Cyprus
I made my way back through the apartment in a highly preoccupied state. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my reflection again in the mirror. The smooth, flawless complexion. The toned, athletic figure. The multi-coloured streaks of hair. I felt like a stranger inside my own body.
An exotic, dangerous stranger who was about the face the consequences of her reckless actions.
I approached the big, wooden door that led out to the conference room. My nerves increased ten times with every step. What kind of hearing was this going to be? How much trouble was I in? What if the cops decided to skip the hearing and send in a SWAT team or something?
Was I considered dangerous enough to call in the SWAT team?
I was reaching for the doorknob, my whole body shaking like a leaf, when a loud, booming voice assaulted my ears.
"Just who in the hell do you people think you are?''
My hand froze. Every ounce of courage inside of me seemed to crumple like a sheet of paper thrown into a bonfire.
"...reckless, insane and borderline criminal behavior!" the voice raved. "I don't care how famous you are! You do can't just go walking into a hospital and kidnap one of the patients! Especially if that patient is under police custody for attempted homicide! Do you have any idea of the mess you've created here?"
I couldn't move. I wanted to run straight back to Eve's room and hide under the bed. But, I knew that wouldn't solve anything. There was no running away from this. There was no hiding from it. Which left me with only one option...
I steeled my nerves, pushed the door open and stepped into the conference room.
All conversation immediately stopped. Every set of eyes turned in my direction. The place was significantly more crowded than I had expected. I counted eight people standing around the big, mahogany table. But, I was more focused on the huge screen in the center of the room, dominated by a scowling, middle-aged, man who glared at me in a way that most people reserve for serial killers and child molesters.
"Young lady, you are in very serious trouble!" He jabbed an angry finger in my direction. "Not only did you cause millions of dollars in damages. Not only did you endanger hundreds of lives. You then resisted arrest, fled police custody, and put an entire hospital on lock-down! Do you have anything to say here? Can you explain yourself?"
My mouth moved soundlessly. It seemed like the walls of my throat had been glued together. I was going to jail, I knew it. There was no way around it. All Isaac had done was buy me a few more hours of freedom.
"I asked you a question, Miss. Griffin."
I sputtered incoherently, unable to articulate a single rational thought. "I-I don't... I didn't... I wasn't..."
"Are you trying to be funny, here? Because I am not amused."
"I didn't know!" I finally managed to blurt out. "I-I didn't know I could do any of that stuff! I was just... I was walking to school and then all of the sudden I felt this weird energy... and then the ground started shaking...and then I was a wolf... and then I was in the hospital... and then Isaac came and I was scared and confused and I didn't know what else to do and... and... It was an accident! It was an accident, I swear I didn't mean it! And please, I can't go to jail! I can't!"
The police chief listened to my rambling speech without a single change to his expression. My words did not appear to be softening him up one bit. Of course they weren't. How many times had he listened to the same excuses?
Isaac promptly cleared his throat. "May I interject, here?"
"You may not," the police chief snapped. "I should be placing you under arrest as well."
"I understand you are upset, sir," Isaac said politely. "But, if you would care to let me explain..."
The man's jaw clenched. A vein throbbed near his left temple. He appeared torn between shouting and putting his fist through the screen.
"Fine," he agreed, in a very stiff voice. "Explain, then."
Isaac nodded, then calmly waved me forward. "Come sit down, please, Cyprus."
I stayed exactly where I was. I had no desire to get any closer to this angry, terrifying person. Even if he was technically just pixels on a screen.
"It's all right, Cyprus. Come on."
I let my breath out slowly and approached the table. I was acutely aware of all the eyes following my progress. I sat down hard. My hands clenched around the edges of my chair. My legs curled up underneath me. I found myself wishing my new looks weren't so colourful... so noticeable. Why couldn't I be a chameleon shifter or something? Just blend into the background and disappear?
The police chief scowled down at me, looking expectant. "Well?"
"If you'll allow me, sir," Isaac said. "I'm the one who broke her out of the hospital, after all. And I did if for the safety of everyone involved, your police officers included."
"The safety of... is that some kind of threat?"
"Not at all," Isaac replied. "I have told you again and again—as I have told law enforcement agencies all over the world—it is dangerous to lock a powerful shifter up in a cell. We need space. We need to shift every few days. Otherwise, the animal inside of us grows angry and restless. It becomes harder and harder to control. Considering what this young woman appears to be capable of, I don't think putting her in jail would be a wise decision on your part. Unless, of course, your goal is to repeat what happened this morning."
At this point, I was seriously re-evaluating my decision no to run away and hide under the bed. I didn't know which was worse; the things Isaac was saying or the look on the police officers face.
"That sounds like a threat to me. And, regardless, it's no excuse to stage a jailbreak. You people are not above the law."
One of the other shifters spoke up at this point. A short, slender girl with pale skin and pixie-like hair. "Meaning no disrespect, sir, but did you hear a single thing Isaac just said?"
"Jewel," Isaac said, in a warning tone of voice.
"What? Isaac, he's not even listening to you."
"I will not be spoken to this way," The man growled. "Now, I expect Miss. Griffin to be delivered to the police station within one hour. Otherwise, I will be forced to-"
"May I see a warrant?" Isaac interrupted calmly.
"A-a what?"
"A warrant. I'm sure you have one."
"I don't need a damn warrant. I have probable cause."
"Actually, you don't. At this point ,you can't prove that Miss. Griffin and the earthquake had anything to do with each other."
"Oh, really? You mean besides all the witnesses who saw what she did?"
"The witnesses might well have been mistaken. No shifter has ever displayed abilities like this before. We can't simply assume that Miss. Griffin was the cause of the earthquake."
"And you're the one who gets to decide that, are you?"
"I consider myself something of an expert on the matter, yes."
It seemed like the man had no idea what to say. Isaacs calm, logical arguments appeared to have him stumped. He sputtered angrily for a moment, before bursting out. "Look, this isn't a game! I've got a complete disaster on my hands here! I've got demolished houses. I've got a fifty-car pile up and a gash in the highway the size of the Grand Canyon. I've got people with whip-lash and broken ribs and one victim who may be paralyzed for the rest of his life."
My insides twisted sickeningly. Paralyzed?
"My phones are ringing off the hook. This girl has had at least a dozen lawsuits filed against her, and I'm sure that's just the tip of the iceberg."
Lawsuits?
"People want to know what we're going to do about this. They want answers."
"All of which is understandable," Isaac said. "However, public opinion alone does not give you the right to arrest this girl. You may tell the public that Miss. Griffin is with us. That we will keep a close eye on her and minimize any further risk to the general population. But, I will not turn her over and risk another incident like the one that took place this morning."
The man looked so angry I wouldn't have been surprised to see his head explode.
"Just so we're clear," he spoke very slowly, positively seething. "Are you refusing to hand a possibly violent and dangerous suspect over to the police?"
"Yes," Isaac said. "I believe I am."
"Then I'll see you in court," he spat. "And, Miss. Griffin, " he turned that furious glare onto me one more time. "I hope you have a damn good lawyer. You're going to need it."
A second later, the screen went black.