Belonging Season

Chapter-2: Consequences demands

ALICE POV 

'Alice, Alice!'

'MOM! NO! ' I screamed. Everything seemed to slow down. I was running towards her. Her panic-stricken face, her beautiful golden locks up in a messy bun and tears were brimming in her eyes. She didn't see it on time.

Everything went slow. The car dashed her before she was even able to look at what I was trying to say. I saw her body hit the hood and topple above the car before falling back on the ground. Her eyes were wide open with fear and they were looking at me when her head hit the ground and blood splashed everywhere around and on her white maxi.

'NO' I screamed and an angry growl of pain emitted from my chest. The tires of the car screeched. I removed my gun from my holster and shot at it blindly. I didn't notice where it hit and the car speed off.

'Mom!' I kneeled down and took her body in my arms. She clutched my hand in a tight fist and I saw her take her last breath before her eyes turned vacant and her hand loosened on mine.

I jolted awake from the nightmare that's been haunting me for the past five years. I was sweating profusely and y heart was beating wildly in my chest. I removed my top and dropped it on the floor. I'm still in the same clothes from last night.

The alarm clock on the table read 7:10 a.m.

's**t' I quickly got up from the couch and was about to get in my bedroom when I saw Anna all ready for school, and buttering her bread.

'Hey' I said.

'Morning. Breakfast is ready' She said, pointing towards a pile of bread on a plate.

'Gimme a minute.' I replied and walked to my bedroom.

I took a quick hot shower, pushing away the dreadful memory of the past. Dressing up quickly in my uniform, I walked out of my bedroom to the kitchen where Anna was eating her last slice of bread, glancing frequently to the text book next to her.

'Got a test today?' I asked and took my seat.

'Science. Thank God I left my book in here' she replied, hopped down the stool and dropped her dish into the sink. I quickly finished eating my breakfast she prepared for me and drank the remaining milk from the fridge.

Anna was all ready for school, excluding the socks, shoes and schoolbag.

I put my gun in my holster and the walkie in its holder in my belt and wore my shoes. It's already 7:45 and I know I'll be late by the time I drop Anna to her school and reach the station.

Taking a hairpin, and grabbing Anna's hand, we exited my apartment, locking it behind and making our way towards hers.

The door is still shut. I slowly slipped my hairpin into the keyhole and turned around when I felt the lock. Opening the door without any noise, I motioned Anna to make it faster. She nodded and tip-toed inside her own house like a thief. I remember a month ago when Anna wasn't quiet enough and woke her mother up. She was still drowsy from last night's drinks and without any regret she threw an empty beer bottle at her. Fortunately, due to her hangover, the bottle missed Anna's forehead and scratched her temple before shattering on the wall behind her. I quickly ran inside when I heard the noise and was so furious when I saw Anna bleeding and crying. I grabbed the red head and slapped her across the face before slamming my foot on her stomach. She hit the floor and laughed hysterically in her subconsciousness before passing out. I quickly took Anna to the hospital. She got stitches and there's a prominent scar on her temple which she hides with hair.

I looked inside the living room that's messier than mine and was thankful when I didn't see Anna's mother and her man-w***e naked on the couch.

Anna's mother, Joyce is a stripper in the Downtown club of NY. She's also a chain smoker and an alcoholic insane b***h who doesn't even know the father of her child. She's been f*****g men ever since puberty and has always been conscious of having a rubber in between and taking hundreds of birth pills, but misfortunately one of those hundred pills ditched her. She said she was drunk and so was the man who totally forgot about the rubber and ran away once the sun rose up. She filed a case but nothing worked since both the idiots were drunk and it wasn't considered r**e since she wanted it and she's a known stripper.

Anna came out with shoes, socks and her school bag. I quickly closed the door and locked it, while she sat down and wore her shoes.

We quickly took the stairs, not waiting for the elevator.

The only old yet new thing I've kept with me dearly is my father's Harley-Davidson XLH Sportster 883 2002.

I changed nothing but the color; silver to matte black and I maintain it so well and new. I quickly hopped on and so did Anna, giving her bag to me to keep it in front. The engine roared to its life in the small parking lot that can't fit more than 6 cars. I drive in a decent speed when Anna's with me and yet the little munchkin holds me tight as her life depends on her.

It took me exactly fifteen minutes to pass all the traffic and reach her local school and it's already 8:05.

Shit.

'Good luck with your science test. Ace it or f**k it, doesn't matter' I said, giving her bag to her.

'Alice!' Anna groaned at my choice of word, I shrugged. Girl is gonna learn it one day or the other.

I bent down from my bike when she stood up on her toes and kissed my cheek.

'Be careful while coming back home. You have the peppermint spray I gave you, right?'

'Yes' She replied. I kissed her back and she ran to her school ground and waved at me once she was in. I waved back and started my engine.

***

I knew something was off when I stepped into the Office and Natalie didn't shout at me for being late and that the Chief wants me in his cabin for a round of lecture.

I wished everyone on the way and they wished me back. Once I made it to my place, I saw my friends, Houston, John and Koa whispering to each other and stopped once they spotted me. I narrowed my eyes at them.

'Any difficult work up our asses?' I asked them, already feeling the tension in the air.

'Chief wants to meet you' Said Houston in a tight voice.

'Removing me from the post for coming late regularly? He can't blame me when he puts us up to get kicked by druggies last night,' I chuckled but they didn't. They kept a stone face. 'Alright, what's going on?'

'You better come with me' Said Houston and went to the Chief's cabin, me following him behind.

'You are freaking me out right now. Doesn't matter if the case is sensitive, I promise I won't get emotional and kill the damn guy ‒

'It's not sensitive and not just about the case' He grumbled in front of me and opened the door of the cabin.

I looked at him and he nodded. I got inside the room and he closed behind me and walked away.

'Ah, there you. Please, sit,' Chief Jorge Kiernan pulled the chair out for me with a warm smile. 'You're late, Alice' He gave a hesitant laugh and went back to his seat.

I looked at him skeptical. His smile wavered at my intense stare and I waited for him to cut the bullshit.

'Well, there's an...operation' He started. I c****d my eyebrow at him. Then why aren't the other agents in the meeting? Why isn't the leader, Houston involved?

'I've thought about it very clearly for the past months and sent the application last week. The review committee and the commissioner has accepted it. It's for six months but I can reauthorize if the work doesn't finish ‒

'Wait. You sent the application last week?' I asked, ridiculed. 'Why didn't you discuss it with us? Don't we have the right to ‒

'I know but it was necessary and I know you all wouldn't approve it ‒

'Then it's pretty clear you shouldn't have sent the application' I retorted.

Jorge took a deep breath and closed his eyes and when he opened them, I saw the determination in his look. That's not a good sign.

'I'm the Chief and I take the decisions' He dared. There you go, b***h.

I curled my palms into a tight fists under the desk.

'What's the operation name?' I asked.

'Operation D'

'Operation d**k, you mean?' I snorted.

'Take it as you want' He replied calmly.

'Okay, then. We'll get onto it. Sure you've given the details to Natalie' I said and stood up to leave.

'No, it's not a group operation. Please, sit down' he said hesitantly.

I looked back at him and he looked troubled. And suddenly I understood everything I needed to know about this operation.

Fuck.

'You got to be kidding me, Jorge,' I slammed my hands on his desk, looking dead in his eyes. 'There is no way I'm going undercover!' I screamed, not caring that everyone's eyes are now on us, looking through his glass cabin.

'Calm down, Alice' He stood up and stared at me.

I felt tears brimming my vision and without another word, I turned around and stormed out of the office, not listening to his calls behind.

***

'Hey' Came Houston's voice.

'You are suppose to go back if the phone is not picked and the door is locked' I replied and looked back to the vast city in front that's in the size of a box from up here as I sat on the rooftop with my legs dangling in the air over 30 feet height of my apartment building.

'Friends always make sure to check the rooftops' Houston replied and put his feet over, and sat next to me.

I took another large swing of my beer.

'Already three inside your system. I don't know how you're still stable enough to sit straight' He said, looking at the empty beer bottles that are between us.

I gave him a cheeky grin.

'I'm a ninja'

I gave him my bottle and he took a sip.

The city is lit and brighter than the stars above us. I don't know how long I've been sitting here after roaming the city in my bike.

'I know why you're here and you can't convince me' I said flatly to Houston.

'A man can always try,' He said and I took the drink from him.

'I can't, Houston. You know it' I told him sternly but he heard the weakness in my voice.

I hate it. I hate when the past comes hitting back when you try the hardest to forget it. It isn't his fault, nor Chief Jorge, not the law, nor anyone but me. I was careless. Reckless. Ignorant...

'You can. Only you' He said softly.

'No, you can too. You can. Koa can. John can,' I reasoned and was about take another swing of my beer when it was snatched away from my hand. 'Except my beer, give it back to me'

He took away from me when I tried to reach.

I turned around and hopped off the ceiling wall. My head started to spin and Houston caught me in the right moment when I was about to fall.

'I can't, Houston. I just can't,' I let him hold me as I finally let down and cried on his shoulder. 'I can't...I lost it last time. I lost...everything'

He held me, rubbing my back soothingly. There is no way I'm doing this undercover operation. Not after what happened last time.

'Shh, it's alright. If it's really not possible, I won't try to convince you or pressurize you. Me and the others will stand by your decision and the first thing in the morning, I'll talk to Chief' He said.

'Thank you,' I looked up to him with teary eyes. He smiled and rubbed my cheeks.

'I love you, we all do,' He said. 'Now, c'mon, my wife has cooked your favorite Italian meatloaf. She'll have my head if I don't bring you along' He patted my shoulder and I got stood up straight.

I believe him and I know he will talk to the Chief and cancel this operation or appoint someone else from the department.