Chereads / Aimless Wander / Chapter 21 - Save Her

Chapter 21 - Save Her

May 11th,

I stayed with the little girl until the police finally got here. Only one cop car showed up. I was kinda pissed off by that.

"We received a call about a little girl being locked up," the officer said after stepping out of the car. "We're you the one who made the call?"

"Yes sir," I said to him. "Look, right here. The window."

I pointed at the window where the little girl was still facing. She kept her hand on the glass, right where my hand was. The officer went on his radio.

"This is Officer Blake. I've got a call to a house. A child is visible at the basement window. A potential 273d."

The officer went up to the front door and knocked on it. I was surprised to see the door open. A man, who looked like he had just woken up appeared at the doorway.

"What do you want," he groaned. "I'm way too tired for this crap."

His hair was a messy black and his face looked old. He look to be in his forties. His eyes were bloodshot and had heavy bags underneath them. He had on nothing but a robe and boxers that were visible.

"Dispatch received a call for child endangerment," Officer Blake said. "Normally I would need a warrant to search the premise, but I now have reasonable cause after seeing the child's face through that basement window."

The officer then grabbed the man's hands and locked him in cuffs.

"Sir, you're under arrest for suspicion of child abuse. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the-"

*BANG!*

A gunshot was fired from the house. I could see the light flash from the gun inside the house through the living room window. Officer Blake fell down instantly and didn't move. The man walked back into his house and closed the door.

The man hadn't seen me yet, so I ran around the house towards the back and hid there for a while.

That...just happened. That officer...he...was shot...

I covered my mouth with my hands to keep from throwing up. I took many deep breaths to calm myself down.

That's it. Just stay calm. Don't freak out. That little girl is still stuck in there. I just need a new plan.

I walked back around the house and over to the police car. I found a handgun inside a holster and pulled it out.

There's supposed to be a safety somewhere...there! Does this mean it's off?

I couldn't waste anymore time, so I stuck the gun into the dirt of the grass and fired. The dirt suppressed the noise.

Ok, it's off.

A ran around the house again and prayed that the back door was open.

*CLICK!*

"Thank god." I said to myself.

The house was a complete mess. Empty beer cans and full cigarette trays were everywhere. I smelled strong ashes. It was disgusting.

The stairs to the basement were through an open doorway. I could hear screaming from two different parties. One sounded like an old man.

The other...a little girl.

I didn't hesitate. I didn't even think ahead for even a few seconds. I sprinted down the stairs, as if I were leaping, and fired a gunshot in the air.

"STAY STILL," I screamed at the man. "DON'T FUCKING MOVE!!!"

The man stopped punching the little girl, who was bleeding from her nose, and tossed her aside. She was crying rivers of tears.

"What is wrong with you..." I growled through my gritted teeth. "She's just a kid... Why...? WHAT SORT OF SICK LAUGH DO YOU GET OUT OF THIS?!?!"

The old man didn't seem fazed by me. He didn't raise his hands. He didn't even look like he paid any attention to me, like I was just some annoying bug to him.

"It's simple," he said in a groggy voice. "I had no money. Gotta earn it somehow."

That sent a spark through my veins that ignited a new kind of flame inside me. I raised the gun up to his head and...

Hang on. Why is he acting this cocky? He being held at gunpoint, so he has to know what's about to happen. Does he have some sort of ace up his sleeve.

Wait, he wasn't the one who shot the gun. If it wasn't him, then...

I turned to my left and saw a woman with a revolver aimed directly to my head.

"Drop it." She said in a menacing voice.

"If I don't?" I asked her.

"That should be obvious."

I heard the revolver click.

I was at a checkmate. Even if I got in a shot at the old man, my aim might miss a fatal spot and he'd still be alive. Then, I'd be shot by the woman. And even if I killed the old man, the woman would probably still shoot me then do something to the little girl. Trying to shoot the woman will probably be a huge mistake since she probably had pretty good aim.

I sighed disappointingly.

I dropped the gun then fell to my knees.

"What do you think?" The woman asked the old man.

"He's worth something," the old man said. "Cute, feminine face. Young. Tall in height. Pretty eyes. Soft black hair. The guys will definitely love him."

I felt like throwing up again. This guy was planning to sell me off somewhere.

"Can't you just get a job at some fast food place or something?" I asked him sarcastically.

"Takes too long to get the money," the old man said. "I'd rather make triple figures a day than in a week."

"That's called life you stupid cunt."

The old man grunted at my comment then started walking back over to the little girl. I didn't think straight at that moment, so I got back up on my feet and sprinted. Not towards the old man, but to the little girl.

I wrapped my arms around her and used my body as a shield.

"You want to hit someone, then hit me," I said to him. "This girl wanted help, so I'm gonna help her dammit!"

I don't know why I was doing this. I put myself in this situation for this girl who I didn't even know. I don't know why, but every time I see this girl a feel sad. And seeing her like this made me pissed.

"Heh," the old man snickered. "I wasn't gonna hit her. I just need to load up the merchandise. That woman killed a cop, so of course we're gonna need to move somewhere else."

"Get up and start moving." The woman said to me, pointing the gun at me.

I didn't want either of them laying a finger on this girl, so I carried her myself. I started walking up the stair then-

"DUCK!"

...

I didn't even spent a second thinking about what I had just heard. I immediately reacted and dropped to the ground, keeping the little girl below me so that she didn't get hit by anything.

*BANG!* *BANG!*

Two gunshot rang from upstairs and a pair of bodies fell to the ground and didn't move.

"Are you two ok?"

I looked up and saw Officer Blake standing on the top of the stairs with a gun in his hand.

"We're ok." I said to him.

I could see the outline of body armor underneath his uniform, so I easily figured out how he was still alive. I looked at the little girl who was staring at me with tearful eyes.

"Is it...over...?" She asked me shyly.

I took a look around, then looked back at her at her and smiled.

"Yeah, I think it is." I said to her.

The little girl buried her face into my chest, and the muffled sound of her cries filled my ears. I hugged her tightly and felt tears running dow my own eyes. I picked myself up and carried her up the stairs and out of that house.

Out of the nightmare that she was trapped inside of for god knows how long.

We were both met with two more cop cars and an ambulance. I ran over to the ambulance and placed her on the stretcher that they had pulled out already. I didn't want to leave her sight, so I walked inside the ambulance with her and rode all the way to the hospital with the little girl.

The nurses inside the ambulance treated her injuries while I kept holding her hand.

"Hey," the little girl said to me. "What your name?"

"It's Alex," I said to her. "What's yours?"

"Emily."