The Breakdown 1/7/2011 13:50 a1/p1
Dennis had just walked into the bathroom. Izzi stood across from the boy's bathroom leaning against the row of lockers with her arms crossed. Izzi exhaled sure that they were going to make the bust today. She was a little excited and with good reason today would make it two years that Dennis and her had been partners and if they closed the case today she planned on taking Dennis, Tommy and Doug out for drinks and dinner. She was actually sure that this would happen today. She turned to look down the hall when she heard the sound of shoes on the polished floors of the hallway. The official looking woman was coming towards her. She had a serious look on her face. Izzi knew who the woman was she worked in the Principal's office. In fact the taller woman was the Principal's assistant. Shit! This isn't good Izzi thought.
"Ms. Santos…." The Principal's assistant said.
"I have hall pass Ma'am honest. I was waiting here to tell my boyfriend something. He's in the bathroom." Izzi quickly said.
"Ms. Santos please come with me please." The Principal's assistant said.
"Why?" Izzi asked.
"Your father is here. Mr. Santos and the Principal are going to have a meeting." She said.
Izzi looked at her suspiciously.
"About what?" Izzi asked.
"About your conduct and attendance here at this school Ms. Santos. Rather or not you should continue at this school." She stated.
"You called my Dad?" Izzi asked.
"Actually he came in."
"Ok…..Can we wait until my boyfriend gets out of the bathroom? I really have to tell him something." Izzi said.
"Come this way Ms. Santos."
Izzi followed the woman to the Principal's office. Izzi kept looking back at the bathroom hoping that Dennis would come out in time. What did he do fall in? There was no time to tell Dennis. It was too late to tell Dennis. He would wonder where she had gone. She couldn't understand why she was called in here. The assistant said that her father was here but Captain Fuller would have told her if he was pulling her off the case. She had been told once there she was not to leave the office but Izzi eased her way into the hallway. She knew that Tom and Doug had to pass by soon to meet with the student John who was selling drugs at the school.
"Ms. Santos sit down." The woman tells me.
"Why can't I go in?" I asked.
"They're not ready for you. Just sit down."
There was yelling from the office.
"She did what?" The voice yelled.
Instantly Izzi knew who the voice belonged to. He step-father Nathan Fuller and he was drunk. Izzi was afraid fearing the man would say something that would blow her cover. How did he know she was here? And what was he going to do to her once he was done in the office? Whatever it was it was bad. I look out the door again. I see Doug walking down the hallway followed by Tom.
"Doug!" I call out the door.
"Ms. Santos!"
Resisting the urge to stomp her foot Izzi turned to the woman.
"I'm missing class for this at least let me get someone to take notes for me." I said.
She rolls her eyes at Izzi. Izzi turned back to the hallway.
"Izzi. What are you doing here?" Doug said.
"Doug, Tom we have a problem." Izzi said.
"I hate when you say that." Doug said.
The woman behind the desk eyed the three students. Izzi pulled Doug to her as he and Tom got to the office door. She lowered her voice knowing the woman was listening.
"What's wrong?" Tom asked.
"I can't leave." Izzi said.
"Well, why not?" Doug asked.
"My father is here?" Izzi said.
Doug gave a questioning look.
"What?" Tom asked.
"My father is here and he's drink!" Izzi said.
"Are you sure he's drunk?" Doug asked.
"I know my father." Izzi said.
"YOU FOUND HER IN THE HALLWAY INSTEAD OF CLASS! I CAN'T KEEP TRANSFERING HER FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL. I'M GOING TO KILL HER!"
The sound made her jump. She held Doug's arm. They looked to the office marked Principal.
"It's him alright." Tom said.
"Not good. Where's Dennis?" Doug said.
"He's in the bathroom. I didn't get a chance to tell him when she picked me up in the hallway and told that I had to come in here. He's probably looking for me." Izzi said.
"You tried calling the Captain?" Doug asked.
"I'm not allowed to use the phone or leave the office. We still have to meet John." Izzi said and then sighed.
"Well, what do you want to do?" Tom asked.
"Find Dennis and tell him I need him here. Get in contact with the Captain and let him know what's going on. I'll try to handle things here." Izzi said.
"Just come with us Izzi." Tom said.
"If I leave I won't find out why he's here. I don't want him to blow my cover. I can't believe this is happening!"
"Izzi are you sure about this? This is your Dad we're talking about here." Tom asked.
Izzi looked to the office.
"No. I'm not sure." Izzi said.
"WHERE IS SHE?" Nathan screamed.
Izzi shook her head.
"No. Absolutely not." Izzi said.
Izzi turned back to Tom.
"I WANT HER IN HERE NOW!" Nathan said.
"Uh, you might want to hurry." Izzi said and the two rushed off down the hall. Tom came back.
"Izzi it's alright." Tom said.
"I'm afraid Tommy. It's just like back when we were back in high school."
"I know. We'll be right back." Tom said.
"Ok."
Tom took Izzi's hand and squeezed it.
"We'll be right back, don't worry." Tom said.
Izzi looked Tom in the eyes she wanted to believe him so badly but she just had this bad feeling inside. Tom disappeared from the doorway. Izzi turned back to the office and wondered if it would be cowardly to run from her father knowing what a waited her. The door to the office fling open. On the other side was Nathan coming towards her.
"Dad!"
"YOU LITTLE GIRL ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE! Izzi what have I told you about fighting?" He asked.
"Dad what are you doing here?" Izzi asked.
"I ask the questions! Let's go now!" Nathan said grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the office.
"Dad wait!" Izzi demanded.
"I said let's go!" Nathan said.
"But…but I thought we are going to meet with the Principal. We should meet with the Principal! I'm not ready to leave yet. I…I have class." Izzi said.
"We are leaving!" He said.
"I….i don't have my books!"
"Come on!"
"Dad I need my coat. It's cold outside. I'm going to need my coat!"
"Don't worry about that." He said calmly.
"You want me to freeze! Let go of me!"
She stopped outside the office and pulled her arm out of his grip. Nathan slapped her across the face. She froze not sure of her next move. She wanted to run but before she could he took her arm again and dragged her down the hallway and out of the school. He dragged her to the car which was parked up on the sidewalk about a block away from the school.
"I send you to school and I expect you not to get into trouble. It's that boy isn't it? The one I told you to stay away from! I told you to stay away from him!" Nathan yelled at her.
"Dad I have no idea what you are talking about! Let go of me!" Izzi screamed.
Nathan slapped her in the face again. Izzi stopped in her tracks afraid to say what she thought but spoke anyway.
"Dad what are you doing here? I'm on a case you're going to get me in trouble!"
"You're already in trouble!"
"How much have you had to drink today?"
He opens the car door.
"That's none of your business. Get in the car!"
"You drove here? I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"I'm your father you will do as I say!"
He shoves her in.
"What are you doing?"
Inside Doug, Dennis and Tom rush to the Principal's office.
"What did the Captain say?" Doug asked.
"He said not to let Izzi go with him." Tom said.
"But I don't understand how did he know she was here?" Dennis asked.
"I don't know but Izzi said he was drunk." Doug said.
"How did she know if she was standing outside? Dennis asked.
"Something in his voice." Tom said.
"Why did she stay?" Dennis asked.
"To make sure her cover wasn't blown." Tom said.
"I don't like this." Doug said.
They approach the office and see that Izzi was not there.
"Excuse me do you know where Izzi Santos went?" Dennis asked.
"Her father took her home."
"You mean he took her without her coat? It's freezing outside." Doug said.
"I don't know." The woman said.
"Do you know which way they went?" Doug asked.
"No."
"Do you know how long ago they left?" Tom asked.
"About 15 minutes ago."
"Damn!" Tom said.
"I still don't like this." Doug said again.
"Damn we may have to split up to find her." Tom said.
Nathan had forced Izzi into the car. He got in after her closing the door behind him. Izzi didn't like being trapped like this. Izzi fought back trying to keep the next thing she knew was going to happen from happening but she failed. Nathan has gotten his belt off and his pants are down. Izzi is trying to fight him off. She has a bloody nose from the punch she just received from Nathan. She tried kick at Nathan and missed and got the windshield instead her leg got stuck in the window. Nathan turned to see it and became enraged and started to beat on Izzi before raping her. She fought to get away while trying to get her leg free. She mustered up all her power and kicked her father in the stomach. He fell out of the driver's side door when it opened.
Izzi scrambled out of the passenger's side door and ran as far as her legs could take her. Nathan tried to stand up but could not. Izzi ran back to the closest place she could go, the school. Her arm was hurting her. She was sure it was broken. Her head was killing her. Nathan had taken her head and slammed it into the dashboard. She had surprised herself by even making it as far as she did. But she was afraid. He's never been this drunk, this violent before. She collapsed behind the school near some bushes. She pulled herself to the wall. She was cold and alone. She touched a hand to her face and came away with a massive amount of blood.
He wasn't supposed to be here. Why did he think that it was years ago when I was still in high school? Why was he here? It's just like high school when I had to run to D.B. to escape Nathan. Why? Why today? Today was supposed to be a good day, a happy day. Why did it turn out like this? It's so cold out here. Please find me D.B. It's so hard to stay awake. Please find me.
After a half an hour past the three men meet back up in front of the school.
"Well?" Tom asked.
"Nothing." Dennis said.
"I didn't see either of them." Doug said.
"Shit! I should have stayed with her!" Tom said.
"We'll find her. They couldn't have gotten far." Dennis said.
Captain Fuller pulled up to the school. Booker saw something strange down the block.
"I want an update." Fuller said getting out of the car.
"We don't know where she is. Nathan took her from out of the school."
Dennis stared down the block.
"Does that look like an extremely drunk police Sergeant to you?" Dennis asked.
All turned and then all went walking to the next block where Nathan was. He was stumbling down the block away from the car. They all race to the next block. As they approached they were stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the condition of Nathan's car.
"Whoa!" Doug said.
"My god….!" Dennis said.
"What the hell happened here?" Tommy said.
"Nathan. Nathan!" Fuller called.
The windshield was busted and there was blood everywhere. Nathan only had a cut on him. Nathan was pulling up his pants. In his hand was Izzi's underwear. Dennis noticed them because he brought them for her. Adam Fuller followed his brother placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned him around to him face him. He then held his brother by his collar.
"Where is Izzi?" He demanded.
Nathan struggles to keep his pants up.
"She wouldn't stay in the car. She ran off towards the school. I saw the Principal today she's in so much…so much trouble when she gets home." Nathan said.
Adam could smell the liquor on Nathan's breath. Adam looked at the car again.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER NATHAN?" Adam demanded.
"What I do with my daughter Adam is my own business! She was in a lot a trouble and I had to keep her from seeing that boy. He's nothing but trouble for her. I had to come here and punish her." Nathan said.
Nathan wipes his mouth with the pair of panties. Adam Fuller could not control his anger any longer and he punched his brother out. He then handcuffs him to a pole.
"I…I. This isn't happening. I can't believe he did this!" Adam said.
He places a hand on his head. Then he turns to his officers. He sighs.
"We still have to find Izzi." Adam said.
"School is about to let out soon." Tom said.
"We need to find her fast split up." Adam said.
"What about him?" Doug asked.
"I'll deal with him later. He isn't going anywhere." Fuller said.
Two hours later and there was still no sign of her. It's now dark and there are now there are many officers looking for Izzi inside the school and around the neighborhood. Neighbors said that they heard screaming earlier but thought nothing of it thinking it was some kids playing around.
They had looked everywhere for Izzi. Where could she be Dennis thought. He stopped for the moment and looked around.
If I was her where would I go? I'd try to get as much distance between her and her step father. Damn it Booker think! She would want to be found. Would she stay outside?
He looked at the building. There were a lot of trees and brushes he rushed over. He shined his flashlight into the bushes and found a spot where there was a gap in the bushes. He saw a leg and shined the flashlight on it. He bent down and touched the leg knowing it belonged to Izzi. She jumped and let out a gasp.
"No! No! No more please! Don't hurt me!" Izzi cried out.
"Izzi, Izzi it's me Dennis. It's ok. You're safe now." Dennis says.
Dennis shines the light on Izzi's face. Her face was bruised her eye was swollen and there was blood all over her face. She was holding her left arm close to her like it was broken.
"Oh god….Izzi what did he do to you?" Dennis said almost breathless.
"Den…Den…is" Izzi tried to say.
Dennis quickly took off his coat. Dennis gently pulled her into his arms and wrapped the coat around her.
"I'm right here babe. It's ok." Dennis said.
Dennis pulls out his radio.
"Captain I found Izzi."
"Where is she Booker?" Fuller asked.
"Behind the school." Booker answered.
"Is she ok?" Fuller asked.
"She's hurt badly. I need EMS now!" He said.
"We're on our way." Fuller answered back.
Dennis took out his bandana and placed it to her face to wipe away some of the blood.
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