1
The moon was full that night, glowing down on our town. Pulling into the 7-11, I caught sight of two police vans. I could not ignore their presence as I parked my car and wandered in. Three burly men, bigger in appearance due to their daunting uniforms and striding gaits, stood around the coffee machines. I was the only other customer there at the time aside from them.
Avoiding eye contact, I made my way between the men, grabbing a cup and proceeding to fill. I was aware of their eyes on me, even as they laughed and talked among themselves. I blocked out their conversation, eager to get going.
My coffee choice was brisk, deciding on the first one I saw. I had done nothing wrong, so why did I feel so intimidated?
Within a matter of minutes, I had prepped my hot drink and was making my way to the checkout. After I had paid, I turned on my heels, nearly bumping right into one of the officer’s chests. My coffee sloshed around inside the cup, nearly spilling over the edge. I was suddenly annoyed and quickly looked up into the man’s face. He had a sharp jawline and a head full of dirty blond hair, slicked to the side according to standards. I didn’t miss the determined look in his bluish gray eyes. He was gazing down at me, revealing just a hint of a smiting, haughty grin. Though he put on a polite display, there was something foreboding about him that said otherwise.
Or, I told myself, maybe that was all just in my head. I averted my eyes, regaining my composure.
“S’cuse me,” I muttered. He stepped to the side, allowing me passage. Allowing? That made me feel inferior. But that’s how he made it appear. I walked out leisurely, so as to not draw attention to myself.
Once back in my car, I started the ignition, my music blaring from the speakers on cue. Just how I liked it. I eased out of the lot, heading in the direction of home.
I had only been back on the road for a few minutes when bright lights appeared, flashing in my mirrors. Right behind me. Eyes wide, I checked again.
Yes. Two police vans, following me, their sirens wailing. I knew it was meant for me. There was no one else on this two-lane street. Not at this hour. I was being pulled over. And better yet, by the same police I had just encountered only minutes ago.
I tried to think of what I could’ve possibly done wrong, if there was anything out of place. My headlights were working. Everything was functioning as is. I wasn’t speeding. Maybe something was missing. A broken taillight perhaps? A faulty license plate?
Fuck fuck fuck.
What had I done?
I pulled over, parking the car, but left it running. The vans veered to their right, pulling up just behind me. As a last thought, I turned down the music until it was no longer audible. I sat and waited, my heart palpitating against my ribcage, watching as both vans parked, turning their high beams off.
Strange. I had never been pulled over before, but I had seen it happen many times to others, and the cops in question always left their blinding lights on. Maybe it was late enough, no need for the extra attention.
A policeman stepped out of the first van. He was tall and lean with almond hair. As far as I could tell, there was no one else with him. The other men in the last van remained inside. He looked my way, leaving his door ajar, as he strode towards me with purpose and ease.
Once outside my driver’s door, he peered in at me. He was tall, but he needn’t crouch to see me clearly. I rolled my window down obediently.
“Evening miss. License and registration please.”
I nodded once, tersely, and reached into my glove compartment. I removed the cards carefully and unfolded each before handing them over. He looked at them thoroughly, peering up at me as he rehearsed my name.
“Lanora.” I could see him studying my features, quickly darting from my eyes to my lips, down to my chest and even my legs. I licked my lips apprehensively, feeling uneasy. I expected him to give my papers back soon after, but instead he held onto them, clutching them in his large, agile hands. “Care to tell me what you’re doing on the road at a time like this?”
I looked at him, my eyelids fluttering involuntarily, and quickly glanced at the clock.
“You just leaving work, Lanora? Or do you have a job to attend to at three in the morning?”
“Uh,” I started, clearing my throat. My name on his tongue sounded violating. “I’m headed home. I was just taking a drive, clearing my head.” He didn’t seem satisfied by this response. “Helps me think,” I added, feeling slightly abashed. The officer nodded once, his gaze never leaving me. I, on the other hand, had averted my gaze. I just wanted to go to sleep.
“I see,” he said, and peered over at his fellow colleagues. It was hard to make out his expression in the dim lights of my dashboard. I watched as he shifted his weight onto his left leg, his arm resting across the top of my window. He was leaning in, making me feel so small. “Miss, I’m gonna need you to step out of your vehicle.”
I went speechless, grasping for words. “But...why?”
“We’re going to have to check its contents.”
What the fuck for?
“Officer, I haven’t done anything wrong. Honestly. I just want to go home.”
I had had a long day, and a long tiresome night, and was looking forward to collapsing onto my inviting bed.
“Well then, if you’ve got nothing to hide, you wouldn’t mind stepping out briefly. That’s an order.”
I was confused. Cornered by the law. Out of options. And so, I gave in.
Staring straight ahead, I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt and killed the engine. As I reached for the door handle, I noticed the officer had signaled to the other policemen. They had exited their van and were making their way over, hands in the hoops of their belt loops. I recognized the one who had been in my way back at the 7-11. I noticed that each of them had clicked off their radios, leaving them hanging lifeless at their sides.
I too opened my door and slowly stepped out, my sandals crunching small twigs beneath me. The officers made room for me, and I stepped off to the side, crossing my arms protectively. It was a cool summer night, and the moon hung low in the sky, bright and glaring. But the night was still, not a whisper of a wind. Just crickets chirping obliviously.
I watched silently as the men opened my side doors, then my trunk, rummaging around my meager belongings, flashlights in hand. They took their time with it. Maybe there was a drug dealer in town. Maybe they thought I was selling. Or maybe there was a murderer on the loose and they suspected I was an accomplice. The countless accusations caused a shiver to shake my core.
It wasn’t long after when the men closed all my doors and stepped away from my car, their hands on their hips. They shook their heads at each other. One officer, this one much brusquer and quicker on his feet, with brown hair buzzed short, came forward.
“No contraband. All clear.”
My heart seemed to slow, and I relaxed my shoulders. I only just then noticed how tense my posture had been. I stepped forward, unsure, itching to get back into my car and drive away. I summoned the courage to speak.
“Does that mean I'm good to go?”
The officers glanced around the group, as if speaking silently to one another. The first man nodded, and they all dispersed with wide, slow gaits, creating a path for me to walk through. Relieved, I walked forward, trying not to seem too eager. My hand was on the latch, my heartbeat steadying by the second. From the corner of my eye, I saw the first officer pocketing my information. He was supposed to be giving those back to me, not keeping them.
Just as I was about to intervene, my wrist was cruelly snatched from its suspension. I heard the click of the handcuff before I felt it, it’s cold metal against my skin. Startled, I staggered back. But I was spun around, my back colliding against the man’s compact torso.
Another click as my other wrist was bound to the cuffs behind me.
Confusion overtook me.
“What...” But I couldn’t find the words. Had they changed their mind? Or had it all been an act? “What the hell. What is this? What did I do?”
The third officer began to laugh haughtily. And in the moonlight, I could just make out a smirk on the second officer. What was going on?
I lurched forward, earning a harsh tug on my arms. I was gruffly pushed up against my own car door. My heart thudded and a resounding, breathy gasp escaped me. The officer’s hand was in my long hair. His meaty fingers gripped the base of my skull and turned my head so that they were all in my view, keeping me trapped in place.
This couldn’t be happening. These were loyal police officers. They were trained to catch the criminals, not partake. They were sworn to protect the helpless, abide and obey. It was their duty. To be an example of the law. And yet, they were attacking me. I was frightened. So very frightened.
“Do you always venture out so late? Would be a shame if someone else got their hands on you.”
This rhetorical remark came from the third officer. My eyes glazed over the men, feeling the betrayal cut like a knife twisting in my gut. I couldn’t breathe.
“What are you doing?” I gulped, shaking my head. It was meant to sound demanding, but instead it came out pathetic and shaky.
“Just taking you for a drive,” the first officer explained. “Helps us think.”
He threw a wink my way. His cold humor gripped me, my quoted words harsh and insulting in his mouth. He pulled me back and pushed me forward, towards their parked cars. I stumbled over my feet. Again, I thought, this could not be happening. I was not going to let myself become a victim of deceitful government men.
“Get off me!” I shouted. I dug my heels into the ground, curbing speed. This seemed to set off something in the officer, something alarming that I hadn’t noticed before. His free arm snaked around my waist and then I was lifted, my feet suspended off the ground. “Let me go!” I was yelling now, shaking my head and kicking my legs out in shock. What were they going to do to me? Surely not what I thought...
I could hear the other officers opening their trunk, and fear kicked in. If anyone passed by, it would be impossible for them to see what was occurring. The moon was behind thick clouds now, and we were in the shade beneath dark, hovering, bushy trees. I now noticed their last car had been parked partially in front of the first. They had known exactly what they were doing. We would be hidden from anyone’s view this way. It dawned on me then that this had all been planned.
The officer quickly laid me chest down in the trunk. He removed his hands from me for only a moment and I took the opportunity to make a move. Using all my strength, I rolled over onto my back. I was going to attempt to make a run for it, to call for help along the road. But I was surrounded. The officers loomed over my figure, locking me in. Their towering bodies were no match for me. Hell, not even one was a match for me.
I inched back, the cuffs digging into my skin. My thin racer-tank caught on the metal, and slid up beneath my bra, revealing my firm torso. All three pairs of eyes landed on my midriff, gulping up the image. I could feel the visible dread written all over my face.
I exhaled a shaky breath. Maybe, maybe I could talk myself out of this. But somehow, I knew that wouldn’t work. There was determination gleaming on these uniformed men, smugness echoing off their stance.
“What do you want?” I pleaded. “What is it? I haven’t done a thing.”
“Should we tell her?” one officer drawled. The first officer nodded, gazing down at me, drinking me in. “You’ve committed a crime, Lanora.” My heart seemed to stop, lodging in my throat. “You’re too beautiful for us to release so soon.”
