station with my mother on my heels. The sky was gloomy and the sun was down in the far east. It looked like about 5:00 then. I suppressed a sigh; time to get this all off my chest. I turned to face her.

"Why?" I asked a bit too calmly for how I felt. He stopped and folded her arm across her chest.

"Why what?"

"You know what I'm talking about so don't play dumb."

"Listen I'm your mother and you will not talk to me like-"

"No you listen. You are not my mother. A real mother wouldn't keep her daughter from her own father. In a situation like this I don't see the need for respect."

"I did it for you okay. For us. He was a nobody. My family-"

"I don't care about your family mom!! Where are they in all of this huh? I care that you didn't give Pete and I a chance. I don't care how much of a low life you claimed he was. I deserved to know him.  You didn't even think it necessary to at least tell me who he was. Instead you gave him the job of our security and told him never to speak to me. How do you think that made him feel? To watch me grow all those years and never have a hand in it. To watch another man father me unwillingly while all he could do was absolutely nothing. I mean who does that to a person? What kind of a horrible person are you!"

"And you think he actually cared, that-"

"Oh don't give me that bullshit because if he didn't he wouldn't have taken the job. He would have left when he had the chance."

She glared at me, silent. She knew I was right and I knew she felt the guilt. But still she just wouldn't back down.

"Well its all over and done now. Come on let's go home, we need to talk about where you've been and oh the neighbors would be so happy to see you've retur-"

"I'm not going anywhere with you." My voice was flat and commanding. Letting her know I was dead serious.

"Oh yes you are"

"No I'm not," she grab hold of my hand.

"Yes you are. You are my daughter and I'm responsible for you whether you like it or not we're going home together."

"No! Let go of me you lying deceiving b***h." Second time with that word and second time the same response followed. A hard pain hit my cheek as she connected her palm to my face, and I don't know if it was reflex or the hurt but I reached out and slapped her back. Her mouth fell open in shock, as did mine. She reached for me again but this time I turned on my heels and ran.

"Kay-lee get back her right now!" She shouted but I just kept running. I bent the nearest corner and headed down the path of some business buildings. I heard the screech of her car and picked up speed. As I heard it coming closer I found a dark alley way and ducked behind a dumpster; her car speeding pass and my heart hammering through my chest.

As I thought the way was clear, I headed out. It was dark now, no one, not even her in sight. I had no idea what to do then. I had no phone, no money, nothing. And the way to home was way too far so i couldn't go and just sneak in. My only option was to go back to the station and figure out something to tell them. And so I began walking, trying to put something together in my head. I bent the corner I had before and looked up, the P.S in sight. Something else caught my eyes too. A car parked in the lot of the gas station that was across from the station. My head clicked. Of course I know that car, reciting the license plate number before even seeing it. I ran across the street and over to it. It was empty. I turned around to see the owner exiting the ATM and approaching me.

His face was blank when he looked up and saw me. Stopping in his tracks. Black jeans, black jacket and white undershirt; like that lead guy in that 80s musical. Grease. He smiled his familiar smile but I don't return it. I couldn't. I was too dazed. All I could do was say his name.

"Blaine..."