Six Months 8

Thinking carefully, her car malfunction could have also been Laura's plot. Tora looked around her, at the bodies that laid unconscious on the ground. How far are these people willing to go? Tora had yet to make any moves against them. Tora's anger welled once more for the first time in several months as she stared at the cell phone in her hand.

Tora deleted the call she made before she dropped the phone on the floor and crushed it under her foot. After fetching her cell phone from the duffle bag, she dialed 911.

She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Please, send the police and an ambulance. Seven guys attacked me as I was walking to the bus stop." She spoke in a panic, letting her voice reach a high pitch that made her sound weak, scared, and vulnerable to the operator. "I defended myself, and I'm fine, but I'm bleeding. Please send help."

"Alright, we're on our way."

Tora sat against the wall, licking her wounds as she wrapped her arm with a towel to stop the bleeding. Anyone who showed any signs of waking, she knocked them out again with a fist to the face.

***

"Please wait here, ma'am. We'll be back in a moment to take your statement." The officer left Tora in the interrogation room and closed the door. He turned to see the carnage in the station as the other officers brought in the perpetrators. All of the men had bruised faces and some staggered as the officers put them in their seats.

"Hey, I wanna press charges against that bitch. Look what she did to me and my bros."

"Yeah. How are we supposed to pay for the hospital?"

"Shut up," said one of the officers as he smacked his hand on the table. "This isn't the first time you've all been here. Attacking people on the streets and robbing them. You attacked her first. For all I care, she was defending herself and you got what was coming to you." He placed a bag of their effects on the desk -- the knives and sticks the officers picked up from the alley as evidence. "Now sit your asses down."

"Sarge, what's up?" said another officer. "That woman took on all these guys?"

"Yeah. I'm charging them with 'assault with a deadly weapon'," said the Sergeant. "They probably thought jumping a woman who was alone at night would be a no problem."

"Guess they were wrong."

"Yeah. She's a vet."

"Cool. Special forces? Army? Marines?"

"Air Force engineer."

The officer raised an eyebrow. Wasn't the Air Force full of nerds who do nothing but sit in front of a computer all day?

He turned to look at Tora in the room then turned back to look at the eight burly thugs in the station. "An Air Force engineer beat up all these guys and barely has a scratch on her body? You kidding, right?" He could barely find the words and settled with "Wow, maybe I should join. What do you think they fed her?"

The sergeant ignored his question. "She was here a week ago. She had a car accident and gave a report. Turns out the master cylinder in her car was removed and she crashed. She says someone is after her. She thinks someone hired these guys too. I want you and Mac to take her statement while I deal with these guys."

"Okay," said Mac. The other officer took the folder with the previous report and quickly skimmed it.

The officers went into the interrogation room to find the woman sleeping with her head on the table. "Mac, get her a cup of water."

The first officer gently shook Tora awake. "Excuse me, ma'am."

Her eyes slowly opened as she lifted her head off the table. Her tired eyes looked at her surroundings before she wiped the drool from the side of her mouth.

"Here's some water." Mac placed the cup in front of Tora.

"Thank you," Tora replied as she took the cup and drank all the water.

"Mac, you start with the interview."

The other officer watched Mac interview Tora as he looked over her file. There was not much except for the accident report she gave a week ago and other evidence they could find about her car. He raised his eyes from the paper to look at Tora as she answered the questions.

"What were you doing in that neighborhood?" Mac asked.

"I go to the Black Dragon Martial Arts Studio near there," Tora explained. "A week ago, I got into an accident and told the officers I think the car was sabotaged, so they decided to keep it for their investigation. I've been taking the bus to and from practice for the past few days. I've felt someone following me for several months now." She told them as they looked at the folder in their hands.

Tora knew they had her police report. It was better for her to speak the truth as lies would only make her appear untrustworthy. Tora took on the honest and capable, yet helpless victim role.

"So you think someone is targeting you?"

"Yes. One of the guys said someone wanted to teach me a lesson."

The officer glanced out the window. Many more officers were bringing in the eight perpetrators. They were given ice packs for their mutilated faces and sore muscles. Several of the men placed the ice over their pelvis and their faces and chest. He flinched a little looking at them, almost pitying the poor idiots.

"I guess you were the one who taught them the lesson," said Mac.

"I was defending myself," Tora replied, harshly. "I'm an orphan and kids bully kids that don't have parents. I learned martial arts to protect myself. Then, I went to the Air Force. Nowadays, no matter what branch of the military you serve on, every soldier learns combat. Even though I'm discharged, I still learn martial arts from my former master. I'm glad I have the capability to protect myself and I am not going to apologize for it."

"Yes, we understand that ma'am. I apologize if my colleague sounded rude. I assure you, we have no wish to charge you. You are the victim." The officer nodded in agreement with Tora.

"Thank you."

"Do you have any idea who or why? Former boyfriends or anyone with a grudge? Maybe a student or jealous coworker?"

"I didn't really have enemies while in the Air Force. Now I'm a teacher at a college. I get along well with my students and coworkers. I don't have any former boyfriends or any stalkers I can think of who would do something like this." She shook her head as she tried to think. "I can't think of anyone else. I don't make friends easily, so I stay away from people as to not make enemies." She lied when she said, "I have no idea who could be targeting me."

Of course, she had an idea of who was targeting her, but the police did not need to know that. At least, not yet. It was not as though they could do anything as Tora had no evidence that would incriminate Rouen. They would not believe her. Partial truths would have to do for now.

"Okay. We'll look into this. Be careful. We'll have another officer escort you to your home once you sign some papers." As the officer was about to leave, he turned back to Tora. "And get a rental while we have your car. You don't want to be walking in that neighborhood in the middle of the night."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tora replied with an innocent smile. "Thank you."