Chapter 18
I soon found out why the car we were chasing was so familiar.
After minutes of traveling down the same road, behind the same car, we finally were able to see the next road. The road in which the other cops were suppose to have blocked off by the time we got there. And sure enough, once my eyes were allowed to see that far ahead in the distance, I saw it.
Speeding after the car, beyond it at the corner, three cop cars were lined across the road. They were parked, the lights flashing with the cops outside of the car, waiting and ready. It was a smart idea. Now, we knew he had no where else to go. If he didn't stop, he would hit the cop cars. If he tried turning around, we were at a far enough distance behind the speeder to make sure he wouldn't get pass us. Besides, he was going too fast to accomplish that now. He would actually have to drive off the road to escape the cops. And from the ditches that ran parallel to the road as well as the thick forest between houses, I don't think he would choose that option.
And I was right, this driver didn't. The car, when close enough to the line of blocking cars, hit the breaks and I saw the car turn this way as he was breaking - like Luke and I just experienced. Except, he didn't try to turn around and come back our way, knowing it wouldn't work. Because at the moment he turned and was ready to come back our way in hope to pass us, Luke hit the breaks too and slid to a stop, turning the car a little. I noticed now that we were blocking his only real way out, the car now stopped along the width of the road. Just enough so he couldn't pass. This guy was stuck - and now very much screwed thanks to Luke's badass driving.
Before I knew it, Luke was in action. He opened his door in a flash, his belt already off as he moved. "Stay here," he quickly said to me when he stood and swiftly moved towards the now motionless and familiar car in front of us. He approached the crazy driver's car door, tense and ready for anything. I heard him and the other cops yell a few things to whoever it was that stayed invisible to me and in the car where he waited in a panic, no doubt.
Luke, at the drivers door with the cautious and observing cops waiting, yanked it open. I saw him pull the man out of the drivers seat to a standing position outside on the road. My head tilted to my right, looking out my window. I was able to finally see the man in which caused me a day of excitement (though his face was still hidden with his back to me). I would have to make sure to thank him for giving me an exciting experience.
He took him by the arm with such force, holding him in a way that wouldn't allow the man to escape his grasp. He held him there, the man's back still to me as Luke was facing him. He looked alert but also calm like most cops need to be in this situation. Words started up among the two of them but I wasn't able to hear what was said, their voices muffled. I just knew that the man Luke held tight in a grip was speaking louder and I could tell he was pissed off. He tried breaking out of Luke's hold as he yelled at him. Luke managed to stay under control with no problem it seemed - though the other cops were watching, ready for anything, tensed a little. They moved slightly closer at seeing the man wasn't cooperating.
While the words among them continued, no matter the volume or force behind them, I couldn't put all my attention on just trying to hear them. In fact, with his back and side to me, I was more focused on just getting a glimpse of his face. He would turn his head and shift his body if Luke's muscles would allow and when they did, I was able to just see the side of his head. Nothing that would let me identify him completely though.
I wasn't sure what it was but I couldn't stop trying to get a good look at this guy. There was just something familiar about him - his stance of figure, maybe his hair or car.... I didn't know. The man was wearing a long black tee-shirt with baggy and ripped jean shorts that reached just past his kneecaps. My friends usually wore those baggy type of clothes; but nowadays, which boy acting like a badass didn't? His hair looked greasy, a brown that looked too dark and wet, combed back from what I could see. After a year of being gone, I was still familiar with the people I knew here and everything quite clearly. I just wasn't sure if this dude fit into my past. He looked somewhat familiar from what I could see but I just wasn't able to put my finger on it....
I finally got a good look at his face. One of the cops moved towards them both as they talked. He passed the guy and Luke and went to his car that was parked on an unexpected turn between Luke's car and the other cop cars lined to block. As Luke and the man continued to talk in harsh voices - which my guess was the man trying to explain himself - the officer looked in the car. Not a few seconds later did the cop leave the car and interrupt their words, saying something in which I was able to make out.
"Open alcohol on the drivers side; marijuana and heroin," the officer told Luke of his findings.
Luke raised his eyebrow, glancing to the officer then back to the guilty man, who had paused in his obnoxious rambling to Luke. He said something to the man, scoffing as I saw Luke's arms tighten on him. He ended up turning the man around until he was facing me, forcing his feet to move in my direction. He walked the man swiftly towards the hood of the car. And though it took a second, my mind read it as slow as minutes.
The moment his face was visible, I felt my chest jump in surprise and my eyes widened. I knew he had looked familiar.
Patrick Newlin. Oh boy. This would be interesting. Especially if he decides to look a few feet away into the car Luke was holding him against. Yeah, that would be one hell of a reaction I'm sure if he sees me here - someone in which he figured was gone for good after I left.
Looking ahead now, out the windshield when my eyes followed them, Luke got behind him more and pushed his body against the car so he couldn't move. He handcuffed him, Patrick's hands bound behind his back now.
Watching Patrick, his side was to me as Luke was still holding him in that position. Meaning, I could see his face well and with detail since he was much closer. It didn't look like he changed much. He always kept a clean and shaved face, not a hint of facial hair. But his hair always had the unique look to it, appearing glossy and wet. He puts this heavy duty gel in it; it's always just greasy. Either that or he sweats like a pig 24/7 through his head (though I doubt that last one). Slicked back and behind his ears, sitting on the nap of his neck, a few locks hung down and over his face. I noticed he was nearly as tall as Luke was and with the shirt he wore, it suggested he also gained some muscle since I last saw him. That was all the difference I saw in him. No surprise there though. He wasn't a growing boy. He was around 22 or 23 if I had to guess.
I saw that his dark brown eyes were pinned forward at nothing in particular, lost in his thoughts. But he wasn't concerned or worried. His expression suggested otherwise actually. I suppose that's just how he was, which wasn't surprising. Patrick was a carefree person. Or rather he just didn't care. That smirk, such a recognizable turn of his lips, was the one feature that was always common with him. You can't really blame him either. With all the money his family has and how spoiled he is, why bother to care? He'll be out of trouble somehow soon enough, I was sure.
Luke held him there and I could here Luke saying something in a blank and emotionless voice, too quiet for me to here. But that wasn't all Luke did.
When I ran from the cops that first night back in town, Luke tackled me and soon after held me against his car. He did the usual search they often conduct in those situations that night to me. However, he was a little rougher with him than he was with me. Lets hope he didn't go easy on me just because I'm a girl. Because if he did, I'm going to kick his ass.
He rested his hand on Patrick's shoulder roughly a minute later, pressing him tight against the car, and searched him. His hands moving over his back, sides, ass, and thighs, Luke turned Patrick around an did the same thing to his front. And all the while, Patrick's smirk remained, nailed on Luke's serious face. Then, his eyes moved. Towards where I was seated in the car. At first aimlessly glancing... and now, it was a destined stare.
His eyes met mine and I didn't know what to expect from him. But with his eyes widening, smirk growing, I knew he remembered me. We weren't that good of friends before but we knew each other well enough. Now, we weren't even friends. If anything, he had a right to hate me. I betrayed him and all of my other friends. His eyes through the windshield never left mine and they grew excited at seeing me, not expecting me to be here.
When Luke was done with that, nothing found on his body, Luke was quick to haul him back a few feet - which finally made our gaze break - in order to yell something to the others. One of the officers that was sitting in their car on the computer said something back and that's when Luke pulled Patrick along towards the divers side of the car.
It wasn't long until he was sitting in the back and Luke was back in the driver's seat. And let me tell you, though handcuffed and restrained in the back, I felt my heart racing. I was nervous for some reason. Maybe because I knew he would eventually get bailed out and knew I was back in town.... Patrick was the first of the three of us to break the silence as Luke started the car. "So copper, who's the honey in the front? You must you use the good cop, bad cop routine on her."
Oh, he knew well enough who I was. But from my silence, Patrick already knew I was uncomfortable and saw I remembered him too. I could also tell he was doing this to push at Luke. His way of a fun little game this was.
I glanced to Luke slightly and saw his response was to grip the wheel tighter. His dark eyebrows dipped lower and he ignored what he said. With no answer for Patrick, Luke started driving off and back towards the station, going in a different direction than the other cars since we traveled a farther way during the chase.
Silence was in the car again. Patrick scoffed slightly under his breath once he received no answer. In the next second though, I heard a slight movement in the back seat and felt a strange sensation travel up my neck. With my eyes on the road through the windshield, I realized what the feeling was in the next second. My head was resting back against the seat. And I recalled that just behind the front seats was a little black fence that separated us from where whoever was arrested was in back. Now, I knew that that feeling was from Patrick pressed against those small bars just behind my neck. He had moved forward and was now breathing on my neck.
Just slightly, so Luke couldn't hear, he whispered on my neck from behind me. It sent straight chills up my body. "Albany...."
I cringed and couldn't keep myself from slightly sitting forward. Glancing to Luke, I saw his eyes were set on the road and he didn't notice my slight movement. But, knowing Patrick, he wanted Luke to notice. To harass both of us even though he had no clue on the relationship between Luke and I.
He sat back in his seat and laughed. "Well, Albany, you were the last person I thought I would see. Tell me Albany, what could you be doing in the front seat and not the back where you belong?"
In the next second, the car swerved slightly after Patrick said that. Looking to Luke, I saw his eyes were wide with what Patrick had said. It shouldn't be too shocking though. Everyone knew me around here. But it was strange to see this kind of reaction. Especially the amount of tension that rose just between Luke and I once he got in control of the car. Luke glanced to me, a questioning look on his face.
"You know him?" he asked in a way that told me he didn't like that fact. It was like he felt betrayed that I would know him - which made no sense. His eyebrows dipped, eyes like judgmental stones, line straight. From his strange reaction and look, I couldn't answer him. I was still trying to come to a conclusion as to why me knowing him was a big deal. Though I couldn't say anything, Patrick was more than happy to address Luke.
"Oh, don't be jealous man. I'm sure she's over me by now," he said in a light tone. And with the content of the words, it was a clear suggesting one at that. It made me want to smack him. Luke seemed already on edge with just knowing that Patrick and I knew each other. Now, my old friend gave Luke another reason to be pissed and upset.
But with what Patrick said, an immediate reaction didn't take place. Luke was speechless as was I. Meaning Patrick took the opportunity again to speak up from the back seat. After a moment of silence that settled as well as the obvious shock received to Luke, I turned slightly around and faced his ugly face through the fence.
"You son of a bitch," I growled, not in the mood for his bullshit.
But he went on as if I said nothing, just speaking to me. "Albany, I never took you as a girl who sleeps around. But without me in your bed for over a year, I can understand the temptation in fucking another man outside of your own. I am sure you remember how I was, don't you? Cop, I wish you could have seen your girlfriend when she was with me. Right, my precious?" he moaned in my ear.
My jaw dropped in shock. He was saying him and I were once together. Once fuck-buddies. He just was trying to get to Luke. And the thing was, I knew he was getting to Luke. The officer himself had a lot of control with his emotions. It was understandable why he was losing it now. But he looked so taken over with anger and shock... it wasn't normal. He was a cop. He knew how to control himself around those who were provoking him or trying to start trouble. Now though, that strength of restraint in him seemed almost gone with every word Patrick was saying. Patrick was always teasing and looking for a fight. However, I just don't think Patrick knew what he was asking for. Luke, somehow staying steady, looked to me with widened eyes.
Before Luke could say anything - if he was going to even be able to manage to - Patrick's charming voice decided it just wasn't ready to shut up yet. He also interrupted my words I started to say to Patrick, words in which were not all too pleasant.
"Oh, Albany, how is your mother? I bet she was worried sick with you gone. With all the missing signs she put up and attention she attracted, I'm sure of it," he said sarcastically, knowing exactly how much effort my mother put into finding me. Hell, he knew my mother didn't like me. But he always thought I was insane no matter what our friendship use to be like.
His words didn't hit me hard; he knew I didn't care if my mom tried hard enough to find me. But I knew before even looking to his face that it hit Luke hard. His eyebrows dipped and his eyes got lost ahead on the road. Lost in the words concerning his wife's love for her daughter. Or the lack of love. I can understand how that hurt. His breaths grew shallow but his eyes never moved away, as if trying to stay in focus of the road and not on what the ass wipe in back was saying.
Patrick saying that clarified that Luke and I weren't the only ones that knew of Clare's concern. We both had different views on it. Luke thought Clare didn't look for me or try at all because she couldn't handle it, didn't want to live in the past. I knew though that she didn't look or bother because she didn't care. She was glad I was gone and didn't want anything to do with me.
The thing that hurt him though was that others noticed Clare's lack in effort of looking for me. That this kid he had no clue of knew of Clare's response to me leaving. And no matter what Luke believed about Clare's reasons, he hated that others had noticed it. Noticed something he is trying to stay away from seeing.
Patrick went on in a scoff. "She didn't care one bit to come looking for you. And can you really blame your mother, Albany? Who would want to bother looking for you - an insane and fucked-up bitch that screws people over? Nobody, that's who!"
I was use to comments like that. And should have expected that especially because I did screw him and all my friends over. But Luke however... well, for more reasons than one, Luke slammed on the brakes in the empty road, pulling off and on to the shoulder.
My eyes wide and body already tense, I flashed my eyes from the slowing road to Luke's teeth bared in a face of anger. Patrick's words hit him hard. I was sure the reason was because he spoke bad of Clare and not me. But either way, no matter what it was that upset him, I knew that the look on his face was one of a man needing to let control go. And that wasn't like him at all, especially now during his job as a cop.
Luke wouldn't look at me; he was too occupied with whatever he was doing. With whatever was making my heart race faster, I did know that his spontaneous action was a part of it. Car completely stopped, I watched as Luke opened his door and got out of the car the next second. Eyes following him through the window, Luke moved a few feet then opened the back seat door where Patrick was. Patrick's eyes were wide as well as he was witnessing something I never imagined Luke to be doing.
Luke grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him out of the car, making Patrick try to stumble to his feet towards the back of the car. I was shocked, my eyes following them through the back windows until the image was unclear. And though shocked, I was in immediate action to see what else my eyes were willing to read. After all, if Luke drags him out of the car near the back, crazy shit must be going down.
I opened the car door and took my buckle off, getting out. When I did, standing up on the shoulder of the road, I raced around to the other side of the car. Feet shuffling loudly on the gravel, my eyes were in search to find them. I got to the back end of the parked car and froze, not knowing what to think when I witnessed what I did.
Luke shoved him to the ground and Patrick groaned from the impact of his knees on the gravel. But Luke didn't have any sympathy for the handcuffed man. The minute he was on the ground and Luke towered over him, he didn't hesitate. Luke stepped forward more and, in a quick movement, kicked Patrick in the gut, sending him from kneeling to groaning on his back.
I needed to stop Luke from continuing this but couldn't seem to. I was taken over by the shock of seeing this. Not really sure if I can believe this. And with good reason to. First of all, Patrick wasn't one to get pushed around or show he was hurt. But now, he was on the ground and groaning, bleeding knees and slightly curled. For as long as I have known him, he was the one to pick fights, start trouble, and never show a weakness or sign of hurt. I get that he couldn't help it now though. He was handcuffed and not as strong. It was still strange to see though.
That was my second point: he was handcuffed. He was defenseless - which added to the shock of what Luke was doing. Because after the first kick to the gut came one to the side from Luke. Yes... from Luke. My eyes found his face as he looked down at him, his face blank, lips a straight line. His eyes were cloudy in black emotion that made me uneasy. Looking at his figure, his hands were curled into fists, anger just running over him and taking over. You can understand why it took me a minute to do anything but stare. It would be like a hardcore Christian witnessing Jesus beating up on little kids. You wouldn't know what to think of that. You would just try to figure out if you could trust your eyes - which was what I was doing. Because this was a little unbelievable. First of all, this is a cop. And the last I knew, cops don't do shit like this. Let alone, a guy like Luke.
Of course, though shocking, at the same time... it really wasn't. He was just like me. He liked authority and control but craved chaos and to just let go, act out on feelings. And more than that, he craved to drive his point home. That what he said was wrong and for the guy moaning on the ground to not dare say another word about it. At first, I thought he was beating him up over Clare. I would be surprised to see a different reason.
"Luke! Stop it, damn it!" I shrieked at him after I came to my senses after another kick to his side made Patrick grunt loudly. His mouth opened and he spit out blood onto the ground. This was going too far. Hell, this shouldn't be happening to begin with. I talk shit about Clare all the time and you don't see him kicking me like that when I do.
He didn't stop, didn't even seem to hear me. Looking between them in panic, I wasn't sure what to do. Luke was lost in whatever his thoughts were. I soon found out what those thoughts were though... and it sent my heart beating faster.
Luke landed another kick to him but when he did, Luke grunted and growled at Patrick through his teeth a deep voice. "She is not insane!" he said, his shoe making a fast contact with him. After that, he didn't kick him anymore; instead he knelt down and lifted him up slightly when he gripped the collar of his shirt, bringing there faces closer. In that second, I saw Patrick smirk up at Luke. Even bloody and hurt, he was glad he got to Luke and made him mad. Luke didn't seem to notice or care though. He wound his fist up and punched Patrick in the side of the face. "She is not insane!" Gripping him harder, both hands on his collar, he went on yelling in his face as Patrick recovered from the punch. "She is cared for! I would bother. I would bother looking for her!"
Not willing to watch anymore of this, I stepped forward and closer, grabbing Luke's tense arm, trying to pull him away from the bloody scene. "Luke!" I growled, pulling at him. His teeth were clenched, hard breaths coming from his nose. He tried to hit him again but I pulled at him, not allowing any more.
Luke finally was able to look down at me. He eyes were so full of anger, I noticed more in the depth of green. There was sadness that had been built up, worry that was realized, and something else entirely. Before I knew it, my own anger and rage at him came through. Without even realizing it before it happened, I slapped Luke across his pretty face.
I scowled, hating him right now. Hating that I loved that he did that for me. No matter if it was wrong or even fair, no matter if I was disgusted with him over his actions... I loved that he did that for me. That it wasn't Clare but those words of me that drove him to that action. And at the same time, I hated that he did it for me. Because it showed that he didn't understand that this was a usual thing for me. That he didn't understand that this was normal, to get harassed like that; sometimes much worse.
I wasn't sure what to think at the moment. After I slapped him, Luke blinked a few times and looked down at me. His expression slightly faltered but it didn't stop him from looking at my old friend grunting on the ground. He looked back to me, shaking his head in disbelief at what he just did.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" I growled under my breath, just enough for him to hear. I wasn't sure where the words came from but trusted them, knowing what I was saying to him was accurate. "Because you are just as bad as he is," I said in outrage, pointing at where Patrick rested, breathing deeply on the ground. "You are a blind bastard... who won't even consider the words he is saying to himself. You know nothing of me, about me, or what I have been through," I said slowly, trying to stretch out my words and trying to stay as calm as I could because he sure as hell wasn't. "'She is not insane. She is cared for?' You think that he is the first one to think otherwise? I'm looking at a guy that does right now. Fucking hypocrite!" I yelled louder, pushing his chest in anger. His face showed that my words did more than register. They took him over with realization. "How dare you do that to him and say those things when you think the exact same thing, you bastard?! Unless you can trust my word about Clare, I am... very much insane."
"Albany...." he sighed, breathing hard and looking back and forth from me to him. He didn't know what to think of what he said and did. He looked scared and sorry. "I don't know what just...." he trailed off, knowing that no matter the reason, it still happened and he still said those things, thinking he was defending me. Thinking that he was on my side completely, thinking that he understood me. That it was okay for him to think I was 'confused' but not for others to think the same damn thing.
"You are no different from anyone else that thinks I am insane. And guess what Luke, this asshole isn't the first to show it. This harassment is usually an everyday occurrence. All the time. Teased, pointed at, yelled at, getting hurt and beat up, threatened.... All the time. As long as I am Albany Higgins, that won't change. Next time you see this happen, don't try to prove you're better than them. Because despite the difference in treatment, you are the same as everybody else."