Chapter 7

• ***
• Kloe looked at me with her eyes and mouth wide open.
• I stepped back in shock, tears welling up in my eyes.
• "No! This– this can't be." I stuttered in a low voice, a lump in my throat.
• 'She is known as Donnica Smith! It has been reported that she'd been visiting him a few days before his escape. She claims to be a student but nothing is still certain.'
• "No! Nooo!" I screamed, my whole body shaking. Kloe stood up and faced me.
• "What is this Donnie? What's going on?!" she asked, scared herself.
• I was speechless. I stared at the picture of me in the visiting room with Anthonio, on screen. The security cameras filmed us! What did I expect?
• 'The police and FEDs are on their way to John Hugh university to find her. She might be dangerous and so everyone is careful.'
• "Donnie. Answer me, please..." Kloe muttered, beginning to sob as her shaky hands touched me. I backed out of her grip.
• "I didn't do anything! No!"
• Not knowing what to do or how to react, I ran to get my car keys to escape. But the police were already on campus. In no time, they'd surrounded the girls' dormitory building.
• It was like a horrible dream! I could hear the helicopter above our heads.
• I ran to the window and saw that a lot of students had surrounded the building along with the police. There was a huge light on the building, by the helicopter.
• "DONNICA SMITH! LEAVE THE BUILDING, HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!" an officer ordered with the use of a loudspeaker. I stared down at the way the other girls ran out of the dormitory, directed by some officers.
• I wasn't a terrorist!
• My palms were white and my entire body was weakening. I'd been tricked.
• Suddenly, our door flung open and two armed officers pointed their guns at me.
• "Hands behind your head! Now!"
• I simply obeyed. I was traumatized and my entire body shook.
• One of them came to me and cuffed my hands behind my back. Tears rolled down my cheeks automatically. I couldn't believe all of it was happening!
• They were about to take me downstairs when I turned to Kloe. She was sobbing.
• "Donnie–"
• "Call my parents and tell them. I'm innocent. To get me a lawyer."
• Those were my last words as I was led downstairs and out of the building.
• -
• Outside was a whole crowd. Guns were pointed at me and the helicopter's light was directly on me.
• People stepped back like I was some monster. Others filmed me with their phones. I had not done anything, yet I was being treated like an outcast!
• They put me at the back of a police car and the head of the officers spoke to the officer who was to drive me away.
• "Take her to the headquarters. We gotta ask her some questions first. We wanna search the surroundings. Caruso might be around."
• "Yes, sir." the officer replied.
• My life was over. I was doomed! My life was destroyed.
• **
• During the whole drive, I didn't have the force nor the courage to raise my head. I leaned weakly against the back of the driver's seat, feeling the handcuffs hurting my wrists. That was supposed to be a good night. But there I sat in my tiny sleeping shorts and T-shirt at the back of a police car.
• Suddenly, the car stopped. There was silence around. Without raising my head, I waited for the policeman to take me out of the car. He did open the door and said:
• "Get out."
• I looked up at him. He had a grown beard and mustache with fat black shades on.
• 'Who wears shades at night?'
• I got out of the car but saw no police headquarters or even prison. I realized we were on the outskirts of the city, where there were no houses but only trees. The only light provided was that of the car. I looked at the policeman, confused.
• He approached me and freed me from the cuffs. I stared at him, lost. He looked back at me and took his hat off, then his shades.
• To my shock, I watched him take off his mustache and beard before letting them drop to the floor.
• Standing right there all dressed like a policeman was Anthonio Caruso!
• I was unable to say a single word! There was a heavy lump in my throat! All the anger and pain in me resurfaced and I slapped him. Then I immediately regretted the act.
• He looked at me with fury in his glassy eyes. I stepped back.
• "Let me believe that you're angry about your situation. So I'll spare you," he replied, clearly angry.
• "You've destroyed me! My life!" I growled, beginning to cry again. I felt so frustrated about the fact that I couldn't do anything to the psycho in front of me.
• "You've killed me!" I screamed and tried to push him away but he caught my wrists. I struggled like a flea to fight out of his grip while I cried, but it was useless. I was so angry. So mad.
• "Let me go!!" I shrieked, kicking weakly at him. Oh god, I wanted to kill him! I was hopeless.
• Giving up, I fell to the ground in tears. I cried and cried. He just stood there, staring in the dark.
• I looked up at him with swollen eyes.
• "Why??" I asked to sob, "Why? What did I do? Where did I go wrong? What? I interviewed you and you set me up??"
• "I didn't set you up." was his cold reply.
• "Boy, shut the fuck up! Why did you ask me to visit you if it wasn't to set me up??"
• "I needed just a maximum of three days to observe the visiting room. I wanted to find a way to escape through that room. I couldn't observe the room if no one visited me. That's where I needed your intervention."
• He was very cold in his ways and showed no emotion.
• "But now, I'm ruined. Go tell the police the truth!"
• "Who do you take me for? A car will be arriving. We need to travel tonight."
• I looked at him like he was sicker than he already was.
• "What?? Who's we?"
• "Or do you want to stay here and go to prison in my place? You're classified as suspect."
• "I'm not going anywhere with you!"
• "Fine. Not like I care. Just thought you wouldn't like to be locked up and so I proposed freedom to you. Suit yourself. Ain't got time to waste. Fact is, it's gonna take an eternity for the cops to investigate and realize you're innocent. You might not even be proclaimed innocent."
• I watched in surprise and with an open mouth as he turned and started walking away, leaving me and the police car. How heartless was he? He didn't give a fuck about me or my situation!
• I remained there sobbing. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't go to prison! Was I ready to endure brutality and lesbian attacks? Hell no! I had to escape! At least until my name was cleared. I couldn't stay. Everyone considered me a terrorist already.
• Wiping away my tears and standing up, I gathered the bit of energy I had left and ran up to the mad guy.
• "Wait!" I shouted, "I'm coming with you!"
• I was already regretting it. But I had no choice. Both options were horrible. If I went to jail, I'd die a slow death!
• If I followed the mad man, I'd probably be shot in the head in the next 24 hours. I would die both ways but better to die fast.
• "Fine," he replied.
• 'I shouldn't follow him. But I'm so confused. I don't know what to do or what to think. God help me…'
• The fear I felt at the moment was indescribable.