In quick succession, I released his balls, grabbed my phone, and skidded out the doors onto the landing as the doors closed behind me. Panting from the effort, I turned at the banging and smiled at the goons who hadn't been fast enough. Waving my fingers, I turned and flipped them off over my shoulder. The adrenaline coursed through me hard as I jogged down the stairs needing to get far away from them. I had no clue where I was, but I felt invincible and like I could take on any of these asshats who tried to make me feel small.
My phone rang again, and I was quick to answer this time. "Hello? Jude?"
"Loren?"
"Jude, I'm here. Is everything okay?"
"Not exactly. Can you, um, can you come down to the police station?"
"The police station! What's going on? Jude?"
"I'll explain when you get here. It's the one on Lincoln. I'm sorry to bother you, Loren. It's just, I had no one else to call."
"It's okay, Jude. I'm glad you called. I'll be there soon. I promise."
"Thank you, Loren."
"Hey, I'm on my way, okay. It will be better soon. We'll figure this out together. Okay?"
"Okay."
Hailing down a taxi, I jumped in and gave the address to the police station. My heart raced, and my body shook as we merged into traffic. I was wired from the encounter and now with fear. Fumbling with my phone, I called the first name that came up, hoping he'd be available. I needed help.
"Hello?" the sleepy voice answered, making me feel like an asshole. Checking the time, I saw that it was almost eleven o'clock at night. How long had I sat on that train car unaware?
"Hello? Anyone there?"
"Hey, it's me. I'm sorry to bother you. It's just… I didn't know what else to do."
"Loren?"
"Yeah, sorry again. I'm rambling, I…" Catching my breath, my emotions started to crash from the high I felt moments earlier, and the tears threatened to spill. What had I been thinking?
"Hey, it's okay," he soothed, his voice deep and soft, instantly calming me. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. It's Jude. He called me and said he needed help. He's at the police station. I'm headed there now. I don't know what's going on or if he's in trouble. I just, I…"
"Which one?"
"The one on Lincoln."
"Okay, I'm on my way. I'll be there in five minutes. I'm glad you called."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"It will be okay. We'll figure this out together, spitfire. I promise."
"Thanks, Sax."
The breath I released felt huge as I hung up. Jude needed me, and I would do whatever I could to help him. A few minutes later, the cab pulled up to the police precinct. Paying the fare, I stepped out as I debated if I wanted to wait or head in. The image of Jude waiting alone pushed me to head in. Chaos surrounded me as I entered the doors, and I was overwhelmed by the activity in the station. It was downtown Chicago, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.
But I'd never been to a police station before, so I wasn't sure of the protocol here. Spotting a desk with a woman answering phones, I decided to try my luck there. Plus, I figured she'd be kind to a fellow woman.
"Hello, I was wondering if you could help me find someone?"
"Fill out this form. If they haven't been gone for 24 hrs yet, you'll have to wait."