Mood: Determined, Frightened

~~~~~~~

"Wait, what?"

You rolled your eyes in slight annoyance, leaning forward in your swivel chair.. The computer screen behind you lit up as it loaded up it's screen.

"A local gang around our finger would be a huge advantage. Both to crime rates and reputation.

The Commander blinked a few times at you, "You seem to be having a hard time understanding what I'm saying."

"You want me to authorize a local gang?"

"That's what I'm asking, yes." You leaned back in your chair and crossed your arms.

"(L/n), that's ridiculous."

"If you feel so strongly about that, then fine. We'll talk about this later. I have work to do." You snapped, bringing your attention to the computer. You quickly typed in your login before the screen loaded several icons on the desktop.

You had only been working at the station for about three days now, and the Commander was interested to see you constantly on the computer. You were definitely a hand's-on learner, so seeing you cooped up in the electronics room worried him. What were you up to?

Unsure, he shook his head at you before leaving the room. You hadn't noticed.

You typed Ivan Misocvich in the search bar and waited. Least to say, you were shocked to see numerous links to news stories and previous criminal records.

One by WCAU popped up in your search. The header read: Gang Leader On The Loose! And that caught your attention immediately. You clicked on the link and read bits and pieces. There was a part that stood out from the others.

Yesterday marks the second month since well-known gang leader - Ivan Miscovich - escaped from prison. The explosion that allowed Miscovich to escape critically injured three civilians and two Philadelphia police officers. If you know anything about the recent local gang activity, please contact the Philadelphia Police Department.

Your blood ran cold as you read the rest of the article. Aside from the fact that he was an escapee, you wondered why no one told you while you were in the hospital. Were they trying to keep you from the stress? They probably knew that if there was a problem at the station, you would've been the first to try to run there and fix it.

Then again, you had other things to worry about. Charles was right. Ivan was a gang leader, and now he was without a doubt wandering the streets. You wondered how Camille was really killed.

You let out a sigh before leaning back in your chair. What could you do? Would he kill you too if he got the chance?

Your mind went back to Charles's promise. Was he never going to visit you at your home again? You doubted that. He seemed to enjoy your company too much. At this point, you didn't really know what Charles was to you, but you knew that you could consider him your guardian at least. You had witnessed him kill with no restraint. He wasn't scared to protect what he claimed as his.

You were sure Ivan was similar. His voice echoed through your head as you recalled the night at the club. A deep whispering in your ear before the cloth went over your mouth was all you could decipher. Did he know about you and Charles?

You looked back at the computer screen.

If you know anything about recent local gang activity, please contact the Philadelphia Police Department.

You thought for a moment. You could report some of the things you've witnessed so far. The warehouse that you were taken to by Don was probably a hideout. The same went with the night club. You could tip them off on both locations.

You pulled out your phone, turning the screen on and hit the call button.

But before you could type in the station's number, your phone began to ring. The number was one that you hadn't recognized. Regardless, you paused your call and answered it.

"... Hello?"

"(Y/n), I need you to listen to me." Matt breathed into the other side of the phone, making your next exhale stop in your throat before you shouted.

"Oh my god! Matt I--"

"No time. I need you to meet me at your house now. Please, they're going to--"

The phone cut off. Hearing the familiar sound of a phone line going dead, you pulled the phone away from your ear to look at the number listed.

You grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the number. Below the number, you wrote 'Matt - Cell' before putting the post-it note on the computer you used. You got up out of your chair and sprinted out of the room. Your short heels clacked against the tile, your speed never faltering as you made your way to the exit.

Why had Matt called you? Was he in trouble? Why meet at your home?

And more importantly, who were 'they'?

~~~~~~~~~

You made your way to your side of the city, The building was just around the corner, but in the alley beside you, you heard a deafening bang as the lid from a trash can collapsed onto the ground.

You stopped your movement. The lid spun around itself until it finally laid gently on the ground below it.

You grabbed your phone, eyes never leaving the alley. The only time you looked down was to pull up Charles's contact and to press the call button. You held the phone up to your ear, but when you looked back at the lid, you saw that it had returned to it's rightful position on the can.

You quickly felt your body respond to this threat by freezing up, and no matter how much you wanted to, you couldn't move away.

"Hello?" Charles asked from the other side. Your voice quivered as you replied.

"Charles it's me."

"What's wrong?" His concerned voice called out from the other side of the line.

"In the alley next to my house. Someone's here." You said, alarmed as you heard a car start in the distance.

"Get into your house now and lock the doors and windows. I'm coming." His footsteps sounded quick.

The car you heard start from blocks away screeched to a halt behind you, You looked over to the dark SUV, several men coming out. More noticeably. they all had handguns at their side and masks on their faces -- similar to the one's Charles and his men wore during the raid.

You immediately broke out into a run, doing all you could to find a safe haven on the side of the street. You could hear them shouting behind you, their footsteps getting closer with each stride you made.

"It's too late!" You screamed into the phone, breathing quickly as you peered over your shoulder. They were closing in.

"I won't let them hurt you. I swear on my life that I will protect you." Charles promised, his voice strained as well.

Your hopes were soon ruined as you felt hands wrap around both of your wrists, pulling you back. The force caused you to lose grip on your phone, which then tumbled onto the ground.

"Charles!"

You screamed, but were quickly taken down with a punch against your jaw. The back of your head hit the ground hard. Knowing that you may lose consciousness on account for the stars in your vision, you let out one last, haunting shriek before you heard the sound of your phone cracking underneath one of the men's feet.