Elaine was trapped. She stood in a building that was foggy and dark with stacks of boxes everywhere. She tried to make her way out but it seemed like a thin screen obscured her vision making it difficult for her to see. She tried to feel around but her arms felt like dead weight. A strange ringing sounded in the distance becoming louder and louder until she had to cover her hears and spots danced in front of her eyes overwhelming her vision.

Elaine snapped awake, the dream slipping away but the ringing in her ears didn’t. She slowly lifted her face off the steering wheel and lifted a heavy hand to touch the large bump on her forehead. She felt a wet spot and found she had a small gash below her hairline. She jumped as her car door flew open and Jose kneeled at her side, his gun held firmly in his hand.

“Elaine are you ok? Can you hear me?” he waved a hand in front of her face. She nodded slowly. “Come on, we have to get you to the hospital.” Jose snaked an arm around Elaine, unbuckling her and wrapping around her waist as he helped hoist her out of the car. Elaine glanced at the damaged car and chuckled to herself. Just one more totaled thing in her life, she thought ironically.

Jose helped her into the front seat of his car. He jumped in the driver’s side, rapidly talking to his dispatch on the radio as he drove. Elaine heard sirens surround her as she closed her heavy eyelids willing the pain to go away.

A few hours and stitches later, Elaine stumbled into her apartment with Jose’s help. She curled up on the couch feeling the pain medication given to her at the hospital start make its way into her system. She tried to ask Jose questions at the hospital but he was mostly chattering angrily on his phone, throwing worried looks at Elaine.

“What happened?” She asked groggily as Jose laid a blanket over her and sat at her feet on the couch. He seemed to weigh in his mind what he was going to say. “I want the truth.” She said pointedly giving her best no nonsense face.

Jose sighed. “Well your stunt at the warehouse didn’t go unnoticed. Someone recognized you and tried to hurt you. They would have succeeded but I scared them off.” Jose put a hand up as he saw Elaine’s mouth open. “No we didn’t catch the vehicle and it didn’t have a license plate. We have men on the scene at the warehouse trying to ask questions but Nick is unavailable. We don’t know where he is and we can’t get on the premises without a warrant. We won’t be granted one most likely because this was a hit and run with no known suspects. Elaine I can’t stress enough to you that you can’t go back there. I am being questioned as to why you were there and I couldn’t give them a straight answer.”

Elaine was furious. “This was an attempt on my life. My car is ruined, my office is ruined. How much more is it going to take for something to be done?”

Jose covered his face with his hand. “We are doing the best we can but we are bound within the law. We can’t just go barging into places without going through the proper channels.”

“But Nick isn’t playing by the law. He isn’t going through the proper channels to get to me.”

Before Jose could answer her, his cell chirped from his side. He put a finger up and grabbed the phone walking to the kitchen to answer. Elaine heard him talk in low excited tones. She craned her neck to hear the conversation when she saw him snap the phone close and turn to her with a hopeful expression.

“Elaine, I might have a lead but I need to go now otherwise we could lose it.”

Elaine quickly pushed herself up. “You know I’m going with you. You can’t stop me.”

Jose looked ready to argue with her when he thought otherwise. “Fine.” He conceded. “But we do this my way. You have to stay hidden, otherwise this could mess up the only possible lead we have. Deal?” He held out his hand.

“Deal.” Elaine wrapped her hand in his strong warm grip, a tingling sensation creeping up her arm. She snatched her arm away and began shoving it into her wool jacket. “Let’s go.”

To Be Continued…