The Coding Call

Chapter 4

  The officer led Andrew to an empty conference room. "Wait here" he said. The officer left the room and shut the door behind him. Andrew settled into one of the seats and looked around at the conference room. Posters showing model officers were hung all around the room. The tile of the room was dirty and filled with mud and dirt. This isn't appealing Andrew thought. After what seemed to be a couple of minutes of sitting in silence a female officer entered the room. She looked pretty young and very firm. She gently sat down in the seat in front of him. The officer shuffled papers on a clipboard and wrote stuff with a pen. She scribbled really fast on the paper, writing who knows what kind of information. She set down the pen and stared at Andrew. Andrew felt awkward and nervous. "Andrew would you care to tell me where your parents or guardians are?" she said in a grumpy attitude. Her pretty face doesn't match her attitude Andrew thought to himself. "I don't know where my parents are frankly." Andrew replied. He tried to remain cool and not break out in tears in front of the officer. "You don't know?" The officer replied. Andrew sat up straight and sighed. He didn't even know where to begin. 

  Andrew told the officer all that had happened that haunting night. The IM messages, his parents missing, the screen flash,the woman's scream, the men after him. While Andrew spoke the officer scribbled more notes onto her clipboard. "So what did these men look like?" the officer asked. Andrew thought back to that time. Seemed forever ago. "They were both really bulk and wore everything black. They carried long metal bars." Andrew replied to the officer. "They also did this." Andrew lifted his jeans to show the gash on his leg. As the gash received air it burned Andrew once more. Andrew gritted his teeth at the pain. "We need to get somebody to look at that." The officer replied. "In the meantime Andrew, we will put you in a complementary cell. You're no prisoner. We just need to get your story straight. We will find your parents Andrew." The officer said. She scribbled one last note onto her clipboard and stood up from her chair. She picked up the clipboard and signaled Andrew to follow her. 

  Andrew followed the officer through a series of long halls and corridors. The officer walked gracefully in front of him. She would occasionally have a chat with officers she encountered. Once they reached the cells she opened up the cell door. "We have a doctor on the way. He'll look at your wound for you." The officer said. With that she shut the cell door and walked away. Her feet dragging across the tile of the station. I'm in a cell Andrew thought. I feel like a prisoner. A prisoner trapped in his worst nightmare. 

  A couple of minutes later a male doctor entered the cell. He had a stubble of hair on his face and nice combed dark hair. He smelled of mint and cologne. "Hello Andrew, I'm Dr. Menzel. I hear you have a nasty cut on your left leg." the doctor said. "Right leg" Andrew corrected. Dr.Menzel lifted his jeans and carefully examined the gash. He reached into his medical bag and pulled out a liquid. "This might sting Andrew." Dr. Menzel told him. As he carefully sprayed the liquid on his leg Andrew grit his teeth. Fuck that BURNS! Andrew thought. Dr. Menzel carefully pulled out wipes and wiped at the gash. "Everything seems fine Andrew. No stitches are needed. Luckily the cut isn't infected. You need to stay put for a couple of days though. We don't want this cut stretching out." Dr. Menzel said. He stood up and threw away the wipes and gloves. With that he trotted out. 

  Not a prisoner my ass Andrew thought after a couple of hours passed. They wouldn't let Andrew leave the cell or do anything. All they did was offer water and food. He sat bored in his cell looking out into the station. An officer had started to hang Christmas decorations up on the station walls. Another officer was talking to a woman who would not stop weeping. And I thought I was bad Andrew thought.  The boredom was the worst part. At least he was safe. He was grateful for that at least. He no longer had to worry of men coming in and trying to kill him. He no longer had to worry about the lingering hunger that overtook his body. He especially did not have to worry about the cold weather outside beating him up.

  As night neared Andrew spread out on a stiff bed he had in the cell. He stared up at the ceiling. "Goodnight Andrew." The female officer told him. "When am I getting out of here?" Andrew asked. "Tomorrow I promise." She told him. She strut away from the cell. Andrew rested his head on the pillow and tried to sleep. It took about a minute until the sleep took over. 

  In the darkness of the station stood a shape. A small female. Not an officer. Andrew awoke in a flash and shifted up. The dark female figure stared directly at Andrew. "What did we tell you Andrew?" The teenage girl asked. "Who the hell are you? What's going on!" Andrew sputtered. "We are here for you Andrew." The girl said. With that two large silhouettes of men approached him. Andrew started to tear up with fear. He shifted back to the wall. "HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Andrew yelled out. The men stabbed the key into the hole of the cell. The cell door slammed open. The men approached Andrew and lifted him from his own feet. Andrew resisted and tried to kick the men. "Don't resist Andrew. We have you now."