III
The Attack
Dylan
I had waited until eight to see if I would be called in for a new case. When nine o'clock passed by, I got dressed and made two quick phone calls to Natalie and Alex to see what they were going to be doing that day. It turned out that both of them had plans for the day (Natalie was spending the day with Pete and Spike, and Alex was taking her cousins, who were visiting from England, to Disneyland). So I decided to go shopping at the Santa Monica Promenade.
I pulled into a parking structure just across the street from the start of the Promenade; I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder, walking out onto the sidewalk. As I crossed the street to the Promenade, I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that no one was staring at me. I shook my head slightly and decided to just concentrate on shopping for the rest of the day.
As I walked down the middle of the street, I took off my sunglasses and took my hair out of its ponytail. I loved coming to the Promenade every chance I could. When I was there, I could forget about being an Angel and pretend I was a normal person shopping.
I walked a couple of blocks before going into my favorite store, Borders. I went straight up to the second floor and grabbed a travel book on Romania. Walking up the stairs to the third floor, I could have sworn that I saw a man on the second floor landing carrying a cane like Anthony's. I did a quick double take and then looked back down, but the man was gone. Inwardly, I sighed. It seemed that I would think that Anthony was around for the rest of the day.
Leaving the store an hour later, I decided I should get something to eat for lunch. I walked past the store and down towards the mall that was across the street from the Promenade. In front of the fountains near the end of the street, there were two men doing a comedy routine with a large group of people surrounding them. I turned around, looking back the way I had come, and watched the two for a few minutes. It was a really funny act and I completely forgot about seeing that man with the can in Borders.
When my stomach started to rumble, I decided that I needed to start towards the mall again and get my lunch. I turned my head to glance back and see if anyone was behind me. Off to the side, milky blue eyes under a head of black hair caught my eye.
I gasped loud enough for the people near me to glance at me to see what the matter was. I paid no attention to them and closed my eyes, not really all that certain of what I had seen. My heart pounding like crazy, I opened my eyes to see if he was still there. Standing in that spot, was a Latino woman, laughing at the show in front of her. My eyes widened in shock, I could have sworn that it was Anthony I had seen standing there.
"Excuse me ma'am, are you okay?" a police officer said, standing next to me.
"I-I'm fine," I managed to say. I pushed my way out of the ring of people and walked back to where I had parked my car. I then realized that I wasn't hungry enough to eat in a mall full of crowded people, there was the possibility that I would think someone was Anthony. I bought a pretzel from a vendor on the sidewalk and then I decided to walk along the cliff that overlooked the ocean two blocks west of the Promenade.
There was a dirt path along the edge of this cliff and I decided to walk until I finished my meager lunch. Walking along the path, the ocean breezes blowing my hair gently, I felt relaxed again. I pulled out Anthony's necklace and let the wind play with it. Once I had finished with the pretzel, I walked back to my car.
I had to pass through a quiet neighborhood before I could reach my car. Walking down the street, I felt the back of my neck prickle. Someone was following me, I was sure of it this time. Keep my cool, I increased my pace, trying to get back to where the streets were more populated. I passed a deserted alley, and then I was grabbed from behind.
Whoever it was, pulled me back into the alley and threw me to the ground. I landed hard on my hands, scraping them in the process. I stood up right away and turned to face my attacker.
There were two men standing in front of me. "We've got a message for you," one of the men said.
"And what's that," I said angrily, clenching my teeth and getting into a fighting stance. Before I could move, I felt someone push me hard from behind. I was flung off to the side and before I could stop myself, hit my forehead against a stucco wall. I slid down to the ground and turned so I was facing the thugs attacking me. I could feel blood trickling down into my eye and then on my cheek.
The three men surrounding me walked to me, and I got up, trying to blackout.
One of the thugs pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. I could have sworn that I saw my life flashing in front of my eyes. I heard the safety on the gun being turned off and I decided that if I went down, I would do so fighting.
The thug with the gun put his finger on the trigger. Before he could press it, something whooshed down and knocked the gun from his grip. The thugs looked over in surprise to see who had interfered.
I glanced over as well- and my heart nearly stopped. Standing off to the side of the three thugs, cane in hand was Anthony.
"Who the hell are you?" the thug that had pulled out the gun demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he started walking towards Anthony, the other two behind him
Anthony stared at the three thugs with a look similar to disgust. When the thugs were three feet away, he jumped out, hitting the thugs as hard as he could with his cane.
I was leaning against the wall behind me, blood still running down my face. I wanted to help Anthony fight, but I was dizzy and close to unconsciousness. I was so focused on watching the fighting in front of me, that I didn't noticed a fourth thug come up and throw me against the wall on the other side of the alley until it was too late. This time I couldn't fight it and before I succumbed to the blackness, I screamed out, "Anthony, help me!"
The Attack
Dylan
I had waited until eight to see if I would be called in for a new case. When nine o'clock passed by, I got dressed and made two quick phone calls to Natalie and Alex to see what they were going to be doing that day. It turned out that both of them had plans for the day (Natalie was spending the day with Pete and Spike, and Alex was taking her cousins, who were visiting from England, to Disneyland). So I decided to go shopping at the Santa Monica Promenade.
I pulled into a parking structure just across the street from the start of the Promenade; I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder, walking out onto the sidewalk. As I crossed the street to the Promenade, I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that no one was staring at me. I shook my head slightly and decided to just concentrate on shopping for the rest of the day.
As I walked down the middle of the street, I took off my sunglasses and took my hair out of its ponytail. I loved coming to the Promenade every chance I could. When I was there, I could forget about being an Angel and pretend I was a normal person shopping.
I walked a couple of blocks before going into my favorite store, Borders. I went straight up to the second floor and grabbed a travel book on Romania. Walking up the stairs to the third floor, I could have sworn that I saw a man on the second floor landing carrying a cane like Anthony's. I did a quick double take and then looked back down, but the man was gone. Inwardly, I sighed. It seemed that I would think that Anthony was around for the rest of the day.
Leaving the store an hour later, I decided I should get something to eat for lunch. I walked past the store and down towards the mall that was across the street from the Promenade. In front of the fountains near the end of the street, there were two men doing a comedy routine with a large group of people surrounding them. I turned around, looking back the way I had come, and watched the two for a few minutes. It was a really funny act and I completely forgot about seeing that man with the can in Borders.
When my stomach started to rumble, I decided that I needed to start towards the mall again and get my lunch. I turned my head to glance back and see if anyone was behind me. Off to the side, milky blue eyes under a head of black hair caught my eye.
I gasped loud enough for the people near me to glance at me to see what the matter was. I paid no attention to them and closed my eyes, not really all that certain of what I had seen. My heart pounding like crazy, I opened my eyes to see if he was still there. Standing in that spot, was a Latino woman, laughing at the show in front of her. My eyes widened in shock, I could have sworn that it was Anthony I had seen standing there.
"Excuse me ma'am, are you okay?" a police officer said, standing next to me.
"I-I'm fine," I managed to say. I pushed my way out of the ring of people and walked back to where I had parked my car. I then realized that I wasn't hungry enough to eat in a mall full of crowded people, there was the possibility that I would think someone was Anthony. I bought a pretzel from a vendor on the sidewalk and then I decided to walk along the cliff that overlooked the ocean two blocks west of the Promenade.
There was a dirt path along the edge of this cliff and I decided to walk until I finished my meager lunch. Walking along the path, the ocean breezes blowing my hair gently, I felt relaxed again. I pulled out Anthony's necklace and let the wind play with it. Once I had finished with the pretzel, I walked back to my car.
I had to pass through a quiet neighborhood before I could reach my car. Walking down the street, I felt the back of my neck prickle. Someone was following me, I was sure of it this time. Keep my cool, I increased my pace, trying to get back to where the streets were more populated. I passed a deserted alley, and then I was grabbed from behind.
Whoever it was, pulled me back into the alley and threw me to the ground. I landed hard on my hands, scraping them in the process. I stood up right away and turned to face my attacker.
There were two men standing in front of me. "We've got a message for you," one of the men said.
"And what's that," I said angrily, clenching my teeth and getting into a fighting stance. Before I could move, I felt someone push me hard from behind. I was flung off to the side and before I could stop myself, hit my forehead against a stucco wall. I slid down to the ground and turned so I was facing the thugs attacking me. I could feel blood trickling down into my eye and then on my cheek.
The three men surrounding me walked to me, and I got up, trying to blackout.
One of the thugs pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. I could have sworn that I saw my life flashing in front of my eyes. I heard the safety on the gun being turned off and I decided that if I went down, I would do so fighting.
The thug with the gun put his finger on the trigger. Before he could press it, something whooshed down and knocked the gun from his grip. The thugs looked over in surprise to see who had interfered.
I glanced over as well- and my heart nearly stopped. Standing off to the side of the three thugs, cane in hand was Anthony.
"Who the hell are you?" the thug that had pulled out the gun demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he started walking towards Anthony, the other two behind him
Anthony stared at the three thugs with a look similar to disgust. When the thugs were three feet away, he jumped out, hitting the thugs as hard as he could with his cane.
I was leaning against the wall behind me, blood still running down my face. I wanted to help Anthony fight, but I was dizzy and close to unconsciousness. I was so focused on watching the fighting in front of me, that I didn't noticed a fourth thug come up and throw me against the wall on the other side of the alley until it was too late. This time I couldn't fight it and before I succumbed to the blackness, I screamed out, "Anthony, help me!"