"Ethan Purcell! Get out of the house with your hands in the air! This is a command!" Roared Wentworth, the police officer, with a pistol in his hands. He had other six cops on the scene; armed to teeth. There were some on-looking residents in the safe zone away from the ring of fire. Lance was one of them. The police officers waited for someone to get out of the house in a surrendering gesture only to see a sports car crash a fence as it zoomed away. Shards of timber flew in every direction. People shrieked and screamed.
It didn't take a second of decision-making! Three police officers remained behind as the other four followed in three police cars in hot pursuit of Ethan Purcell. They entered the house and raced to the bedroom and saw Elena on the bed sobbing bitterly. Hope had arrived.
"Don't worry. It's okay. It's okay..." said one officer in an attempt to calm her down. A female police officer held onto her as they walked out of the bedroom to make reach to an ambulance that had been presented at the scene. Elena struggled to walk down the stairs. The journey would take forever. A male officer carried her in his arms and headed to the ambulance. When Lance saw her, how she looked a mess and covered in linen, he broke into tears, hands clasped before his mouth as if he was in prayer. And he made sure that he was seen doing so. Elena was shielded from the eyes of the public, reasons well known. Everyone at the scene knew what was up... this was a rape scene!
The police officers secured the area as a scene of crime and forensics were present at the scene to gather evidence after twenty minutes. Elena's mom arrived in tow with the forensics after Elena's news had already reached her. Some people from the graduating party were there too. News do travel fast. What had appeared to be a rumor, even faster. Elena had been rushed off to the nearest hospital. Some officers from the forensics team would follow them later.
Elena's mom got to Lance after what seemed like an eternity of Lance ignoring her.
"You promised me!" She roared at him tears coming through, "Lance, you promised me!"
"I'm...I'm sorry Miss Stenfield." He mumbled fearing to face her.
"I trusted you to bring my daughter back home safe and sound. Look what has happened! Look!"
"I'm so sorry, Miss Stenfield. I didn't know that such a thing could happen."
SLAP!
Lynn looked at her hands that were about to strike the guy again. Her teeth danced in the tune of rage, fingers trembling and eyes soggy. She then just walked out of his sight. Caroline wasn't far much behind her.
He cared nonetheless. His plan was working according to well, his plans! He smirked a bit.
Tell the world goodbye, Ethan. The thought ran in his mind.
Meanwhile on the road, the police were on a high pursuit after Ethan who was in his sports car. He had already rammed and crashed into some of the neighbors' fences and ruined some of their lawn. By every passing second, the hole he was digging kept getting deeper. He knew that! He was the son of a lawyer after all. If he could somehow avoid the hot trail behind him, and find someplace low key so that he could first digest the monstrosity that had to happen to Elena at his own hands... just a moment to familiarize himself with everything that was happening. He just couldn't believe what he had done to Elena. How could he?
He got into a highway that still had some traffic and he maneuvered across them trying to lose the police officers behind to no avail. His hands were shaking, his heart pounding louder than the music back at his graduation party. He veered at the next exit of the highway and sped up to try and increase the distance between him and his determined latter. He was just confused really. He was scared as much too. He headed to make another corner when the ambulance that had carried Elena coming from the opposite direction blocked his way. It was heading in the direction Ethan had been coming from. He waited for the ambulance to somehow get out of his way, but it didn't. There was no movement.
'Go! Go! Go!' His mind screamed. He could notice a face from the window. It was Elena's. And suddenly after seeing what he had put the girl through yet again, his heart dropped. His heartbeat slowed. Police cars were behind him, men in blue out of their cars and ready to shoot. The ambulance had blocked his way from the front. He looked at her and as soon as she saw him, she broke up in tears. The nurses closed the curtains and tried to comfort the traumatized woman. Mouth agape, he reversed the vehicle back away from the corner. Police cars were behind him. His heartbeat slowed with every passing second. He knew what he was in for. He had accepted his fate. There was no getting away from this predicament.
"Ethan Purcell! Get out of the car or will be forced to shoot you down!" Warned Wentworth.
BADUM!
BADUM!
BADUM!
His pulse continued to slow down. He thought of Elena, what he had put her through and what was to befall her. He thought of himself. The name and legacy of the family. How he had tarnished his dignity as well as his family's. How he had talked ill of Ingrid a few hours ago and how his predicament was worse. Getting pregnant is not a crime, but rape is on the other hand. He thought of his hard-fought and earned career. The many criminals that he was hoping to put behind bars… only that now he was one of them.
"Final warning! Get out of the car with your hands in the air!" Wentworth barked again. He pointed his gun up towards the sky and fired.
Ethan let go of the steering wheel, opened the door, and slowly got out of the vehicle. He raised his hands up as instructed, got on his knees, and put his hands on the back. The police approached him with handcuffs at their disposal.
"Ethan Purcell, you are under arrest for the sexual assault of Elena Stenfield, resisting an arrest and damage of public asset. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say might and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to a lawyer. You have right to a phone call..."
The words faded from his ears. The wind seemed to do him the favor of carrying them away. His eyes had been fixed at the ambulance in front of him and he was looking at Elena, trying to catch her glimpse despite the covering curtains. He couldn't see her. The woman he had loved the most was in there. The woman he had just done those terrible things to her... Tears finally managed to get out his soaked eyes. He looked at the ambulance as it made the corner and veered into the distance. The police sirens were everywhere. Blue and red lights decorated the night sky. He looked down on the black tarmac road and waited...and waited for the worst.