With every stride, the forest seemed to thicken. The trees and branches stretched taller, leaves clawing inward, blotting out the night sky as Jeffrey ran blindly through it.
His lungs were on fire, his legs felt like jelly but stopping was not an option. His life was at stake. In his mind’s eye, he saw a gun raised in slow motion, a finger on the trigger, about to pull it.
The same dream had haunted him from time to time ever since his first kill as a police officer. He could never find a place to hide. This time, he saw a giant rock ahead. He pushed off the ground, throwing himself towards the rock away from the shooter's sight.
But the gun went off. Pain exploded in his head. He woke up in his car with a scream.
He was slumped across the driver's seat, his neck twisted in an awkward angle. A sharp ache shot from his head to the back of his neck.
He groaned and sat up straight, massaging his neck. The events from an hour earlier flooded his mind.
He grabbed his radio. “Dispatch, Detective Jeffery speaking. All CID units head to the mayor's residence asap. He might be in danger. Suspect is wearing black cloak and a hoodie. En route to location now. Requesting patrol backup!”
He started his engine and sped off, tires screeching, disrupting the quiet street that night. He drove like a mad man to Mayor Cole Edgewood's house.
His radio crackled and a voice spoke. “All available CID units responding to location. ETA two minutes.”
His phone buzzed. Without taking his eyes off the road, he swiped the screen—it was Carson. “Shouldn't you be in bed?” He growled.
“Sarge, we are on our way. What's the plan?”
“I haven't got a plan. Only a hunch the mayor is in danger. Meet me there now.” He hung up and exhaled, whispering a prayer that the mayor was safe. Everything depended on it. Especially his career.
The mayor's house came into view as two patrol cars merged onto the road beside him, their sirens blaring.
Their tires screeched in the driveway as they surrounded the house.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece which is a chapter in a thriller series. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "haven’t got a plan". You can follow the attached links to keep up with the story.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Image credit: Diegoparra