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Her head spinning with everything she had heard over the last few hours, Celina made her way to the parking garage.
It hadn’t been her first time making a statement in front of a jury but this time, the case was complicated and after suspicions of corruption came up, the plenary was adjourned and everyone was sent home with an uneasy feeling.
At least she’d make it home before nightfall, Celina noted, unlocking her car and opening the door as she was suddenly shoved against the steel, the door shutting loudly, a gloved hand clamping over her mouth before she could make a sound.
Reeling, she tried to push the person behind her away- until a cold blade suddenly dug into her throat and she immediately stilled, gasping into her attacker’s hand. This could not be how it ended, this could not-
She flinched as the person shifted, speaking lowly into her ear.
“Try anything funny and I’ll cut your throat. Scream and I’ll cut your throat. Just even twitch and I’ll cut your throat. You get that?”
Celina nodded; barely. Afraid that the knife would slice her skin, would she lean forward just an inch too far. Adrenaline was pumping like crazy, blood rushing in her ears and she was barely able to breathe.
Still, she remained as calm as possible. She tried to discern the reflection in her car window but was only met with a swirly blob. They were way too close to see clearly, and Celina couldn’t see that far back.
Slowly, the leathery glove was lifted and she exhaled, carefully, her lips pulsing from the waning pressure, before whispering: “My purse is in my left pocket, my phone’s in-”
“Shut up.”
The hand that covered her mouth just seconds ago now grabbed her hair and jerked her head back. She hissed at the sudden pain.
“I don’t give a damn about your money.”, the person growled and Celina tried really hard to keep herself from panicking. “What do you want then?”
“Evidence.”
Celina frowned, her breaths coming in excruciatingly strained.
“I know you’re a Mid-Wilshire cop. And I know that you have access to the evidence chamber. You’re gonna get me something from there. A silver watch labeled under the ‘Armani’ case.”, they explained as if it was the weather over a cup of tea and Celina couldn’t hold back a slight scoff at the person’s indifference.
“You know that I’m not gonna do that.”, she stated, lowly but firmly, only for her head to be slammed onto her car, the noise almost making her sick as she grunted in pain, the world shut out through a horribly high pitched ringing.
She tasted blood.
“Oh, you don’t have a choice here. You wanna know why?”
The pressure on the back of her head suddenly subsided completely, yet she didn’t fully dare to look up yet, as the person rummaged around in their pocket, shoving a phone in her face moments later.
Celina squeezed her eyes shut, needing to adjust to the light exposure, her head still spinning from impact- it looked like some sort of security camera footage of a living room… only that that room looked familiar. Too familiar- her blood ran cold as realization washed over her.
“This is your mother’s house. I know everything about her and I know everything about you. And that’s why you don’t have a choice. Because if you choose to disobey my demand…”, the phone suddenly disappeared from her field of vision and her head was yanked back yet again, the voice now so close to her ear that she could feel the person’s breath on her crawling skin.
“I’ll break every single one of your mother’s bones, make you watch and drown you in battery acid afterwards, do you hear me?”
“Yes. Yes, I hear you just- don’t hurt my mother. Please-”, Celina gasped, panic overtaking every rational thought and the person’s tone suddenly shifted. She could tell that they were grinning.
“That’s what I thought.”
They let go of her hair and Celina gasped, feeling air flowing freely into her lungs again.
“As soon as you have the evidence, I’ll contact you. If you utter just a single word about this to anyone you’re a dead woman. And trust me. If you report this, I will know.”
And with one last demonstrative shove against her car, the person walked away with fast, deliberate steps.
This was her chance now. She could grab her weapon, apprehend the person- but Celina remained in the exact position the person had left her in, the only movement her trembling limbs.
She’d like to pretend that there was intention behind her inaction. That the person likely had accomplices and she would endanger her mother’s and her own life if she tried something. But in that very moment, she was completely terrified.
If they were able to hide a camera inside her mothers apartment, knowing full well that she never left it-
Celina suddenly felt sick to her stomach and she slowly sunk to the ground, her legs no longer supporting her weight.
They had already been so close to her mother- and if they were able to do that, what else could they do?
Her breathing ragged and her entire body felt frozen with panic. She couldn’t lose her mother- she had to- she couldn’t-
She’d get the evidence. She’d get the evidence and be done with this. She would not be the reason for her mother’s death…