by Ivy Knight
"Look at me and take everything in. The emotions in my eyes are flooded with nothing, but resentment for the man you are. The soul in this body is no longer in the shape you sculpted it into, but worse. And the woman you turned Summer White into, is no longer the woman that follows your orders. I will never succumb to you. No matter how many times you force me down on my knees for you."
Without a warning, I feel the sting of his slap on my left cheek. Instead of letting out a scream, I bite down on my tongue and feel the metallic taste of blood dance across my taste buds. My ears ring, but it doesn't bother me.
The pain is worth it if it means that Nick only did it because my words have some sort of effect on him that he doesn't enjoy.
I stood up to Nick when I was with him, but that was only at the start. After a while, I did what he asked without question. His aggressive side shows me that seeing me independent agitates him. It's amusing to see him so flustered.
I stand up and take a good look at him. His jaw clenched, I admire the amount of rage I cause inside of him. It's like I've lit a fire in the wild and I can't wait for it to grow.
"For someone who abuses women for a living, that slap was quite pathetic," I mock spitting the blood next to his feet.
"I-" before he can continue, we hear police sirens pulling up into the driveway.
"They're early," Nick announces.
"The police works at their own pace," August responds. In Nick's moment of weakness, I turn around and head to Kai. I turn Kai around so that past him, I can see the front door.
"Kai, you have to trust me, please. I didn't come here to hurt you. I never wanted any of this, but I had no choice," my words are rushed. Tears brim my eyes as it hits me that this might be my only chance of talking to Kai.
If we're convicted, we won't get the chance to talk again.
"Come back and prove it to me," Kai words as he hands me the key to the garage. "Take the bike and go to Cole, he'll help you get us out."
"Bu-"
"The police will be after you too, so keep a low profile," Kai warns.
"Chicago state police, put your hands up in the air! We have arrest warrants for Kai Black, Alec Jenson, Cole Baker and Summer White," an officer yells.
"Go!" Kai yells at me. Hesitantly, I take a step back and turn around sprinting towards the garage.
"Hey!" I hear an officer yell. Rather than stopping, I keep in track of the garage. Once I'm at the door, I use the key Kai handed me and open it.
I lock the door behind me and study the board of keys next to the door looking for one of the bikes' keys. Once I find it, I take it off the shelf and head to the bike.
I hear the door being pounded against, but I don't let it distract me. A gun shot goes off and I work even faster. Slipping on the helmet, I start the engine and let the bike come to life.
As soon I start to drive, I look back at the officer pointing his gun in my direction.
Don't you fucking da-
"Fuck," I duck out of impulse at the sound of the gun. He fires rapidly, so I increase my speed and exit the garage faster. Once I'm out, I get onto the main road and drive to the hospital.
This wasn't supposed to happen. Nick wasn't supposed to know who I am and Kai was never supposed to find out. If I didn't loathe the day of my birth before, I surely do now.
I drive at a speed of a hundred and twenty kilometers so that I can reach the hospital before the police does. As soon as I get to the hospital, I park the bike at the back and head inside.
"Cole!" I rush into his room and lock the door.
"Summer, what are you doing here?" he looks utterly shocked to see me.
"Nick came to the house and got everyone arrested," I inform. "I also know that you know who I am, so I'm gonna start off by adding that you can trust me. I'm here to get your help so I can save all of us."
"Fuck," Cole groans as he pulls out his laptop and stars typing. I can tell that he doesn't want to be working with me, but clearly, he doesn't have any other option.
"The USB that you gave me yesterday contained all the information about our trades and every illegal activity we've ever been a part of. I think that Nick handed over the same copy to the police force. There was also an encryption in the USB that was harder to get through, but once I did, it had all your information in it. Nothing that we have, but everything that Nick does."
"You were the one to call Kai and tell him."
"I was," Cole confirms.
"Great timing, Cole," sarcasm lacing my tone. "But I don't care, we're not discussing that now. Just tell me what I need to do, to save our asses."
"You need to get the USB that's kept in the evidence ward at the station behind a heavily armored and pressurized steal gate. Then erase any existing copies of if on all of the police's servers."
"What about the house? There's probably more evidence there."
"According to the ongoing case, they still have to confirm the search warrant for the house and according to their database, it'll take another three hours. So what I'll do is," Cole picks up his laptop and takes a chip out of the bottom of it and hands it to me. "Attach this to their main server, it's in the same room as all the evidence. Once you attach it, the virus will crash everything and I'll be able to delete any existing copies of the file while you get the real one. If they have no evidence, they have no case."
"Okay, but how do I get through the door?" I question.
"Oh," Cole reaches over to the table next to him and takes the stethoscope, then hands it over to me.
"As you turn the knob, whenever you hear a click, start twisting it the other way. You'll know you're doing it right when the door opens."
"Are you serious?"
"Partially, the door is often kept open because everyone needs permission to go down there, so I'm sure it'll be open already. If it's not, just try my method."
"You know you could've just told me that first."
Cole shrugs in response as he closes his laptop.
"Put my laptop in the washroom. There's a slot under the cupboard, it'll fit perfectly and here," Cole hands me a watch. "Time the clock and in exactly thirty minutes, I'll open the computer to delete the files."
"Okay," I take his laptop and hide it in the exact spot he instructed me to. Once I come back to the room, I time my watch and he notes exactly twelve forty on the clock hung on the wall.
"Good luck," Cole says.
"Thanks," I reply as I head to the window.
"What are you doing?" Cole questions with concern as I open the window and start to climb out.
"The bike's down there and the officers are in the building."
"Are you crazy? It's the sixth floor, Summer!"
"Will you shut up, I'll be fine," I assure without much evidence.
"Fine, but oh- cut the city's surveillance cameras and disrupt the station's," Cole reminds me as I'm halfway out the window.
"Okay," I breathe out.
Hanging from the ledge of the window, I see a water pipe heading straight down. Taking a leap, I hang onto the pole and smack my head on it before becoming steady.
"Fuck," I hiss from the pain. As I make my way down, I maintain a steady speed. No one will spot me unless they look out the windows, so there's no point in going fast and increasing the chances of falling down.
As my feet meet the ground, I release a deep breath and climb onto my bike heading to the gym. The gym is a place off of Nick's and the police's radar, so I'm sure I'll be safe there.
Once I get to the gym, I bring the bike inside and get to work. Using the backup computer, I kill the city's surveillance footage. The police station's cameras are harder to cut, so instead of killing it, I put feed of two months ago on repeat. Internally, I thank Cole for teaching me these tricks.
I also check a couple of other things before I use a burner phone to call Lilly. I tell her only the major highlights of the situation before asking for her help. Without hesitating, she agrees. After I put on an extra shirt undern
eath my hoodie and a pair of leggings underneath my sweats, I grab a pair of leather gloves while heading out.
I use mainly busy roads knowing that more police is searching for me on the backroads. I park the bike a few blocks away from the station, and take the rest of the journey by foot.
Standing in front of the station, I keep my hood on in an effort to keep my face hidden. I watch as Lilly comes to the gate and passes me. A small nod on her behalf lets me know that she has this under control.
I nod back and let her go in first. As I follow behind, I look at the watch and read that there's only twelve minutes left until thirty minutes are complete.
As Lilly enters, she immediately starts her part.
"Someone help me, please! My kid has been kidnapped!" she cries. "They're asking for ransom and th-they're going to kill him."
I'm impressed when I see blood on her hands and shirt as she opens her coat.
Everyone in the building turns their gaze towards her and people start to gather around to calm her. I take this opportunity and slip past the main desk.
As I head down the hall, I grab a badge off of someone's desk and pin it to my clothing. Pulling off my hoodie, I head to the end of the hallway entering the elevator.
I press the button to take me to the lowest level, but before the gate closes, a female officer enters. I turn my face to the side and pretend to be distracted as she turns around and stands to the side but a foot in front of me.
"Evidence floor, huh?"
I look down at my tag and it reads visitor, so I make up the best possible lie I can.
"Yeah, just needed to get something for a case," I reply. "You're heading to the... inquiry floor, make a good arrest?"
"Finally tackled down on the Black Killers," she informs sucking me into the conversation.
"Oh, I heard about that. Congrats, hope you win the case," I lie.
"I've already won the case. The evidence I have is unquestionable, they'll be convicted the minute they enter court."
"That sounds like important evidence," I comment.
"Tell me about it, it's almost a burden," she laughs. "Oh, this is where we part."
She exits the elevator. She turns around to say something, but I close the door before she can get a better view of my face. If she's the head of the case, she knows exactly who I am and I don't feel like risking my cover just yet.
Once the elevator stops at my floor, I exit and head to the evidence room. When I find the door open, I relax a bit.
I head in cautiously, but once I step in and no alarm goes off, I sigh in relief. I get to work and find that the shelves are ordered from most recent, back and they're all ordered alphabetically. It takes me a while, but in the end, I determine that Kai's evidence file doesn't contain the USB I'm looking for.
As I remember the thirty minutes are up and I'm late, I drop his file and look for the main server. In the large room, I find a door labelled the electrical room and open it without much thought. The massive amount of wiring leaves me in a haze, but when I spot a USB slot, I insert the chip Cole handed to me.
It only takes seconds for the system to lose its power. Left in the dark, I bring out my own phone and use the flashlight to guide myself through the room.
If the USB isn't in the evidence room, where is it?
I think, and think, and think, until I lead myself back to the conversation I had earlier in the elevator.
'That sounds like important evidence.'
'Tell me about it, it's almost a burden.'
Why would it be a burden unless she's...-
"Fuck," I groan when an alarm goes off and a lockdown announcement is initiated. Immediately, I head to the exit and slip by just before the door closes.
With the backup generators running, I put my phone in my pocket and click the elevator button. Waiting for the door to open, I call Lilly using the burner phone.
"Please answer- oh! Oh, my God, Lilly!"
"Hurry, I don't have a lot of time."
"I need you to beg for a woman named ...-" I close my eyes and imagine her uniform.
Fuck what was it? It started with a C. Caitlin, Caroline -no it was Cam something...
"-Camilla! Her name is Camilla. She's the head of our case and I'm pretty sure she has the USB on her. You need to get it from her, they know I'm in the building."
The elevator door opens and I'm faced with two officers holding their guns in my direction.
"There's a woman in there! She threatened to kill me if I didn't leave," I cry acting helpless. "The door locked on her."
The officers put their weapons down.
"Don't worry, what's your name and what were you doing down here?"
"I work for an attorney's office, I was here to get some evidence for an ongoing case."
"Okay, just head up. It's safer there," one of them instructs. I nod and enter the elevator.
"We have intel on the suspects whereabouts, officer one requesting for backup," the officer speaks into his radio.
"Ma'am you dropped your phone," both the officer and I look down at the burner phone on the ground. Before his brain processes the information, I reach out for the phone and grab it just in time for the elevator doors to close.
The lift starts to go up, but stops and goes down again. Cursing, I look up at the vent on the top of the lift.
"You gotta do what you gotta do," I mumble. I stop the elevator. Putting the phone in my mouth, I climb up and out of the elevator.
I put the vent back in its place just before the elevator doors are forced open. The officers are smart, so to get a head start, I start climbing up to the main floor.
"Suspect is climbing elevator shaft, requesting backup on every floor," I hear the officer word.
I quicken my speed. As soon as I'm by the door to the fourth floor, I pry open the doors and crawl onto the floor. Hearing the heavy footsteps of officers, I take the hall leading to the washrooms.
I enter the washroom and lock myself in one of the stalls where I take off my hoodie and sweats. Now wearing a shirt and leggings, I throw my clothes and gloves in the garbage then cover it with toilet paper.
I flush the toilet and head to the sink where I wash the sweat off my face and put on my best normal expression. As I look myself in the mirror, the janitor enters. Through the mirror, I watch him take out the garbage bag containing my clothes and put it into the bigger dumpster.
Calmly, I exit the washroom and head in the direction of the elevator. When my footsteps are heard, all the officers with their guns, turn around and face me.
"Put your hands where we can see them!" one yells. I put my hands up and squint when another officer directs a flashlight towards my face.
"Suspect, Summer White has been identified."
"Get down on your knees!" another yells. I get down on one knee and then the other. It's more difficult then it seems, because I still have to keep my hands up.
"Put your hands behind your head!" he orders.
Once my hands are behind my head, the officer approaches me cautiously. He steps behind me and shoves me down on the ground. Pulling my arms around to my lower back, he speaks as he binds my wrists with handcuffs.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything that you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you, free of charge."
Once he's done cuffing my wrists and patting me down, he pulls me up and pushes me to move forward. As we head to who knows where, I see Lilly in the hallway.
Her head slightly bobs and I close my eyes sighing in relief.
Chapter 43
Several hours after being held in a cell, taking pictures, stamping my fingerprints and answering stupid questions, I'm now waiting in a detainment room for an officer who wants to question me.
"I'm officer Camilla Coronado head of the case against you and your friends," the same lady that I met in the elevator walks in and drops a fi
le on the table.
My hands remain cupped in each other, on top of the table, as I eye her. She doesn't look that old, her skin is flawless except for some wrinkles on her forehead and the corner of her eyes. Her dark hair, combed back in a slick bun, makes her look a few years older.
"I have some questions for you, Summer," she starts by taking the seat across from me. "You turned eighteen, just yesterday?"
"If yesterday was February fourteenth then yes, I did."
"There's no parental information in your papers, do you have an explanation as to why?"
"My parents died when I was a kid, Kai's parents took me in and when they died, his uncle took us both," I follow the story Kai explained to me. We made up this fake story to say in scenarios like this, so that we don't fuck up and make things worse than they already are. "It's all in the papers."
"It is, but I like to double check," she replies. Looking up from her papers, she tilts her head getting a better view of the left side of my face. "Did someone hit you?"
"Excuse me?"
"There's an imprint of fingers on the left side of your face."
The tips of my fingers brush the skin of my cheek and I feel a sting. I manage to keep myself from wincing, because I'm used to the pain, but the memory of how I got it flashes in front of my eyes.
"My friend and I got into a small quarrel."
"Small? What was it over?"
"Nothing that would concern the police."
"But if this happened when you weren't yet eighteen, it's child abuse, Summer. If there's something going on, you need to inform us."
"There's nothing going on," I repeat myself a little more firmly this time.
"Okay, uh- then let's move on to some more serious matters. Why'd you run from the scene when your friends were being arrested?"
"I'd like to see my lawyer before I make any official statements."
"Okay, what were you doing between the time you ran away to the time you were arrested?" I don't answer. "Summer, I saw you in the elevator. You were wearing a black hoodie and sweats going down to the evidence ward where we found a chip installed into our main server. The chip is responsible for crashing our whole database and destroying particular pieces of virtual evidence. If that's not enough, I have your fingerprints all over the ward and on that exact chip. I have proof that you are guilty of causing the destruction that took place, yesterday at the station, and working with The Black Killers."
