In the Arms of Justice

Chapter Nine

Minutes after Detective Barnes had leapt out the window, you could feel the adrenaline leaving your system and shock began to take over. On shaky legs, you staggered to the couch and collapsed, placing your forehead on your knees. Backup must have included an ambulance because moments later a paramedic was speaking to you.

"Ma'am? Will you let me check you for injuries?"

As the fog lifted, your mind processed the request and you sat up with a nod.

The paramedic inhaled sharply, "Ooh, I need to clean up that neck wound. How did that happen?"

"The man broke in...had a knife..."

He put on some gloves and ripped open a square of antiseptic cloths. The paramedic was around your age, handsome with dark chocolatey skin and kind brown eyes. He gently lifted your chin with his hand and began to wipe away the blood.

"This might sting a little, so I apologize. What's your name?" he asked in a means of distracting you, most likely.

"Y/N."

"That's a gorgeous name. I'm Sam. Are you injured anywhere else?" he asked, gently dabbing at your wound, then reaching for some gauze.

"No. My stomach is a little sore from, uh...him....grabbing me, but that's all. Oh, and the back of my head. I hit his nose pretty hard, but it's just tender."

Sam let out a low whistle, "You're a brave one to take on a guy with a knife. I'm impressed."

The corner of your mouth lifted slightly, "I'm just glad those self-defense classes paid off."

"Well, it's not deep and the bleeding has stopped, so no need for stitches. Just try to keep the wound clean and covered, it should heal up, no problem. I'll leave some gauze for you."

"Thank you, Sam."

"You're welcome, Y/N. And I must say, you're holding up really well. I've seen a lot of post-trauma cases and sometimes...well, you're retaining information and conversing, so you'll be okay. Just keep that in mind, alright? You're a strong one, I can tell."

A tear fell from your eye unexpectedly and you wiped it away, nodding to the kind man in response.

Sam offered a smile and gathered his bag, grateful that that was all the patching up you needed. You could only imagine what he had seen in the past...

As he exited your apartment, you heard familiar voices conversing in the hallway.

"I don't now how he beat us here! I was right downstairs and if I hadn't come up to check, I just..." you heard the detective exhale loudly.

"You couldn't have known, don't blame yourself. Let's just find out what happened, get a description, find him and lock him up for good," answered the second man.

You heard a sound, like a clap on the back, before the men entered and approached you.

Detective Barnes spoke first, remorse on his face, "Y/N. I'm so sorry. He slipped away, I don't know how, but..."

Your stomach twisted, knowing that once again the killer walked away.

Frustrated anger radiated from the brunet, his helplessness palpable, but he then squared his shoulders, ready to get to work.

"Let's get an accurate description out there and make sure it doesn't happen again. You up for it?"

Clearing your throat, you nodded and began, "Bleach blond hair, short with darker roots. Clean shaven. Scar on left cheek. Dark blue sweatshirt, black pants, boots. He had a knife....initials engraved on the blade. 'B.R.' "

Detective Rogers jotted your description down, looking up when he finished.

"Anything else that could help us?" the blond inquired.

You paused, then it occurred to you, "He might have a broken nose. Possibly bruised testicles?"

Detective Barnes' eyebrows shot up, a slow grin appearing on his face. The expression you could most identify it with was he was proud of you.

Rogers broke out of his own shocked expression and wrote down those notes. "Well, alright then. We can check pharmacies and emergency rooms to see if he shows up. Excuse me," he said as he stepped away.

"How did you know?" you asked the brunet, meeting his bright blue eyes full of pride and sorrow for you.

"Your window," he replied, moving over to sit next to you. "The light never came on, so I worried. Man, I should've just walked you up but it's a secure building and I was right outside, so I never thought..." he trailed off with an exhale.

"He snuck in after one of my neighbors left with her stupid dog that pees every 20 minutes. He said he saw us in the car and we seemed...distracted," you blushed, looking down.

There was a moment of awkward silence until you dared to meet his gaze, seeing a tenderness there.

"Well, you're not staying here, that's for sure. I'll call about finding a safe house," he spoke, scrolling through his phone and continued speaking. "You mentioned the knife, did he take it with him? Did he touch anything?"

"Yes, he grabbed the knife on his way out. And he used his foot to kick the door shut, then later his sleeve to open the window. He's smart," you admitted, wishing you had more to share until a lightbulb came on in your head. "Wait..."

You fiddled with the clasp of your locket to release it, then dangling it before the detective.

"He touched this with his bare hands," you declared with a small grin of triumph.

The handsome policeman let himself smile fully now, calling over a member of the crime scene crew. The necklace was bagged and given highest priority. Finally a solid lead!

"There's one more thing," you mentioned quietly, fidgeting with your hands. "H-his hands...they felt calloused, so maybe he does manual labor, or... I don't know..."

The detective's jaw clenched at the thought of the bastard touching you, a flare of anger rising in his cheeks. Barnes gently reached a hand out, placing it on your clasped fingers.

"I promise he will never touch you again," he almost growled, a hard determination in his eyes. "Why don't you gather some clothes and such for a few days and I'll make a phone call."

He stood up with you, a steady hand on your lower back. Feeling calmer with him near, you quickly entered your bedroom to change and pack. Returning to the living room, he ended his phone call and looked up as you approached.

A sigh escaped his lips, "Well the good news is, an officer found your wallet at the station. It must have been when he bumped into you that he lifted it to get your address. Bad news? It seems there aren't any safe houses available at the moment. How do you feel about staying with me for a few nights?"