Chapter 7 - The Corrupt Cops
The realization that the police were on Salgado's payroll felt like a physical blow to my stomach.
The officer shoved me into the back of his cruiser, the hard plastic seat cold against my skin.
Beatriz smiled triumphantly from the alley, giving the officer a slight nod of approval.
"Take her directly to the clinic's loading dock, the surgical team is waiting," Beatriz instructed him.
The officer slammed my door shut and climbed into the driver's seat.
He started the engine, pulling out onto the deserted main road.
I was handcuffed, exhausted, and completely out of options.
I looked at the thick metal mesh dividing the front seat from the back.
I noticed a heavy metal flashlight resting precariously on the edge of the dividing grate.
I shifted my body sideways, bringing my handcuffed hands from behind my back, slipping them awkwardly under my legs until they were in front of me.
It hurt immensely, scraping the skin off my wrists, but I managed to get my hands in front of my body.
I reached up and grabbed the heavy flashlight through a small gap in the mesh.
"Hey, what are you doing back there?" the officer yelled, glancing at his rearview mirror.
I smashed the flashlight directly into the thin plexiglass window dividing us.
The glass spider-webbed, but it held strong.
I hit it again, screaming with every ounce of adrenaline left in my broken body.
The glass shattered completely on the third strike.
I shoved the heavy metal flashlight through the hole and struck the side of the officer's head.
He groaned, his hands slipping off the steering wheel as the cruiser veered into oncoming traffic.
The car collided violently with a concrete highway divider, launching us into the air.
When the car finally stopped spinning, the officer was unconscious against his deployed airbag.
I kicked the damaged back door open and stumbled out onto the empty highway, finally free again.
I needed someone I could actually trust, someone entirely outside of Diego's twisted world.
I ran toward my childhood best friend's apartment, knowing Sarah would save me.
I pounded on her door, begging her to let me in out of the rain.
May you like
Sarah opened it, smiled warmly, and quickly locked the deadbolt behind me.
Then I noticed Diego's expensive leather jacket draped over her couch.
