“Someone freaking stabbed him in the crowd,” Jolu said, his hands clenching into fists. “Christ that’s vicious.”
Darryl groaned and looked at us, then down at his side, the he groaned and his head went back again.
I took off my jacket and then pulled off the cotton hoodie I was wearing underneath it. I folded it and pressed
it to his side in order to stop the bleeding. “Take his head.” I told Marcus, “Keep it elevated.” I then told Jolu to get his feet up by rolling his coat underneath them. The guys thought my mom was a nurse and that I went to first aid training every summer. That wasn’t exactly true. My mom did know how to be a nurse but she helped injured terrorists that were hurt during their mission. I was a natural at first aid so she taught me a few things.
Marcus and Jolu were trying to figure out what to do while I was trying to figure out how to escape. My mission was technically done; I had already slipped a detonator into the side pocket of Marcus’s backpack. I stabbed Darryl so that when we surfaced, they’d be sitting ducks. I would “go get help” and never come back. Jolu and Marcus wanted to call someone over to help. There were police everywhere. I protested, I needed to get out of there! He can take care of his own damn friend. But of course hotshot leader Marcus ran into the street and stopped a military-looking Jeep.
Guys in gas masks and guns jumped out of the car and pointed them at Marcus. I had seen this before. Just my luck. OF FREAKING COURSE THE CAR THAT STOPS IS FREAKING HOMELAND SECURITY. I let out a scream of frustration. I hated them all.
We were bagged and tagged so to speak and I knew better than to resist or even speak. I couldn’t see anything and my hands were bound behind me. I could hear Marcus talking and talking about Darryl. Amateur. I tuned him out as I devised my plan to escape. I would make my way out of this soon enough.
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After what seemed like 7 hours, I was finally placed in an interrogation room. Here was my chance to win an Oscar. There was this woman with a super intense haircut who was trying to intimidate me from across the table. It took so much of my energy to not laugh in her face. Did she know who she was dealing with? I spent my whole life training for this moment. This ugly broad wasn’t going to get anything out of me that I don’t want her to know. I’m going to play her like a fiddle.
“Vanessa Pak, is that correct?” she asked me.
“Yes, ma’am.” I replied. People in authority love that whole yes ma’am / yes sir bull.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
“No I don’t, but I’m scared and my family must be worried about me.”
“If you cooperate you’ll be back with them very soon.”
I nodded my head vigorously, pretending that what she was saying was so important and giving me hope. Good god, what a waste of energy.
“Tell me everything you know about Marcus Yallow.”
It took every ounce of self-control to not burst out laughing and jump for joy. I did it! He is the primary
suspect in the bombing! I completed my mission! “Marcus is this guy I met online, we play these reality games together, its like, kid stuff but pretty fun and entertaining. That’s why I was with him today, there was a task we had to complete in order to gain more points.” I said.
“Did you notice anything suspicious about him, today or previously?”
“Well, now that you mention it, he was being more bossy than usual today. Kept checking his phone, but it wasn’t a phone I recognized. It looked like a burner phone and he kept checking it ever 10 seconds. It was so weird. I saw him take a call right before the explosion. I almost forgot because of all the chaos that happened after.”
“I see.” She said calmly, but her eyes were dancing. She was eating all of this up like a hungry dog. “Did you see what he did with that phone?”
“Umm…” I closed my eyes and put my face in my hands, like I was thinking really hard. Like I was using every bit of brainpower to help her and answer her question. “Yes.. yes I remember. There is a side pocket on the left side of his backpack. I saw him put something in there right after the explosion.” Nailed it. If I could high-five myself right now I would.
“Thank you, that’s all we need for now,” she said.
“Okay, let me know if I can be of anymore help.” I replied.
A few hours later, I was released. They dropped me off in a random ally way and thanked me for my cooperation. I thanked them for helping keep the city safe and waved as they drove away. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I busted out laughing and jumped up into the air, trusting my fist in victory. I started making my way home and then realized something incredible. Since the bridge is gone, I didn’t have to go to school tomorrow!
When I got home, my parents embraced me like a hero.
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