"If you come any closer, she dies," the k-ler threatened, his voice a chilling whisper in the night. Ana's heart sank, fear gripping her as she glanced down, unable to meet the eyes of the man holding her captive.
The man with the gun halted, his gaze fixed on Ana pitifully. He raised his hands slightly, showing he meant no harm. "Now toss your gun over here," the ki-ler commanded, his grip on Ana tightening. She whimpered, her heartbeat thundering in her ears as she prayed for a miracle to happen.
The man with the gun nodded slowly, his movements deliberate. He turned his weapon slightly away from them, bending down in compliance. In a swift second, he fired a shot, the bullet finding its mark in the k-ler's leg. The k-ler let out a loud groan, his grip on Ana loosening as he crumpled to the ground.
Ana seized the moment, breaking free and sprinting towards the house, her fear propelling her forward. "Don't run! I'm an officer," the man called out, his voice firm yet reassuring. He pulled out his badge, holding it up for her to see.
Ana paused, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She turned to look at the man, the badge glinting in the moonlight.
"They took my friend, her name is Ashley Brown. Please, help me find her," she pleaded, a tear slipped out of her eye.
"I will do my best to find your friend, but you can't stay here," the officer assured her, his voice steady and calming.
He then motioned towards the k-ler, who was desperately crawling into the bushes. With a swift motion, the officer stepped on the man's back, pressing him into the dirt. "Where is the girl you kidnapped?" he demanded, his voice a low growl as he pressed the gun to the man's head.
The k-ler whimpered, his face twisted in pain and fear. "They're taking her to the woods. Just let me go," he begged, his hands trembling as he clutched his wounded leg.
"You're not going anywhere," the officer replied coldly. He flipped the man over, snapping handcuffs onto his wrists. "You're going to jail." He called for backup, for his colleagues to take the k-ler into custody.
Turning back to Ana, he saw her standing frozen, her face pale and eyes filled with fear. "Come on, let's go find Ashley. She needs us," he urged, his tone gentle yet firm.
Ana nodded. She hurriedly followed the officer to his car, her mind racing with thoughts of Ashley and the danger she was in. As they sped towards the woods, Ana hoped that they would reach her friend in time.
"Please let me go, I haven't done anything to anyone" her voice trembling as she begged.
Her hands and legs were tied she sat at the back of the van surrounded by four men in masks.
"Shut your mouth," a voice roared behind her.
"I'll do anything, just let me…" Ashley's plea was abruptly cut short by a loud thud. The sound echoed through the air, leaving a tense silence.
"If you talk again, that won't be the last time I'll hit you," the man growled.
He grinned menacingly at Ashley, who had fallen hard against the rough surface. Pain radiated through her side, and she struggled to breathe. The world around her blurred sounds muffled as if she were underwater. She tried to move, but her strength had abandoned her. Her eyes watered up, not just from the physical pain but from the shock and fear that gripped her heart.
"Come on, bro, the boss wants her alive, not dead," one of the men said, stepping forward to the guy who had hit Ashley.
"I know," he replied with a sneer, glancing at Ashley who lay almost lifeless on the ground. "She talks too much."
He took a seat in the van, his eyes leaving Ashley's crumpled form. The other man knelt beside her, checking her pulse and ensuring she was still breathing, before going back to his seat.
The driver glanced at the wing mirror, spotting a police car signaling him to pull over.
"Dammit, the cops are on us," he muttered with a grin, then slammed his foot on the gas pedal.
The van roared through the city streets, weaving in and out of traffic recklessly.
Horns blared, and pedestrians fled as the van swerved, narrowly avoiding collisions, its tires screeching against the road.
The driver's eyes darted between the road ahead and the wing mirror.
"Faster we can't let them catch us!" a voice from the back seat urged, panic accompanying his words.
Behind them, the police cars followed in hot pursuit, their sirens wailing and lights flashing in a symphony of red and blue. The lead officer barked to others on the radio, his voice steady and commanding.
"Unit 102 and 103, reroute and block them from getting onto the freeway.
Other units maintain pursuit, do not let them escape."
Two police cars surged forward, speeding through the traffic with precision. They accelerated past the van, positioning themselves ahead of the van and forming a barricade.
The driver of the van saw the barricade too late.
His eyes widened in horror as he slammed on the brakes, but it was no use. The van skidded and crashed into the police cars with a deafening crunch of metal.
The impact jolted everyone in the van, throwing them off their seats, including poor Ashley who crashed onto the side of the van.
The officers leaped out from their vehicles, with their guns drawn, as they approached the wreckage.
"Hands where we can see them! Get out of the vehicle now!"
The driver, dazed and bleeding from the side of his forehead, opened the door staggering out; one of the police rushed to him, grappling him to the ground.
The officers, guns still drawn out, moved to the back of the van, they heard a faint, pained whimper.
One of the officers motioned for his partner to cover him as he yanked open the rear doors.
Inside, amidst the chaos of shattered glass and lying bodies, was Ashley.
Her face was pale, and a trickle of blood ran down her temple. Her hands were still tied as she lay almost lifeless, panting.
Hang in there, the officer said gently, taking out his pen knife and cutting the ropes that tied her. He grabbed her hand gently, aiding her to stand up.
He turned to his radio, his voice firm and commanding, "We need medics here now! We have an injured girl."
The other officers quickly assessed the scene, cuffing the men, who were suspects.
As the medics arrived.
They carefully lifted Ashley onto the stretcher, securing her and checking her vitals.
The officer who found her stayed close offering words of comfort.
"You're going to be okay, we're taking you to the hospital. Just hold on a little longer".
As the ambulance doors closed and sped away, the officer watched, a mix of relief and worry engulfed him.
The chase had ended, but the real battle in Ashley's life had just begun.
Sir, I think we should follow her to the hospital, Officer Daniels suggested to the lead officer.
The lead officer nodded, his eyes tracing the leaving ambulance. "Yes we need to make sure she's okay, then get her statement if she's able to talk. Go with Officer Rachel.
Officer Daniels quickly got into his car with Officer Rachel, siren lights flashing as they sped through the city, following the ambulance to the hospital.
At the hospital, the paramedics rushed Ashley into the emergency room. Officer Daniels and Rachel followed closely, their presence had authority and concern as they waited in the brightly lit hallway outside the emergency room.
Suddenly a faint buzzing sound broke the silence.
Daniels looked around, confused, until he realized it was coming from Ashley's jacket, which had been left on a nearby chair.
He reached into the pockets and pulled out the phone, the screen displaying a call from "Ana".
He hesitated for a moment before answering. "Hello, this is Officer Daniels; who am I speaking with?"
There was a brief pause before a worried voice responded, I'm Ana, Ashley's friend, what's going on? Where's Ashley? Why do you have her phone? Is Ashley okay?
She questioned instantly, panting audibly through the phone.
Daniels took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully, "Ana, Ashley was in an accident, She's at the general hospital now, but she's in good hands".
"Ashley was at my place just a few minutes ago, we were having a fun time together, then some guys barged in and took her away, now to hear that she's in an accident… It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from.
I'll be at the hospital as soon as I can." She said, her voice calm despite the fear.
Daniels ended the call, looking at Rachel, "That was her friend, they were together earlier, she's on her way". He said.
Ana's heart raced as the shock of the news hit her. She struggled to process what had just happened. The officer driving her said, "Don't worry, your friend is going to be fine. We'll investigate the case. The good thing is that she's safe now."
Ana nodded, her eyes clouded with worry, hoping with all her heart that Ashley would be okay. She tried to steady her breath, but the anxiety weighed on her so heavily that it felt as if the air was too thick to breathe.
The car screeched to a halt, its tires biting into the pavement as if sensing the urgency. Ana didn't wait for the driver to fully park; she flung open the door and, without a second thought, she bolted out, running.