Page 88 of Fighting Conviction
“Holy shit, what was that?” Virginia interrupted her and did a three-sixty. Ellie watched with a shock of panic as the door shut behind her friend. “The ballroom was crazy loud, but I could’ve sworn I heard a gun—um, what the hell is goin’ on?” Virginia lowered her voice to a whisper. “Why is a cop pointin’ a gun at us, Ellie?”
Ellie cupped Virginia’s face with her hands and forced her to look at Ellie and not the investigator. “Listen to me, V. Turn around and go inside. I’ll be right behind you.”
The investigatortskedbehind her again. “Sorry, can’t do that either.”
Ellie turned around to face the investigator. “Please, she doesn’t know anything. Just let her go.” Virginia’s fingernails dug into Ellie’s shoulders as she spoke and Ellie used the pinch of pain to ground her.
“Nah, see, she definitely just saw somethin’. People inside might not’ve heard the gunshot ‘cuz of all that damn music, but she’ll go on in there and tattle.” He made a show of waving his gun around. “And as for you, I told ya if ya recognized me, we was gonna have a problem. Welp. Seems like we have a problem.”
“There’s no problem.” Ellie shook her head as she tried to wrack her brain for an escape route. Virginia’s presence folded a wrinkle in the clear-cut map Dev had drawn for her on how to defend herself. “Just let us go. I promise I won’t say anything about the park.”
“That’s the guy who shot at you in the park?” Virginia hissed in Ellie’s ear and Ellie watched as the investigator shook his head and shrugged, like he had no other choice but to do what he had to do.
“Seems you told someone, huh? Can’t have loose ends, Miss Stone.” With the gun pointing at them, the investigator pulled his handcuffs from his tactical belt. “So why don’t you come on over here and we’ll go down to the… uh, station and figure all this out.”
Never go to another location.
The investigator was too far away for her to disarm him.
But, if he comes closer…
It was risky, but Dev had taught her how to steal an attacker’s gun as a last resort. Running and hiding were out. Fighting was the only option.
“We’re not comin’ to you. Y-you have to come to us.”
“What’re you doin’, El? We need to get outta here.”
It was another tactic. If she stalled enough, maybe someone else would come and interrupt. She was biding time she wasn’t sure they had, but she sure as heck was going to try every weapon Dev had stocked in her arsenal.
The investigator huffed, but took the bait, slowly pacing toward her with the gun poised to fire, as if he was afraid she had some trick up her sleeve. Hopefully, she did.
“Ellie, what’s the plan. He’s gettin’ close.”
“Shh. Trust me.” Ellie concentrated on the trembling hand aiming the gun and mentally played through the motions she’d need to use to disarm him.
“Ellie…”
He was about to be within her reach when he lunged for her. She moved the way Dev taught her to divert any shot he could take, but Virginia screamed and tugged Ellie to the door, making Ellie crash to the ground.
A loud crack above her head deafened her senses. Virginia fell to the ground beside her and the crimson stain forming on her pretty pink dress made the edges of Ellie’s vision fade away.
Ellie’s arms were wrenched behind her back as hundreds of pounds kneed her in her spine. The investigator crushed her under his weight, but when Ellie saw Virginia laying on the ground, her friend’s blue eyes wide as she held her hand against her upper chest, holding back thin rivulets of blood seeping slowly through her soft hands, Ellie felt like she was going to break in half.
“No!” Ellie moved, kicked, and screamed, did everything she could but the knee in her back made her hips grate into the asphalt. Her hands were locked into handcuffs and the world began to cave in around the edges.
No. No. NO. Not now.
“Keep screamin’ and I’ll put another one in her.”
Ellie went silent and breathed sharp quick breaths through her nose to keep from passing out. The tinny smell of asphalt smelled awful, but she focused on the scent filling her lungs. She couldn’t have a panic attack. Not then. Where was everyone? Why was no one coming to help?
“Now, play nice and come with me—” The investigator heaved her up. Ellie began to kick him with her heels and writhe, until he continued. “—and I’ll even call 911 for your friend. Wouldn’t that be nice? Damn chivalrous, if ya ask me. ‘Specially for what I could probably get for her. I’m sure my visitor will be fine with gettin’ you though.”
The investigator grunted as he dragged her to the back of his police vehicle. The rough cement bit into her skin, but Ellie gritted her teeth and kept her body limp. She’d stopped fighting, but that didn’t mean she was helping the man dig her grave.
Virginia’s bright blue eyes squinched in pain, and the hand that wasn’t holding on to her chest reached for Ellie.
“Come on, you don’t want to be actual dead weight, do you? You’re lucky they still want ya. I wouldn’t even bother with ya if I didn’t think they’d pay me back.”
