All I see is red.
The last time I ever felt anger and fear this deeply was when Annie was in surgery and now I was facing the same deep fear as I drive past the city limits to get to Mya.
Through my haze, common sense prevails and I fish out my cellphone and dial Hondo's number. It's just after two in the morning, I know he and Nichelle would be asleep, but as Mya's parents they needed to know what was happening.
"Yo, Deac, it's late. What's up?"
"Hondo. It's Mya."
"What happened?" Immediately he's on high alert.
"She went out dancing with some friends and one of the guys she was with put something in her drink. She didn't sound too good Hondo. I'm on the way over to her now. Figured you needed to know and see how you wanted to handle this." I tell him, pushing on the gas when I saw the light turned red. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because I didn't get there in time.
"What club? I'm on my way." Hondo says.
"Nuisance." I answer before I clip the call and focus back on the road.
There's a line outside the club when I get there and I walk past everyone, ignoring their groans of frustration and words of anger until I got to the bouncer and pulled out my badge.
"Metro S.W.A.T." I tell him and he immediately lets me go inside the club.
The music is on full blast, the walls shake from the bass, the air is a mixture of weed, sweat, and desire and bodies upon bodies rub against one another.
Jesus. Now I remember why I always tell Street no whenever he invites me out.
I didn't like it then and I sure as hell don't like it now.
I elbow my way through the crowd, pushing drunk guys out of the way and gently moving the the women to the side until I find the sign for the restrooms. I head into the bathroom for women, meeting the less than thrilled look on a few women's faces.
"Sorry ladies. LAPD." I hold up my badge and they all walk out quickly one after another. "Mya!" I call out, but I don't get a response. "Mya!" I call again, opening stall after stall. "Mya?" I look down to see a pair of gold heels on the floor and when I look over the stall I see my worst fear come to pass, Mya is on the floor leaning against the stall unconscious. "Mya!" I kick the door open and immediately bend down and bring her into my arms. I check for a heart beat and I get one, but it's faint. "Stay with me Mya." I tell her before scooping her into my arms and walking out the bathroom with her.
The lights on the building are on and the music has stopped. I see Hondo and Nichelle who storms over to me the second they see me. "Talk to me Deac. How's my baby girl?"
"She's still alive. I got a pulse, but it's weak." I tell him, before reluctantly releasing her into his arms. EMT comes over and Hondo lays her gently on the stretcher and the EMT's get to work.
"I'm right here honey." Nichelle reassures Mya while holding her hand.
"Thank God you got to her in time." Hondo says.
"I'm just glad I did." I tell him, brushing off his gratitude.
"Alright. Now let's get the son of bitch who did this to my daughter."
Hondo walks over to the bartender and I'm right on his trail.
"Do you remember serving that girl tonight?" I ask.
"I serve a lot of people." The bartender replies.
"Well then let me ask you this, do you make it a habit of serving underage girls? Because that girl is only twenty." Hondo says to him and I can see his face pale.
"I-I didn't know."
"Then you better start talking. Do you guys have cameras in here?" I ask.
"None inside."
I turn to Hondo. "Why don't you ride with Nichelle to the hospital while I finish up here? I'll meet up with you guys in a little bit."
Hondo sighs, not looking too happy but he knows what's important right now is being with his daughter.
I finish interrogating most of the club goers, none of which were helpful because they were too tipsy to remember anything. I make a call to HQ and have them phone tap Conor's phone to give me his location.
Mother fucker went home...
I leave the club and speed my way to his house, which isn't too far from the club. I spot the red jeep in the drive way so I know he's home. There's another car in the way, probably his parents and I wonder if they know they raised a potential rapist.
I stride to the front door and pound on the door, seconds later, an older woman appears disheveled in the doorway. She's average height with blonde hair that stops just above her shoulders and has the same eyes as her son.
"C-can I help you officer?" She asks.
"Sorry to disturb you so late ma'am. I'm Sargent Kay with LAPD S.W.A.T. I'm here about your son Conor." I tell her, even though what I really wanted to do was march upstairs and cuff his ass.
"Is he in some kind of trouble?" She asks, a worry knot forms between her brows and she pulls her robe tighter around her body.
"I'm afraid so. I know he's here. Can I speak to him?"
"Of course." She turns her to head and shouts up the stairs. "Conor!"
Moments later, I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and I see Conor appear at the top. He's dressed in flannel pajamas and a wrinkled t-shirt like he's been in bed all night and and not just drinking and trying to take advantage of a girl.
But I knew better.
"Can I help you officer?" He asks, taking his mom place to stand in the doorway.
"Where were you an hour ago Conor?" I ask.
"Sleeping." He answers before gesturing towards his supposedly slept in pajamas.
"Really? So you weren't at the nightclub Nusiance?" I press. "And before you think about lying, you might want to check the stamp on the back of your hand."
"I went, thought it was lame, and decided to just crash for the night." He explains.
"Mya, the girl that you went out with tonight called me and told me you roofied her." I tell him.
Nervousness flash in his eyes but he quickly schools his face. "I don't know much about roofies, but doesn't it effect your memory? Because if she said I slipped her something, she's lying." He chuckled suddenly. "Man, is that what she told you? She was was all over me. She had way too much to drink, was coming on way too strong. Lost her appeal so I left her at the club."
"She had enough Rohypnol in her system to take down a large horse." I snarl.
"Look, I'm sorry about what happened to Mya. She's a real cool girl, but I had nothing to do with what happened to her tonight. You can check the cameras if you're so sure it was me."
"You know they don't have cameras." I glare him. The little punk thinks he's smarter than me.
"So let me get this straight, you knock on my door in the middle of the night, wake up my mother, drag me out of bed and accuse me of being a rapest with no proof?" He pauses. "Unless you have proof, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
In that moment my phone decides to ring. It's Hondo. Without taking my eyes off Conor, I take my phone out of my pocket and answer the call.
"Hondo?"
"Mya is awake. She's asking for you." Hondo tells me and I would smile if I wasn't in front of this smug little punk who actually thinks he's gonna get away with this.
"I'll be right there." I tell him before clipping the call. I turn my attention back to Conor. "I'll see you soon Conor." I tell him before turning away and head to my car.