Both my arms are up, used to pull me toward whatever destination they’ve chosen. In my peripheral, my truck comes into view on the left. To my right, a metal railing not more than ten feetaway continues to pass as we move. Ahead of me, towering cliffs covered in snow; behind the vehicle, a road about twenty feet away.
“Get him in.”
I roll my ankles, feeling them pop, and the sensation in my legs sharpens. I’m mobile. My muscles no longer feel affected by the taser from before.
They stop, and one shifts to move under one of my arms. The instant I’m lifted, just enough to get my feet solid on the ground, I throw myself against him. His grunt is followed by a loud creak of metal as he hits the truck. I step back and drive an elbow into the second officer’s nose.
I’ve never killed anyone, and it’s never been in my nature to want to. I’m not afraid of violence, though, and while some have called me a gentle giant, I’m more than capable of proving the opposite.
With his step back, I thrust my boot into his chest and watch him stumble into the metal railing. Fear and regret flash across his face. I feel no sympathy as he screams and tumbles backward.
I’ve got no idea how far the drop is. Five feet? A thousand? I don’t care either way, as long as it incapacitates him.
“Omar!!”
I turn, roll my shoulders, and drive a fist into the man standing before me. His head snaps back, hitting the metal of my truck.
Before he can fall, I grab his throat and shove him back against the car for good measure.
Blood spills from his nose in waves as his eyes dart around before crossing.
Damn… didn’t mean to hit him that hard.
“What the fuck do you want?!”
He grumbles something, and I release his throat, before resting my entire forearm across his chest and pinning him up. I do a quick check on his person, grabbing his gun and tossing it aside, along with a baton and taser.
“Speak, or you’ll join your friend.”
“Y-You k-killed him.”
“And you’re next,” I seethe. “What the fuckdo you want?!”
As he shakes his head, I throw a punch into his side. Hiswhimpering comes with, “N-Nothing! It’s Michael Harris! Officer-fucking-Harris!”
My entire body rushes with chills.
“Just gotta get the other one, then our job’s done here.”
Were they talking about…
“Where is Ayden?!” I rush out. “You better not have fucking touched him.”
His head shakes violently. “N-No, we couldn’t. There were people at your place. Please. We just wanted a way out of this small-ass town.”
“And you were going to what?!”
I finally look around. We’re on a turnoff, but I don’t recognize it at all. Not that I’ve driven every road in Maple Falls and the surrounding area, but judging by the unpaved surface, this isn’t meant for public access.
To my left, where my truck is facing, there’s a drop-off. No guardrail. My heart rate spikes.
“Were you going to have me drive the fuck off this cliff?”
Watching this grown-ass man start crying makes disgust churn in my stomach. Is he seriously acting like this, like what I’m questioning him about is somehow unjust?
“I’m sorry. Please.”
Grabbing his shoulders, I smash my forehead against his and let him drop to the ground with a solid thunk. I kick his weakly moving body and lean into the driver’s side of my truck. The keys are in the ignition, and I’m nearly out of gas. I don’t remember how much I had before getting pulled over, so I can’t gauge how far we’ve gone.
