Survive the Night

I didn’t know if I’d survive the night.

I wish I could say that I don’t know how I ended up in this predicament, but I do.

Every thought, every action, every decision had led me here to this moment. This agonizing night.

Maybe I’d made all the wrong decisions. Maybe, I just needed to accept less than I deserved. Maybe, just maybe, I should have let people mistreat me. Accept the lies and the bullying. Maybe that would have made this moment in time easier. Maybe this moment wouldn’t have happened at all.

But that’s not who I am.

That’s not how I’m built.

I have every right to stand my ground.

To stand up for myself.

To seek justice.

Not just for myself, but for others.

No one deserves to be bullied and mistreated.

Thinking back on the single moment that led me here is hard to pinpoint. I’d like it to be just one moment. Maybe somehow, I could alter that choice. Fix it. Make it better.

Maybe I wouldn’t have to live through this night of hell.

But here’s the thing, I wouldn’t change my choices.

Maybe that’s why the single moment doesn’t exist. It was a series of standing up for myself and others.

Little did I know, all those choices had nearly cost me my life.

And now, now I had to find a way to keep myself safe.

To outrun those looking for me.

To outsmart those that had put a target on my back.

All I had to do was survive the night.

***

It had been a long hot summer.

Never before, had I tanned so quickly and so many shades darker than my natural somewhat porcelain skin tone.

All the days had been challenging.

This had been the roughest year of my life.

There were things I had gone through that I couldn’t ever tell a soul.

Not a living one anyways.

This night was different.

The early chill of fall was in the air.

In some ways, it was a nice respite from the unrelentless heat.

Unfortunately, it signaled to me that something was different. Something had shifted.

I wanted to be happy for the shift, but something told me that it was a subtle hint of something much more difficult up ahead.

I didn’t know how much more I could take.

It was like everything was against me. Every time I was able to face a challenge, a new and more difficult one presented itself.

I really just need good news for once.

I needed a break.

At the very least, I needed some support or the kindness of a friend.

***

The sun was going down on the horizon.

The sunset was a deep orange with a glowing ball of sun at the center of the show. Few clouds above had darker shades of orange with a fade into purple. The sunsets here were always gorgeous. That’s something I’d miss when the time comes to leave this town for good.

I was sitting in my car.

Thinking about how I was going to make ends meet.

I had been a promising new “asset” for the department. Then I got set-up. Though I remaind in good standing, I was removed from the case.

Because of the confidential nature of the job and the events that had transpired, I was put on a temporary leave.

In the meantime, I had picked up some odd jobs. Somehow that case kept returning to haunt me.

That was when the call came.

“Hello”, I answered my private line.

“They know who you are. They know how to find you. And they are on their way to you now.” “They have identified you as one of ours and you are now their number one target.” “We have a car waiting for you at a location that we will later disclose.” “You need to get there before the car leaves.” “You have till morning light.”

I tried not to panic. Thoughts in my head started firing away. Running through procedure. Putting a plan into motion.

“Answer, heard after I give you directions. Say nothing else.” The voice continued.

He then proceeded to give me three quick directions.

When he finished, I answered with a simple and determined, “Heard”.

“Good luck,” was the reply, and he hung up.

The first thing I did was take inventory of where I was currently and everyone that I had come into contact with today.

I made mental notes of my current surroundings.

I then pulled out my small black leather bound notebook and wrote myself notes in code.

This was going to be a long night.

***

I needed to ditch my car.

I needed to change my appearance.

I needed to get across town and to that car without being seen.

I needed to become invisible.

I drove my car to a nearby rundown and remodeled motel.

I frequented it enough to know my way inside without being seen.

I parked in the garage in the furthest spot from the camera. Threw on my black hoodie and pulled it close down over my head, nearly covering my eyes.

I grabbed my go bag and when no one else was in the garage, I quickly walked to the staircase and took the stairs to the third floor.

I knew where the housekeeping staff kept a set of master keys in the linen closest. As I approached the end on the hallway, I heard voices at the bottom of the stairs.

I counted to three in my head, giving them time to make their way up the stairs.

They didn’t.

They were still standing at the bottom.

I scanned the hallway and made my way to the door at the end. As I approached, I pulled out a knife from my boot and wedge it up against the door handle and pushed forcefully. It opened with a bit of a thud.

I paused.

Scanning the hallway behind me. I reached in and snatched the keys from the cart.

I let the door close and lock itself behind me as I removed myself from the doorway and made my way back to the stairs which I climbed two at a time till I got to the famed fifth floor.

The haunted floor that rarely got booked.

I selected room 511.

As soon as I got inside I immediately tore off the joggers I was wearing and changed into some black cargos. I put on a long sleeved black tee and my combat boots.

I rolled my old cloths tightly and stashed them under the bed.

Lastly, I pulled out scissors and chopped my long black hair into a shag style short bob.

I tied it back tightly and added some gel.

Then I pulled a platinum blonde wig from my duffle and fixed it over my new hair do.

Looking in the mirror I was pretty impressed with the quick transformation.

I attached my tactical flashlight to my cargos and strategically placed my weapons on my body.

For the finishing touch, I put on my black leather jacket.

When I was ready, I grabbed my duffle. Left the room almost as I found it, with the addition of my things of course that I’d hidden.

I made my way down the hallway and descended the stairs.

On my way out the door, I dropped the keys at the front desk with a note thart said I’d found them.

Luckily, the front desk agent was busy and didn’t see me.

***

As I walked along the train tracks in the back of the motel, I noticed there was a ninja strretbike parked in front of the bar with the keys in the ignition.

I looked around and didn’t see anyone near.

I casually walked up to the bike and hopped on, turning it on and throwing it into gear in one swift motion.

As I drove drove, I saw in my rearview someone running out of the bar.

They’d find the bike later.

I’d make sure to take good care of it.

I made a right turn and exited onto the freeway.

The night wind felt amazing on my face.

The shock of the cool air seemed to kick my adrenaline into overdrive.

Up until know I was sure I had not been followed.

As I pulled the bike off at the last exit at the edge of town, there was now three black SUV’s gaining on me.

“Shit.” I said aloud and made a dangerous U-turn back onto the interstate.

As I pulled back onto the road, I narrowly missed a white limousine with a bachorlette party on board.

All the women singing some Brittney Spears songs and dancing in the sunroof with their alcohol in hand.

I then noticed there was another black SUV approaching.

I made a quick decision to take the next exit.

As soon as I was off the ramp, I pulled the bike under the bridge and took off running north along the tree lined road.

I kept running till I reached the train station.

As, I got near the station, I slowed my pace and tried to catch my breath.

This was the first time I looked behind me.

I made my way through the crowd that had just deboarded the train with my head down.

Where had they picked up my trail I wondered?

Hiding out in the shadows, I checked the time.

I had a few minutes to go before they started boarding.

I paced around in the dark till I heard the announcement.

As I was boarding the train I saw five men and one woman searching the crowd. They were shoving past people and searching their faces.

I pushed my way past this couple loading their luggage.

Silently I prayed they wouldn’t board the train.

I sat in the far back corner of the train next to this woman that looked totally uninterested in any passenger.

Good, I thought. She won’t talk to me.

The train started to depart.

Just as the train was in motion, I heard yelling.

One of the five men was trying to stop the train.

The conductor kept honking the horn till security approached him and removed him from the tracks edge.

Whew. I sunk into my seat with relief.

Three hours later, the train was stopping in the middle of nowhere at the stop I’m sure no one ever boarded.

This was my stop.

As I got down from the train, a woman started walking from the back of the train.

I quickly ran to the front and jumped off seeing the car about 100 yards from me.

The woman broke into a run and she also jumped off the last step picking up speed.

As, I approached the car the door swung open and I dove into the back seat with the car speeding away.

As I did, I heard sirens blaring down the road to where the train now sat. The woman kept running into the night.

I sat up in my seat as I pulled the door shut finally as we raced down the road.

I made it.

I survived the night.