Momma, I'm in love with a criminal

six

It was night now.
The sky was dark, faint noises of owls and frogs echoed from outside the window.
Traffic was slow.
It was now or never.

Alice grabbed her dark green backpack out of the floor, quickly filling it with some blankets and warm clothes, and throwing it over her left shoulder.
She carefully opened the creaky window, feeling the cold air hit her skin.
The smell of fresh rain filling her nose.
She inhaled as she looked back at the safety of her warm bed.
Was it worth it?

Without giving her thoughts a chance, she threw her leg over the pane, pulling the other leg up slowly and jumping out, hitting the concrete with a hard thud.
Pain radiated throughout her ankle, but she couldn't worry about that now.

Alice looked around quickly, making sure nobody was watching.
The coast was clear.
She tiptoed around to the side of the building, peeking around the corner first, before running down the back alley.
Turning the corner, she ran faster, the cold breeze numbing her nose.
She had now made it to the end of the street.
No cars.
No traffic.
It was odd.
Stockholm was never this quiet.

She stopped for a moment, catching her breath, before continuing across the empty road in front of her.
She made sure to not cross any main road after that, careful to avoid any human interaction.
She pulled the hood over her head, cupping her hands around her mouth and breathing hot air onto them.
Feeling hands on her shoulders, she froze.

"What are you up to young lady?"
She turned around, now face to face with the sheriff.
"You're coming with me." he grabbed her arm.

"Actually she was meeting me, we had plans tonight"
a low voice spoke up.
The sheriff released his grip, nodding and holding his hands up defensively. "I'm sorry Mr. Rosales, carry on"

The unknown man held his arm up, placing it across my shoulder, as we walked away.
"Thanks for saving my ass" I spoke quietly, making sure the cop couldn't hear me.
The man grinned before saying something in Swedish, which I couldn't understand.

Two men, seeming to appear out of no where, grabbed me, placing tape around my mouth and holding my hands behind my back.
The one going by Rosales took my backpack.
I jerked around violently, trying to get them to release me, but they only tightened around me.
A blindfold fell over my eyes.

A few minutes later, I could see.
I was tied to a chair, tape still over my mouth, with three men standing in front of me.

"Now, you sit here and shut up, we have a delivery soon" a short man with black hair smiled at me, mouthing the words 'i'm sorry' before turning and walking away.

Alice was now alone.
In an unknown place.
Where nobody could hear her scream.