She never really understood the good in life. She never had any. She didn't have an outlet, as her friends told her. They saw the tears that were stationed behind her hazel orbs. She didn't understand the big deal. This was normal to her- feeling worthless and helpless.
Her only outlet was Police Explorers. As a fifteen year old who's mom and dad were drug addicts, she was well known with the police. Nobody ever thought she'd wind up picking this side of the blue line. But, her advisors all saw something in her. Every other Thursday, she'd show up at the training facility and meet her four advisors, and eight other peers. She was friends with all of them, but nobody knew the extent of her life.
"Tonight we are all doing active shooter training," Her primary advisor, Hank Voight, looked at the group of nine Explorers. "So I hope you all wore running shoes. We're going to walk to the other side of the campus, and put on full gear. Think about it as laser tag. Except you're getting hit with paintballs. Get with your normal partners, and head that way." Police Explorers was something Erin never thought she'd do. She wanted to be one. She wanted to find a child like her, and take them in. Since the first meeting, she gradually learned to let Hank Voight in. He seemed to be the only officer who would step to bat for her.
"Ready, partner?" She turned her head to receive the gaze of her partner. Jay. They had met through school, and he tutored her occasionally when a hard subject in class would come to surface. He had told her all about Explorers, and ever since the first meeting- which was going through a squad car- they had been partnered up, and she knew this is what she was meant to do.
"I guess." She shrugged her shoulders. Erin followed his footsteps as they walked across the campus, reflecting on today. She never wanted to go home, but tonight she really didn't. Her parents were having a party tonight. Last time they had a party, she was hurt. Erin could've talked to Voight. He would do anything for her, in Erin's mind. In the few months she was here, she had grew attached to Explorers and her advisors. It was weird. She always looked for squad car 5. That meant it was Officer Mueller's car. He was her second favorite. They had done a ride along a few weeks back, and it was a blast. Hank had an unmarked vehicle, because he was a Sargent for the Intelligence Unit.
"Erin, what's wrong?" Then there was him. Her partner, friend, tutor, and classmate. Jay Halstead. He didn't know much about her. He had never been to her house, but some days she'd come to school with covered bruises. One day in P.E a few weeks ago her shirt bunched up when they were doing burpees and he saw the bruise across her ribs. He didn't dare ask.
"It's nothing." She replied. She wasn't going to let him in. She couldn't.
"You're always in the dumps, but today it's worse. There's like a fear in your eyes. Do you need somewhere to stay tonight?" Was he really offering her a place to stay? He was asking her.
"No, no. I'm fine." She looked away, finding her vest with her name, E. Lindsay patched onto the right shoulder. "Jay, help me put on this vest." He nodded, helping her link it around her small torso, clipping it like he always did when they had to do a procedure with their vests. It was their thing. He always felt her skin stiffen when he'd run his fingers across her body.
They were the second up to go into the red building. Justin and Hailey got out within a few minutes. Justin was Voight's son. He always liked what they were doing, but he wanted to go into the military. He was covered in neon paint, and Hailey had one shot to her abdomen. "Son, I suggest you get your game together. You'll be dead meat if you're like that when you get shot." Justin murmured something in response, along the lines of 'it was her fault'. "Halstead, Lindsay, upstairs."
The two sophomores nodded, loading their paintball guns. They entered the red building, to be met with pitch black. They switched on the flashlight on their guns, nodding as Erin took the lead. She always did. They walked, the floor creaking slightly beneath them. Jay pulled Erin behind him, as a flash of paintball came above their faces. Jay shot back, nodding his head when he heard one hit a vest. That means there were two shooters left. Erin yanked his hand, wandering the other way to the stairwell, Jay reluctantly following behind, watching her back. "Erin, slow down."
He couldn't see her face, but he knew she was ready to slap him. "Sorry if I don't want to get shot today, partner!" He backed up, knowing he made an error. He heard a pop, then saw the orange covered in his vest. "Now shut up." She had shot him. Wow, he really messed up. Was that even allowed?
Within the next ten minutes they had shot the other two assailants, and made it out of the building. Jay had two shots and Erin escaped with one. She blew him off, not wanting to speak. He kept nagging her all night, detecting something was wrong. But, he didn't need to know. He didn't need to know she was hurt last night. She wouldn't allow it.
The program concluded for the week, and Erin began her desent home. Her feet dragged against the gravel. She didn't have to go home. She could run. But she couldn't throw this, police explorers, away. She was just being trusted by other officers. Her hand shakily reached the door knob, and she was met with the usual faces. Her parents drug friends.
"Erin! Why are you home? Where have you been?" Her father stood up, charging over to her as she was smashed against the door frame.
"Dad, don't do this... please." Erin backed away as the smell of alcohol reaked through his breath. All she had to do was reach the phone. But, everyone had her home phone number. If she could just escape her dad and dial the ten digit number. Hank would come here in a heartbeat. He had been here before to make sure she was okay. Tonight Jay was doing a ride along with him. It was the first day of summer vacation.
"Why did you leave? Answer my damn question, Erin!" His fist connected with her nose, a small gasp falling from her lips.
Erin's eyes rolled back as she struggled to speak. She looked over her father's shoulder for he support of her mother, and Bunny sat there, looking dumbfounded. "Goddammit answer me!" Another blow to her abdomen.
"At police explorers!" She yelled as she used her trembling hands to steady her against the wall.
"Police Explorers? With that Voight?! We told you stay the fuck away from him!" His hands grasped her shoulders, carrying her to the bedroom. He slammed the door shut as Erin crawled into the corner.
Her nose was bleeding now, and Erin could feel the bruise begin to form on her abdomen. Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she did what she knew she had to do. She had to get out of here. She was thrown into her room, and she remembered the phone she bought months ago after their first incident.
She dialed the phone number she memorized. "Voight." She let out a strangled sob as she heard his gruff voice. "Erin?" He had slammed on the brakes, Jay cursing under his breath as his seat belt restrained him. "Erin, what's wrong?" Voight has repeated her name, and Jay's ears perked up at the mention of his partner.
"Hank," She mumbled. Her hand covered her mouth. If she created any noise, she knew her dad would come in and kill her. "He, hurt me. He's drunk." Erin covered her mouth again as she saw the door knob turn through the shining light of the moon.
"Your dad told you to be fucking quiet! Now he told me to come in here and shut you down." The stranger's voice sent a chill down the spine of the three people listening.
Erin threw the phone under the bed, leaving it on. She didn't know if Hank hung up or not. Right now, all she wanted to do was disappear. Her parents' 'friend' yanked her ankles, and dragged her onto the bed, repeatedly throwing punches to her. Why wasn't her parents coming in to stop them? That's what parents were suppose to do. They were suppose to protect her. But they weren't. They were in the room getting sky rocket high as a kite.
"Hank what the hell is going on?" Jay asked from the passenger seat as Hank made a hard U- turn. All he heard was Hank say his partner's name.
"Lindsay got into some trouble. Something is wrong. Her parents are high and someone else is in the room with her," Hank came to a hault in front of a trailer house. Jay never knew where she lived, or what her home life was like. She always kept that part a secret. Even at school. Now he knew. "You need to stay in the car. I already called Woods and another unit. This is going to get messy. But stay in the car, Halstead."
Stay in the car? Who did Hank Voight think he was? How could he just sit in the car while his partner was potentially dead? It hurt his brain to even think about the chance of her being dead. He had so much more to learn about her. His eyes followed the cars pulling up- three squad cars. This wasn't good. And he was forced to sit and watch and wait for Erin.
Hank nodded as the four patrol officers followed him to the door. "There is at least three people in there. I want them all arrested and in squad cars. There is a young girl in a room, and I'm going in. Don't screw up." With that Voight didn't even knock before the door was kicked in. His body stiffened as he saw his fellow officers go after the two Lindsays and another man he had not seen before. Hank had been to her room once when she was hiding under the bed. The first time they met. He charged the room, and he lurched at the man who had barely been clothed punching and assaulting her. The man's body landed onto the floor, right away being thrown into hand cuffs by another officer.
Hank sighed when he realized she was alive- barely. She had muffled sobs and screams, but when her eyes saw his, she knew she would be okay. She was done fighting. Erin was barely clothed herself, and blood and bruises battered her body. He wrapped one of her blankets around her, and lifted her into his arms as he made his way to the car.
"Hank you can't take my daughter!" He heard Bunny yell hysterically as he made his way to his car. Like hell he can't. She wasn't coming back here. She was going to stay with him and his family.
Jay's face dropped as Hank got closer, and he realized it was Erin in his arms. Jay unbuckled, sliding into the back seat, and allowed Hank to lay Erin across his body. "Hank, what happened?" He cringed at the blood sticking to her hair. He just saw her not even an hour ago.
"She got assaulted. I'm taking her to Med." Jay wasn't prepared for any of this tonight. And he definitely wasn't prepared to see this girl whom he had grown to care for in the state she was in.
Hi guys! This is a new story of mine. I just ended my other one, Linstead: Undercover Mission. I currently have another AU in the works, Linstead AU: The Game of Love.
This story is very close to home. In a sense, it's basically my life. For real. The events in this book happened to me, and this will be like my life story. Please leave me a review! :))