Chapter 8: Catastrophic

A/N: Hopefully, this makes sense, but I'm not sure how good my editing has actually been... Writing on the same piece for a long time is VERY hard.

Point of view Change:

"Of course, Ma'am. We'll bring your son back to you." I said, rubbing my hands together.

It had nothing to do with her son, of course. I was well aware that she'd kicked him out, he had not, as she had claimed 'run away, and then been kidnapped off the street.' One of the boys friends had reported what had happened only minutes afterwards, to protect the boy from being arrested. The boys friend had apparently believed that his mother was going to accuse the boy of vandalizing her home.

No, I was not here to be a hero. I was doing this because of the reward she was offering.

T.K's POV

We walked down to the rock where we'd been so many times before, into the wooded area where we could barely hear the cars rushing by on the street. The rock was covered in moss, and it had really been a landmark more than an attraction for us. We'd always met near the rock, rarely right next to it. This time, however, we walked over to the rock, and then sat down.

There was about a forty-five degree angle between the directions the two of us were facing when first sat down. We could hear the birds chirp, and the kids in the park itself. This place was so familiar; it had been the only place that had been home for me in the recent years, when my house had not been my home.

"Thank you." I said to Kari.

"For WHAT?" She asked, confused.

"For giving me a place to go when I needed help over the last few years." I said, smiling, and turning towards her, "And for giving me a home away from home."

"Here?" She asked.

"Yeah." I said, here.

"You're welcome." She said, smiling.

And then we were silent. I had no idea what to think, or do, or even to want. Because I wanted to hug her. I wanted to kiss her. And yet, I didn't want to want these things; they seemed so reckless.

In a way, this was my downfall; I had wavered in my resolve, and thus I was doomed to give up. I blushed slightly, and I noticed she blushed, too. And then, she put her arms around me, whispering,

"Whatever. I give up."

I was suddenly wary; last time I'd thrown caution to the wind, I'd wound up with an awful hangover the next morning. However, I knew this couldn't possibly be that bad. It couldn't possibly hurt me, could it?

I threw my arms around her, not caring what the future brought. After all, the future was already uncertain, and all I wanted then was to love this girl, and for her to reciprocate that love.

When our eyes met, I felt almost hypnotized, and I leaned in towards her. And then our lips met, and then, we heard the sirens.

We pulled quickly away from one another, and I remembered that I was probably a fugitive. Because my mother would claim that I had run away. And because you could (barely) see the rock from the road, we had been sited.

Three police cars stopped in front of the park, and an officer emerged from each. They walked down the short road to where Kari and I were sitting.

We stood up, and began to trying to run. We didn't a chance.

"Hands up, now!" One officer shouted, and the other two came to back him up, guns pointed at me.

"I'm not doing anything illegal, why are you arresting me?" I asked, my voice not wavering as I had expected it to.

"I'm afraid this is a scandal." He said with a laugh.

"But if you know I'm innocent, then you won't shoot at me." I said, and continued walking. It was a huge gamble, but if it wasn't a good gamble, then I probably wasn't going to live to tell the tale anyway.

I made it half way to the line of trees before I felt a blast of pain, and then I suddenly had no control of my body, my muscles twitching. I collapsed to the ground, and then shock stopped.

"True, but I will apprehend you." He said. I realized he was holding a tazer to me.

I also realized that Kari was now standing between him and me.

"Run." She said, "They don't want me."

I struggled to get up, and broke into a sprint, before I tripped on a tree root.

Kari was sobbing, "I tried. I really did. But I can't take this either."

It dawned on me that I had the perfect tool in my pocket. It wouldn't help me now, but I could at least later I would have some weapon to get my revenge.

Without removing it from my pocket, I set my phone to record.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, crying.

"Kid, your mother has threatened to 'expose' about how we, that is, the police force, have kidnapped you'... The office has refused to respond, but she's offered a huge reward for your 'release'." He replied, "So I'm after that."

"And what do you do if I report you to the proper authorities?" I asked, turning my phone off, when I felt hands roughly grab my arms.

"Who's going to believe you?" He asked, putting handcuffs on me.

I had the urge to laugh, but that would wreck my ploy. Plus, while I might get the last laugh, I wasn't especially well off right now.

Besides, I couldn't laugh. Because, I could here her cry.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." I tried to reassure her as I was shoved forcefully into one of the police cars, "You haven't done anything wrong."

But as the car drove off, she was still crying, and I wanted to sock the driver of the car.

"How can you do this?" I said, voice full of outrage, "Did you see what you've done to her? Did you see what you've done to me?"

"Kid, I've got a family to feed. I've got a wife to put a house over. I've got kids to put through college. They'll run an investigation, probably decide that you were kidnapped, and you'll get custody transferred to your father... which, I assume would you make you very happy. I know these things." He replied, "I've got no quarrel with you. But I need the money."

"You're assuming I won't get murdered." I replied.

"That's very unlikely." He said calmly.

"And what if I am?"

He shrugged, "You won't be. It's not going to happen."

And then, we were there. I was walked up to the front door, un-handcuffed, and then shoved me towards my mother.

"Go to your room." She said.

"No." I said.

"Taze him." She said to the officer at the door.

"Why should I?" He asked.

"Because I won't pay you if you don't." She said bluntly.

I was electrified painfully again, and then the pain stopped, again.

"I won't go." I said.

"Do it again." She said.

He did.

"Fine, I'll go. I'll go." I said, realizing there was no reason to fight here. I couldn't win, so I might as well fight another time.

As I walked up the stairs, I saw my mother handing the man something, presumably a large sum of money.

The moment the door shut behind me, I withdrew my phone from my pocket.

DO NOT REPLY! Have been returned to Mom. Call Cody's home phone for me; I can't text him. I texted quickly, and attached the two sound files, one of me originally getting kicked out as well as the one I'd recorded today.

I shoved the phone back in my pocket, and then looked at my window, hoping for some sort of escape. I tried to open the window, only to realize it was glued shut.

"Fuck." I swore.

My mind raced, searching for some sort of solution. Before I thought of anything, my phone vibrated.

"I told them not to reply." I muttered, and rolled my eyes, at least I was alone at the moment.

Just turn off the sound for your phone :P Sorry for the reply, but I'm sure you had at least this much safe time. The text read. It was Kari, and even if that hadn't been clearly displayed on my phone, I would have known because Matt probably wouldn't have used ':P' in this situation.

I took the advice, though, Kari was correct. I texted back, have done so, good idea and then went on to text Matt, feel free to reply. Sound for phone is off.

I shoved the phone back in my pocket, and then resumed thinking. I could break the window, but I was still a floor up, and I had no idea how I was going to get down. I could simply walk though the door, but I had the feeling that wouldn't be so easy.

It would probably be a while before her the asshole who had put a whole new meaning to 'rent-a-cop' left, and I had the feeling that if she'd glued the window shut, she'd probably do something similar to my door.

In fact, it was fairly clear that she was had finally lost the last of her morality; she just couldn't stand losing this one, and she'd convinced herself that the whole world was out to get her. I had no idea what was to happen to me, but I wasn't sure I was going to survive in the end.

But, I wasn't about to surrender. It was a catastrophe among catastrophes, it was almost hopeless if not entirely so, but I would have hope to the end.

Still, this was catastrophic.

Kari's POV:

"I'm not lying!" I said, "How could I have faked the conversation?"

"I don't know." My mother said, "But even if what you are saying is true, there is nothing I can do to help T.K."

"Fine." I said, although it was hardly fine, "I'm going to take a walk. Maybe I'll calm down a little."

Of course, I wasn't going to calm down. But that didn't matter, I DID need to get out for a while. I didn't want her to see me cry, I didn't want to have to explain.

"Good plan. Just be back by dinner." She said.

A few moments after I left the house, my phone vibrated in my pocket, alerting me that I had a new text.

It simply read I'm going in. Wish me luck -T.K

I shivered with anticipation, and then texted back, To hell with wishing you luck, I'm on my way.