Chapter 43 - Harper

The second the car stops it’s a flurry of frantic activity.

“Stay here,” Officer Benson commands.

“But!”

“Stay. Here.” He tells me. He motions for me to put my foot back inside the car and then closes the door. He jogs up the few steps to the apartment block and I watch in frustration from my seat in the police cruiser.

I crack the door open to see if I can hear anything, and then step out of the car. There’s a few police officers at the door and they motion at me to stop. I hold up my arms and motion to the car, leaning against it. I’m not moving, I’m just going to go crazy if I have to sit in the car! They seem to understand and turn back towards the door. I can hear the static of their radios buzzing with unintelligible voices. I wish I could hear.

I scan the building. Rosie lives in an old brick building, kind of like mine. The alleyways that surround it are narrow and dark, and I know she has a fire escape just like mine. I frown. Greg never used my front door, always choosing the fire escape. Suddenly I’m standing up like a bolt and jogging towards the officers.

“He’ll use the fire escape.”

“Ma’am, please go back to the car. Back up. Ma’am”

“He’ll use the fire escape! We need to cover the back!”

They’re not listening. One of them is grabbing my arm and guiding me towards Benson’s cruiser. I yank my arm away and take off running towards the alley. Their shouts are drowned out by the pounding of my heart in my ears.

I can only hear my breath, my heartbeat, and the sound of my footsteps on the pavement. I think someone is following me and shouting but I can’t be sure. I dive down the alley and sprint to the end. The fire escapes are all on the far side.

In a few steps I’ve reached the corner of the building. I skid around the corner, almost losing my balance as my eyes scan up the building.

I hear him before I see him. The steel staircases are clanging as he sprints down them. I glance up further and see two police officers who are at least three storeys higher than him. They’ll never catch him. I scan the alleyway and see a dumpster a few feet away from me. I crouch down behind it, praying Greg won’t look down and see me before he’s on the ground.

If he goes the other direction I’ll never get to him. The last staircase is facing me, so I’m hoping he just takes off running straight ahead.

Time seems to slow down. All day today each second seemed to rush by but now it seems like an eternity since I’ve been crouched behind this smelly dumpster.

I can hear Greg’s footsteps. Clang, clang, clang. He’s practically sprinting down the stairs. I can hear his breath now, ragged and laboured as he moves closer and closer. Finally I hear the crunch of gravel under his feet.

My body is like a coiled spring. I can feel every atom in my body vibrating with anticipation as each footstep brings Greg Chesney closer to my hiding spot.

One,

Two,

Three!

I didn’t know it was possible for me to spring forward that quickly. The instant Greg’s sprinting form passes by me I’m on his heels, rushing at him. I realise when he turns his head towards me that I’m screaming like a deranged banshee. The wordless scream rips through my raw vocal chords as I hurl myself towards him.

Our bodies crash together and I wrap my arms around him. We fall to the ground and my arm stays pinned underneath him. We land with a thud and the air gets knocked out of me. He’s kicking, I’m kicking, we’re flailing on the ground. My arms are around him like a vice. There’s no thought, no intention, just pure animal instinct. I hear myself screaming and screaming and screaming.

Arms and legs appear around us. I’m torn off him and he’s tackled to the ground again. He’s handcuffed, I’m being sat down, there’s screaming, movement, questions, noise.

My chest is heaving and finally I can focus my eyes. Officer Benson is leaning down, nose to nose with me.

“What the fuck were you thinking! Didn’t I tell you to stay put?!”

“Rosie.”

I’m panting, I can’t speak. The anger in his eyes softens ever so slightly.

“Paramedics are on the way. We need to get her to hospital.”

I spring up to my feet and feel his strong arms hold me back.

“Calm down, fuck!” He shouts. “Guys!” Two more sets of arms wrap themselves around me and I stop moving. “The paramedics are on the way, I said! There’s nothing you can do. Come on.”

He nods his head and the two men lead me out front. We turn the corner just as the ambulance skids to a stop. I resist the urge to rush forward, instead waiting in tortuously long wait until I see the stretcher come down the stairs. I push my way into the ambulance behind her. The paramedics look at me curiously but nod to the officers, who let me go.

“Rosie!”

“Harps,” she pants. There’s red blood seeping through the bandages the paramedics have wrapped around her stomach. “Hey.”

“Shh,” I say as the tears well up. I find her hand and give it a squeeze. She squeezes back weakly, and her eyes flutter closed.

“Ok, Rosie, I need you to stay with us. Stay with us, ok?” The paramedic keeps talking, keeps Rosie awake as the ambulance starts speeding down the road. I hold her hand and ignore the tears as they keep streaming down my cheeks.

“Come on, Rosie,” I whisper. She squeezes my hand ever so gently and I let the tears flow down. “Come on, Rosie.”