Ride or Die {Book 1} ✔️

Chapter 34: She Wasn't Moving...

The cops drove down the street, the atmosphere filled with tense silence. As they went down the broken up street, they noticed how vacated the place was and just how eerie quiet it was.

They were heading back in the direction of the expressway when a scream rattled and ripped through the glass. Jerry smashed on the brake, almost sending their heads flying through the front window. Jess let out once solid yelp and closed her mouth quickly as the rush of water filled her acute ears.

Jess looked over to where there was yard of grass and pot hole sat right there, wide open with a boy leaning over it. The adjustment of her eyes took a minute but when they were just right only then did she realize who it was. Though that wasn't what surprised her, it was what he was doing with all that water piling up around his legs that caused her to jump out of her car, not even caring for the alarm in Jerry's voice when he called her name.

.

Evan stood up slowly and took a cautious step forward. His body automatically moved away and wanted to jet for safety, but his heart told him to do it, if it meant saving her nothing mattered anymore. Not even the face of death could stop what he felt was doing the right thing.

Before he could take the last step and jump into the water, somebody clamped their hand around his waist and yanked him away, sending him tumbling into the ground. He looked up to see the police officer that had arrested Kylie and him and put them into jail, the woman who always seemed to catch him before he could actually commit the crime.

Jessica Stone.

He glared up at her, knowing that time was running out and a surge of anger, of regret, and of a strong and powerful grief overcame him as he pulled out her grasp and raced towards the opening of the drainer, where he had last saw her. Before he could make it though, Jessica slammed down on him; landing on top of him in a puddle of muddy water that stink so bad it clogged up his nose, and held him down.

Evan struggled but to no amount of strength that he had left in him would come out and help him. Tears blurred his eyes as he yelled at the woman. "Get off me! She's dying! Get off me! I have to save her, now!"

"What are you going to do, jump to your damn death?" She yelled back, her face the color of a bright tomato as she held him down even more firmly. "What type of mother would I be to let my own son die? Calm down, dammit. Tell me what the holy hell is going on."

He struggled for his breath but found himself whimpering and gasping for breathes as he choked on baby tears. His mother's face softened but only a little before she spoke more quietly.

"Get a grip, Evan. Hurry up and tell me what's going on so I can do something, so I can help."

Evan nodded and sucked in another breath, flying as if the weight on his shoulder was clamping down harder than before. If she died, if she was dead, he'll never be able to live with himself. He explained as quickly as he could, just the part of them being forced inside the sewer when the water came and they found a way until Kylie slipped and feel back into the water, but told his mother that there was more to the story that they didn't have time for.

She nodded though and got the jest of it. "I'm going to go back to the car and get a rope and then go down and get her. Do you understand? Do not move from that spot, do you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am." Evan moaned as his mother shifted her weight and got off his mid-section that was now burning with a hot fire and something dripped down his stomach. His head felt like it was going to explode as he was flooded in darkness. Then he popped his eyes back open, realizing that he was exhausted and that if he relaxed too much he'll be off in Lala Land.

In no seconds he heard two sets of footsteps. The chubby officer came into view as Evan sat up, a quick dizzy spell made him feel lightheaded and he wanted to flop back down. Instead Evan got up and watched his mother wrap the rope around her mid-section and secure it so tightly he worried how she was going to get it off.

Jess looked over at her partner, handing him the end of the rope. "When I yank twice, pull me out of there, you got it?"

The chubby officer gave a stiff nod, his face bleached with sweat but his lips pulled in tightly and his brow furrowed together in concentration. Evan moved over to the edge of the drainer as he watched his mother drop into the greenish water and disappear into the darkness.

Seconds passed into minutes and minutes felt like hours. Evan was beginning to feel jittery and if felt like a hand was clasped around his heart, squeezing slow and extremely hard. God, don't do this to me, not again. I can't take it anymore, please don't let me lose her, not her too.

Just then, the chubby man pulled against the rope so hard that Evan feared it would snap from the effort. The man moved back at a hasty pace and before long his mother's face came up from the surface and she gasped a deep breath.

But Evan's eyes were attracted to the pale girl she held as she floated more to the top. His mother reached out a hand that he nearly didn't see since his focus was so solely on Kylie. He quickly snapped out of it and gripped his mother hand, pulling her out even though his mid-section screamed from the effort.

All that mattered right now was Kylie and the fact that she wasn't moving. Not even the slightest.