Seventeen: An Unfortunate Twist
Emily drummed her fingers against the metal arms of the park bench. To anyone watching her, she would seem like a bored woman waiting to meet someone. She smoothed the nonexistent creases on her dress, and brushed a strand of her hair back. Her eyes peeled out for every passing person, young, old, man, or woman. Some of them met her gaze and nodded subtly. She let out a whoosh of air. Even with this many agents, she still did not feel safe. God knew what kind of person the caller was. She wasn’t even sure if he would personally meet him.
“Emily?”
She jumped a mile, spinning around.
“Bessie? What are you doing here?”
She looked taken aback, and the smile froze on her face. “Jogging?”
Emily smiled apologetically though Bessie didn’t look too convinced. Their town was a rather small town. It was pretty common to run into familiar people. As a result of her edgy state, she wasn’t even able to think properly. “Bessie, do me a favor and leave this park. Don’t come here for at least a few hour.”
“Huh? Are you all right, Emily? By the way, where is Ciara? I tried calling her yesterday but -”
“Bessie! Listen carefully, leave this park okay? I’ll explain to you later.”
Her gray eyes clouded with confusion, but she nodded nonetheless. As she turned to leave, she managed to muster a small smile. “Don’t forget to tell Ciara to call me back.”
Emily reached into her purse and pulled out her phone.
“This is Emily.”
“I hope you didn’t tell your friend anything.”
Emily stiffened. She scanned around the area, searching for anyone talking into a phone. She couldn’t find any.
“No,” she said. She was not in the mood for longer replies, and who would ever worry about manners when the person on the other side of the phone kidnapped your daughter. “Where is Ciara?”
“Don’t worry, your daughter is safe. Go to the fountain to the west.”
The line went dead, and Emily stood up. She prayed to whichever deity there was and hoped Ciara was safe.
The falling water soon came into view. Even though she was in public, the amount of people around her made her feel slightly claustrophobic. She desperately wanted to warn everyone to leave this place, but she knew it was impossible without the kidnappers noticing anything. Her guess for the reason why they chose such a crowded area was so that they could take hostage if they needed. Around her, she could see a few disguised officers follow her movement. Her phone rang once again, and she quickly brought it to her ears.
“I’m the man with the black coat. Give me the money, and I will return your daughter.”
She struggled to contain her temper. “I need to see her.”
“Do as you’re told.”
She cursed aloud and resisted the urge to throw her phone against the concrete. She was going force the police to take extra security against abductions in town once Ciara returned to her.
She adjusted her shades. Indeed, there was a man with black coat—the only one in fact. She took confident steps towards him. He looked up from the newspaper. He looked like any other man from town. Emily frowned slightly, fearing that she’d gotten the wrong person. Her worry was erased as he nodded curtly at the black suitcase in her hand.
“My daughter.”
He motioned for her to follow him, and she did. She knew without looking that disguised agents were following them. The two turned around the corner and came to a much quieter place. Worry entered her mind. In such an area, they would be forced to keep their distance. A blond girl sat stiffly on the lap of a man she didn’t recognize. She raised her head as the two approached her, and Emily jogged towards her daughter.
“Not so fast,” the man said, and stopped her with his raised palm.
Ciara stood up and so did the man behind her. It was then Emily noticed the hidden knife in his coat’s sleeve that was pointed at Ciara’s neck.
“Open the suitcase.” He saw Emily’s hesitance. “It doesn’t matter. No one is here. Quick.”
As if to prove his points, the man behind Ciara gave her a small prod with the knife. Emily wanted to scream and to slap him for daring to touch Ciara, but she swallowed her rage. With a click, the suitcase opened to reveal dozens of bound cash. The man next to Emily motioned for Ciara to come closer to him. With a rather harsh push, she stumbled forward into his arms. The man smirked at Ciara’s baleful look.
“Just a moment and you’ll be back to Mommy’s side.”
Emily gave Ciara a warning glance, silently telling her not to do anything.
“Here is your money,” she said, holding out the suitcase with her right hand. Her other hand reached for Ciara. “Give her back.”
He smirked. “Sure.”
He pushed Ciara towards Emily, and at the same time, he snatched the suitcase out of Emily’s hand. As soon as Ciara fell into Emily’s arms, the disguised officers sprang out, guns in their hands. Jared was by their side at once.
“Ciara! Are you okay?”
“Jared!” Ciara whispered.
“C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
Emily had to agree. She would leave the rest to Ron. He was an old friend of Emily’s husband, and she trusted him. Staying longer in this chaos would not only make it riskier for them but also for the policemen trying to protect them.
For some unknown reason, Jared threw himself at Ciara, forcing her to take a step back. At once, both the mother and daughter raised their heads. Time slowed down enough for her to see the tip of the gun pointed straight at Ciara from a few dozen feet away. Ciara froze in shock.
“No,” she whispered. “NO!”
The gun shot was deafening. The anguished scream of Ciara was heartbreaking.
“YOU BASTARD!” Ciara shrieked. If it weren’t for Emily’s arms around her, she would have charged straight at the person who fired the shot.
Screams, yells, and confusion filled every inch of Central Park. Emily squatted next to the wounded man who saved her daughter and tore off her jacket. She pressed the jacket to his chest, but it was almost futile. The red liquid wouldn’t stop oozing out of the bullet hole no matter how much pressure she put. She prayed that it did not hit any vital organs.
“Jared. Don’t you dare to close your eyes. Jared!” Her hands quivered, and she left a trail of blood from where she’d cupped his cheek.
“Ciara, I need you to calm down.” Emily kept her voice even. She couldn’t freak out when both Jared and Ciara needed her.
Like a rubber band after being stretched too long, she snapped. “He’s dying! He’s dying because of me!”
“Ciara!” Emily looked up into Ciara’s grief-stricken face. “That’s not true. Trust me, you need to be strong for him. If you break down right here, it won’t make it any easier for him.”
“It is my fault! He aimed at me not Jared! If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t -!”
“No.”
The word was barely a whisper, but it was enough to catch Ciara’s attention. Her head spun to him, and she scanned his face. Emily followed her gaze. Jared looked pale, ghostly pale. It was natural with the amount of blood he’d lost. Ciara’s bottom lip quivered. His lips moved, and both Emily and Ciara struggled to make out the words.
Ciara, I’m your guardian angel.
“Jared,” she whispered. Emily could see how hard her daughter’s hand was shaking. “Promise me you’ll be fine. Promise!”
“Ma’am, the ambulance is here.”
Emily nodded and stood up. She gently tugged on Ciara to make space for the medics with a stretcher. It only took a moment for Ciara to react.
“I need to go with him! I have to!”
“Ciara!” Ciara glanced up, blankly. Bessie threw her arms around the blonde. “Oh, Ciara, I’m so sorry.”
Ciara sniffed, accidentally inhaling the detested hospital scent. Bessie pulled back and glanced around. Ciara switched her gaze to the emergency room. Her heart clenched. What was she going to do?
The accursed image of him throwing himself at her flashed across her mind once again, and more tears dropped. Before she knew it, she was sobbing.
“I can’t do this, Bessie. I don’t know what I’d do if something… something were to happen to him.”
“He will be fine, Ciara,” Bessie said and rubbed Ciara’s back soothingly. “Jared is stronger than that.”
“It’s my fault, Bessie, my fault.”
“No, it’s not! Don’t blame yourself for something like this!”
Ciara pulled back and leaned back against the wall. If only she did not walk home that night, if only…
“He’s my son! Move!”
Ciara heard her spine crack uncomfortably as she bolted upright. Mary was coming down the corridor. She did not look sick at all. She looked mad at the nurses after her.
“Mary,” Ciara breathed. A new wave of guilt washed over her. What was she going to say to Jared’s mom? That it was her fault her son was dying?
“He’s my SON!”
The two nurses cringed. “That’s the surgery room. No one can enter the surgery room.”
“Mary.” Ciara’s mom appeared around the corner. She placed her hand on Mary’s frail shoulder and gently stirred her away from the room. “It’s better for him if you wait here.”
As if Emily’s words were the final prove Mary needed that this was real, she slumped against her. Her body trembled, and Ciara saw her mom pat her old friend’s back. No words were needed. Ciara shut her eyes. Seeing Mary weeping and her mom comforting her, that last tendril of hope of everything was a dream vanished. Jared was shot, and there was no denying it.
Please, please, make it through this, Jared.