Chapter 6

They had been walking for about fifteen minutes covering several blocks mostly made up of ramshackle small stores selling anything and everything. Charles followed Brad tentatively absorbing the unfamiliar sights and smells, wiping his brow with the back of his hand and feeling a trickle of sweat roll down his spine as he struggled to adjust to the intense humidity of the city.

Brad looked behind him to check that Charles was keeping up turning to give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder as they entered a narrow alley. They were heading for a couple of large garbage bins at the end near a large doorway. Charles gazed up at the tall buildings that framed the alley they looked like warehouses of some sort, Brad reached behind one of the bins and pulled out a grubby looking rucksack hauling it on to his shoulder.

"Ok let's go" As Brad began to guide Charles out of the alley they were met by two guys walking toward them. The hairs instantly stood up on the back of Charles' neck and he could feel goosebumps forming on the tops of his forearms, it was as though he could instinctively sense the potential threat that was confirmed when he briefly caught sight of the glint of the knife blade that one of the men was carrying.

Charles grabbed Brad's arm and pulled him back, they both began to back up the alley retracing their steps from a few moments earlier. Charles scanned up and around them looking for a way out but there wasn't one, they were being forced back into a dead end by the two men who remained silent but menacing leaving them in no doubt that they were in a gravely dangerous situation.

Brad stepped forward holding out his arms.

"Listen guys we don't want any trouble, we were just getting our stuff, we are on the streets man we ain't got nothin"

The guy with the knife still didn't speak and gestured toward the rucksack on Brad's shoulder moving forward and yanking it away from him, throwing it to his accomplice who opened the drawstring and began emptying out the contents whilst he kept the knife trained on the both of them.

The man with the rucksack was becoming increasingly frustrated that there was nothing of value in the pack until he came across three medals and a hundred dollar bill. As Charles caught sight of the money it was like a film was playing at high speed in his mind, frame by frame he could see himself somewhere else, crouched beside Brad and handing him the money. He was snapped back into the here and now by shouting as Brad had rushed at the man with the rucksack trying to grab the medals and Charles could see the man with the knife turning toward his friend.

Charles felt a rush of heat coursing through his body as his limbs began to move and he lunged at the man with the knife holding his wrist with every bit of strength he had, their eyes met in mutual anger as one tried to overcome the other both sweating and trembling. Charles could feel his arm beginning to give way as the man twisted his body around and broke free running toward Brad and the other man who were caught in their own violent struggle.

The next fifteen seconds was in slow motion as Charles caught a second glint of the knife blade as the man drove it into Brad's back once and then a second time to make sure that he would take him down. As the soldier slumped to the floor the assailant helped the other man onto his feet and they ran, the knife clattering to the floor beside him.

Charles ran and knelt beside Brad turning his body to see blood pouring from the left side of his lower back, he pulled off his t shirt and rolled it up pressing it hard on the two wounds desperately trying to stop his friend from bleeding to death.

There was a siren at the top of the alley a police car had pulled up someone must have seen and called them Charles thought. Two Police officers got out of the car, guns drawn and pointing at Charles.

One of the officers shouted at Charles "Hands on your head"

Charles ignored them holding onto the T shirt that was now soaked through with blood and Brad had lost consciousness.

They both shouted at him next "Hands on your head, step away and lie on the floor face down...Now"

Charles reluctantly moved away "He's been stabbed, two men...he is going to bleed out if you don't get him to a hospital fast" One of the officers ran over to him, pinning him face down to the floor, pushing his head onto the hard concrete and taking his hands behind his back where he suddenly felt the tight pain of steel on both wrists as the officer cuffed him.

He could hear the other officer calling for an ambulance and backup as he was pulled to his feet and dragged up the alley and pushed into the police car all the time resisting and looking back to try and see what was happening to Brad.

Both officers returned to the car and a short ride later they arrived at the rear entrance of what looked like a Police station and he was bundled out of the car and taken inside the building. He was put into a cage and told to wait. Charles although terrified couldn't help but chuckle ironically at the suggestion he would be going anywhere anyway. As he lent against the cold steel he closed his eyes and the pictures that had played in his mind just before Brad had been stabbed flashed back again but this time another face appeared a female face that felt familiar. The heat of anxiety he had felt from earlier rushed into his system again, he was breathing hard and shallow panicking that he couldn't get to her and an overwhelming feeling that he needed to get to her.

After a long wait he was led into a room with a small table and pushed into a chair at one side, moments later two men came in and took a seat in the two chairs on the opposite side. Charles could see his battered reflection in the mirrored window opposite as one of the men asked him his full name.

Charles gazed between one and other blankly "Brad said I was Charles James"

At the recognition of his friend clicking into place, again Charles began to panic "Brad where is he...is he ok? I have to know if he is ok"

Charles held his fist up to his forehead in both pain and frustration. "I don't know who I am...I don't know what happened,you have to help me...please you have to help me."

"You need to calm down, Brad has been taken to the hospital he is in bad shape but they are working on him and we will let you know when we hear from them."

"Charles we have had a missing person's report for someone matching your name and description your family are on their way to make a positive ID so we need you to wait with us until that happens OK? in the meantime I am going to get someone to take a look at your head there, sit tight and someone will be right here OK Charles?

Charles nodded at the officer and in barely a whisper choked out "Family?"

A doctor was just finishing putting a dressing on Charles forehead and cleaning some grazes on his arm when the door opened he looked up and saw a man and two women, the younger of which was the girl he had seen in his flashback earlier.

She rushed forward and threw her arms around him tears streaming down her face.

"Oh God Charles I thought you were dead."

The Older man and woman were also moving closer both pale and crying.

After a few seconds the girl loosened her grip on him and moved back to look at him confused as to why he wasn't hugging her back.

Charles brow was furrowed as he tried to compute the situation in his brain there was silence in the room only punctuated by the sobs of the two women.

He glanced between the three of them " I am so sorry but who are you ?"