Everything Changed
**Rachel**
I felt on the brink of despair upon hearing the unknown girl's words about the imminent threat of criminals who could appear at any moment. Even though I had never been in situations like Fred's, what I witnessed in Lindsay's small room made me realize that these individuals were capable of anything.
If they already considered me a pessimistic person, at that moment, I was truly terrified at the idea that the situation could worsen. Moreover, the wound on my face was making me tremble with fear.
“Let's get out of here!” I shouted, completely out of control. “If Lindsay is warning us about the danger, it's because she knows these guys and knows what they are capable of. She lives here!”
Enrico still seemed hesitant, and I felt an intense urge to keep insisting until he understood the danger we were facing by staying in that place. However, Lindsay weakly held onto my arm, her face completely losing color at the moment I was about to explode.
“I'm not feeling well,” Lindsay said with a feeble voice.
As if in slow motion, I witnessed Lindsay's body gradually weakening, and before she fell helplessly, Ryan reacted with remarkable speed, preventing her from hitting the ground.
A wave of panic engulfed me upon seeing Lindsay unconscious, and instinctively, I covered my mouth with my hands, terrified at the possibility that something terrible had happened to her. My body began to tremble, and I thought I might faint right there, in front of everyone. However, just like Ryan, Enrico acted promptly, holding me tightly against his body, embracing me, and resting my face against his chest.
“Calm down, Rachel,” Enrico said, supporting me. “She fainted.”
Despite his apparent lack of empathy, Enrico was handling me with care, his hands caressing my back, while I could only cry copiously, relieved that something worse hadn't happened, as I had feared when I saw her fall.
“She's in shock.”
I heard Ryan say, although I was barely paying attention to what was happening around me. All I could think about was the blood staining Lindsay's neck, as I silently prayed fervently that it was just a superficial wound.
“We should take her to the hospital immediately” declared Ryan, now with a determined tone. “The police will take care of that bastard.”
Hearing those words snapped me out of the stupor I was in, and I stepped away from Enrico, then noticed the large bloodstain I had left on his white shirt.
“Oh!” I exclaimed in shock, once again with my hands over my mouth, on the verge of despair again.
“You better go now,” the girl insisted again. “They'll be here any moment, and Fred seems to be coming too.”
She was right, as the man lying on the ground had just let out a horrendous groan of pain.
“Let's go!” Ryan said, picking up Lindsay in his arms and heading for the stairwell “Lindsay is not doing well.”
Lindsay seemed to have heard the mention of her name, as she opened her eyes, which seemed unfocused, and looked around with visible confusion.
“We need to get out of here!” Lindsay exclaimed as soon as she regained consciousness.
No one questioned Lindsay's words, and we all hurriedly made our way to the stairwell, descending it quickly. She received support from Ryan, who picked her up again in his arms to go down the three flights of stairs.
Within minutes, we were divided into two cars on the way to the nearest hospital, where we were efficiently attended to. It became clear that, although the injuries were superficial, stitches were needed to expedite healing and promote regeneration of the affected tissues.
The police also headed to the hospital to gather information about the incident. They left with the assurance that they had arrested the criminal responsible for the attack on Lindsay and me.
We spent the entire night at the hospital, only being released in the morning due to the emotional impact the incident had on us. Both Ryan and Enrico stayed by our side the entire time.
“Did the police provide any new information about Fred?” Lindsay asked as we reached the hospital parking lot.
The sheriff had called Enrico and informed him about the failed attempt to arrest Fred. He managed to escape, or rather, his accomplices removed him from the building, and the police couldn't track him down. None of the residents seemed to have cooperated with the police, but everyone was doing their best to help capture the damn criminal, who was still on the run.
“No,” Enrico replied with a sigh, “just what I shared with you.”
“What do you plan to do, Lindsay?” Ryan asked, looking seriously at my colleague.
“I'll go back to the building to take a shower and get ready to go to the hotel,” she said, surprising all of us.
“How do you plan to do that, Lindsay?” I intervened. “You need rest and recovery after what happened before going back to work!”
“I can't afford to take a few days off, even with this injury” she replied, pointing to the wound on her neck. Her tone was firm. “But I appreciate your concern. I need to go.”
“Do you plan to go back to the building?” Enrico protested, his voice filled with horror. “You're exposing yourself to great danger by returning to that place while that criminal is still at large!”
Enrico was right, of course. But I understood Lindsay's position, and I was in the same situation, having no idea what to do next. I wouldn't have the courage to go back to the building and risk encountering that lunatic who might finish what he started. I also saw no other options, except begging for help from my family, something I hesitated to do.
“I have no other choice” Lindsay stated, her eyes welling up “I need to go. Thank you, truly.”
She was about to turn away to leave when Ryan tried once again to emphasize the dangers, blocking her attempt.
“You can't go back to that place, Lindsay!” He expressed his concern with noticeable frustration. “It's too dangerous!”
“What else can I do!?” Lindsay replied in the same tone. “That's where I live, and that's where I'm going back now.”
The exchange of words between Ryan and Lindsay was making me nervous. Both had valid arguments and I, too, found myself in a similar dilemma. It was then that I felt Enrico's hand on my arm, asking for my attention, and I understood what he wanted to convey with just our brief eye contact.
“I know what we can do, Lindsay,” I said, drawing the attention of Ryan and Lindsay, who now turned to me.
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