Page 73 of Never Give Up

“Fuck.” I don’t even bother wiping the tear from my eye that’s threatening to fall. There’s nothing else I can say, because Poppy knows as well as I do what’s about to happen.

I clear my throat before unmuting my end of the call. “Stay brave,” I whisper, barely audible. “Stay brave, Bailey. I’m right here.”

“I know you’re here.” Dark and menacing, a voice rings out in the background. “Where the hell are you, you little bitch?” I hear more slamming against wood, then a small whimper reaches my ears. “I fucking knew it. You stupid little shit. Couldn’t mind your own business, could you?”

There’s some rustling of clothes and something plastic as he tears his way through the closet to get to her.

The phone drops.

Bailey struggles against him. Slapping and kicking, the sound of flesh and cloth tearing reaches my ears.

“Fight, Bailey,” I whisper to myself. “Don’t let him win. Fight. Just a little longer.”

Her screams, both in anger and fear, echo through our connection. “Fuck you, asshole.” Bailey’s voice, so young, sostrong, fighting what we both know is about to happen.

“Fight, Bailey.” My words, on repeat and completely against protocol—but I don’t give a shit—fill the void left.

Where are the deputies?

I don’t want to listen to a little girl be hurt. I don’t want to hear her take her last breath. I don’t want to remember the same thing happening to me.

His hand, or fist, hitting her, brings a gasp from Poppy, and I see the attack in my head. I see the fist landing a punch on a girl whose face I can’t picture. The choked sounds of her trying to breathe after what must be a hit to the chest. The sound of her being thrown into a wall.

More glass breaking as something lands in the distance.

The unmistakable sounds of her crying.

She’s still alive to fight. To cry.

Grunting coming from her attacker, words that I can’t quite make out.

The sound of her refusing to let him take her. Her screaming ‘no’ over and over.

She’s alive.

The seconds drag on, and I’m counting in my head while I wait for our guys to get on scene. For help to arrive.

And then nothing.

“Bailey?” I call her name. “Bailey, if you can hear me, help is on the way. Just hold on a little longer.”

Poppy’s dispatching an ambulance while I’m still trying to get Bailey to answer me on the phone.

“Please, Bailey.” My plea goes unanswered. “Please hold on.”

Units call out over the radio, arriving on scene, and chaos erupts.

“Bailey? Bailey, can you hear me? Answer me if you can hear me. Help is there, Bailey. Just hold on for them.”

Units breach the scene, and I know I should be doing more. Calling for backup, but I can’t. I can’t do anything until I know what happened to Bailey.

“Dispatch.” Static breaks out an eternity later. “Dispatch, be advised, the caller is alive but in need of med. We have one male subject in custody.”

Hot tears are splashing on the keyboard, but I don’t move. I don’t answer. I don’t do anything but sit there and wait. Listening to the sounds of officers and medical first responders answering, saving her life.

“Maya.” Poppy’s right there in front of my face. “Maya, are you okay?”

I blink, snapping back to reality.

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