When the Cat's Away Chapter 6

Wednesday Afternoon

Emily stormed back to the lab, frustrated to tears. She plopped down in her chair, pushing herself over to the phone. She dialed the number from the house phone records.

"Yo?" A voice answered.

"Hello," Emily said adjusting her voice. "I need to buy." Emily was running on the assumption that this guy was selling drugs.

"Cool, Cool," the unknown voice answered. "Uh…bring cash…" The voice rattled off an address. Emily scribbled it down and hung up the phone.

She ran down the hall. "Eric!" she yelled catching up to him. "I have a location for that number. We have to go now."

"Uhm…can it wait Emily? I'm almost done with the parents. I'll meet you in twenty minutes."

Emily stood, frustrated again as Eric walked off, mulling over a file.

She knew this couldn't wait. She knew she had to get this guy now, for Annie's sake and for her own peace of mind.

She ran to her locker and changed. She let her hair down and did her makeup, allowing herself to look a little more the part of a drug buyer. She put on a dark jacket that hid her badge and gun. She ran out the door and hopped into her Hummer.

Half an hour later she parked the Hummer a few blocks from her destination. She turned on the GPS signal, in case Eric decided to look for her and turned on her cell phone. She called Eric. She wanted him to hear everything.

She got out of the car and walked quickly to her destination. She turned a corner into a small alley.

"Hello?" She called, slowing her step a little to look as though she was stumbling.

A lone figure of a tall man at the end of the alley turned. "Hey. You the buyer?"

"Yup." She answered, swaying slightly as she came to stop in front of him.

"How much cash?"

"A grand." She said, pulling out a wad of bills.

"That'll get you a bit. I'll be right back." He said making to turn into a small side door.

"No, you won't move!" Emily said, changing her tone and drawing her gun. "Put your hands up in the air where I can see them."

"What the hell is this?" He said putting up his hands and turning around.

"You are under arrest for the murder of Annie Mancinelli." Emily said steadily, keeping the gun trained on the suspect.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." He said, smirking.

"Oh really? Do you know the Mingens', Annie's foster parents?"

He returned her glare, silently.

"Ha! Of course you don't. You only called their house on your cell phone just days before the girl's death. Can I see your shoes for a moment?"

He obediently lifted up his right foot.

"Ah…Nike Doernbacher Air Max Rivals. Size ten, am I right? Is that blood on the bottom of your shoes?" Emily said triumphantly.

"You weren't the only one there were you? You had accomplices." Emily continued.

"I did," he smirked. "I still do."

One of the doors behind the suspect opened and a man and woman came out, holding guns. Emily stood in shock.

"Drop your gun." A steely, blue-eyed, blonde woman ordered.

Emily lowered her gun to the ground slowly. She noted the shoes. Both the new man and the woman were wearing shoes that matched the prints at the Crime Scene.

"Search her, Danny." The woman ordered her companion.

Danny walked over to Emily and turned her, shoving her against the wall. He began patting her down. He took her badge and her cell phone.

"You know I would usually be the one to do this to you." Emily said defiantly.

"Shut up!" The woman said, walking over and pressing the barrel of the gun to the side of her head.

"Hey, Shelley," Danny said. "She had a call going out to someone."

Shelley grabbed the phone and threw it as hard as she could. Emily could hear it shatter into what she imagined was a thousand pieces against the brick wall.

Emily felt the barrel of the gun press against her head just a little harder.

"So, an undercover police officer, alone, is trying to bust a big drug ring?" Shelley said haughtily. "How old are you anyway?"

"Sixteen." Replied Emily.

"A sixteen year old Cop? And you thought you could handle us by yourself," Shelley said. "Pathetic."

Shelley turned her around roughly and punched her in the face. Emily staggered against the wall

"Like that?" Shelley said with a haughty smirk as Emily staggered to her feet. Emily saw Danny move towards her out of the corner of her eye.

"Danny, no!" Shelley ordered. She turned her cold gaze back to Emily as Danny stopped in mid-swing. "She's mine.

Emily ducked the next punch that came at her fairly easily, but was unable to evade the harsh kick in the ribs that Shelley's left foot delivered to her right side. She gasped in pain as she fell back, the back of her head hitting the brick wall.

She was dazed. Shelley took the opportunity to take more well aimed kicks to her ribs with her left foot.

Emily finally found the strength to move. She saw her gun lying close by. If she could just get to it…

She rolled away from Shelley, pretending to be on the defensive as she curled into a ball. Shelley followed her, aiming another kick at her bruised ribs. Emily heard a crack and gasped in pain. She tried to get up, her eyes watering. The gun lay on the ground, forgotten.

Shelley grabbed Emily's shirt and shoved her up against the wall. She punched the Emily in the nose again. Emily fell to the ground.

She looked up, glaring at Shelley, who was smirking at her. She tried to get to her feet, but Shelley moved first. She swept her foot under Emily and kicked upward, causing Emily to fall back into the wall.

Emily heard sirens. She had never heard a sweeter sound.

"Drop your weapons!" Emily could hear multiple voices, shouting orders. The blows stopped. She heard Eric and Ryan's voices, shouting along with the others.

She raised her head slowly and wiped the blood off of her mouth with her sleeve. She shook her head, trying to clear her blurry vision. As she tried to stand on slow, shaky legs, she gasped as pain shot up and down her right side.

"Emily! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eric yelled as he ran up to her.

"I'm sorry. It couldn't wait. We had to get them." Emily mumbled.

"You should have at least called for backup."

"I know."

"Emily you could have been killed."

"I know, Eric!" Emily shouted. "I just…look I need to go."

Emily stumbled off, holding her side. She was sure she had a broken rib somewhere.

She made it to her Hummer and slid in slowly, grasping her side. She wiped her face with her sleeve again and started her car. She drove slowly back the lab.

She managed to sneak back to the locker room without being noticed by too many people. She found a first aid kit, took out an Ace Bandage and wrapped her torso carefully; just tightly enough that it was not too painful and it supported the rib at the same time. She cleaned up her face and changed back into the shirt she had been wearing this morning. She took two Advil, and checked her appearance one last time in the mirror. She looked well enough. She walked out, ready to face the rest of the day.