Close Call

Close Call
Anna's pov

My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I watched the sedan in my rearview mirror. Three cars back, maintaining perfect distance, just like last night.

I told myself I was being paranoid. This was New York—black sedans were everywhere. But when I took a random right turn away from my normal route to Daisy's, the sedan turned too.

My heart started racing. I grabbed my phone from the cup holder, tried to voice-text while keeping my eyes on the road: "Jamal, black sedan following me from—"

The sedan wasn't three cars back anymore. It was accelerating, closing the distance fast. A second car appeared from a side street, and suddenly I understood—this was planned.

The first sedan swerved in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, tires screaming against pavement. My phone flew off the passenger seat, hitting the floor somewhere out of reach. Behind me, the second car pulled up close, boxing me in completely.

This couldn't be happening. Not here, not on a regular street in the West Village —

A knock on my window made me jump. A man in a dark suit stood there, and in his hand was a gun. Small, black, pointed directly at me through the glass.

"Miss Chen," he said, voice professional and cold. "Please step out of the vehicle."

My hands were frozen on the steering wheel. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think beyond the fact that James had been right. I was in danger, and I'd hung up on him when he tried to warn me.

The man knocked again, harder this time. "Now, don't waste my time."

That's when I heard it—tires screeching somewhere behind the second car. The kidnapper heard it too, his head turning slightly to assess what was happening.

I saw a car speeding toward where the man stood, as if it intended to hit him. He jumped out of the way just in time. The first vehicle that had been with him immediately sped off.

Everything happened so fast after that.

~

Jamal got out of the vehicle and rushed to my door, yanking it open. "Anna! Are you hurt?"

I couldn't speak. My hands were still gripping the steering wheel. He gently pried them loose, checking me for injuries.

"Hey, look at me." His hands cupped my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. "You're safe. I've got you."

"How—how did you—"

"I saw them follow you from the restaurant when you were leaving. Something felt wrong, so I turned around." His thumb brushed across my cheek, and I realized I was crying. "We need to move. They might come back."

He was right. We couldn't stay here.

"Can you drive?" he asked.

I nodded, though I wasn't sure it was true.

"Follow me to the police station. Stay close."

He picked up the unconscious man's gun using his jacket, careful not to touch it directly. Then he was back in his car, pulling around to lead the way.

I followed him to the nearest precinct, hands shaking the entire way. I knew this wasn't over.

Someone had just tried to kidnap me.

The question was: why?

~

The police station was a blur of fluorescent lights and questions. They took my statement three times, each officer asking the same things in slightly different ways. Did I know the men? Had I seen them before? Did I have any enemies? Was I involved in anything illegal?

"No," I kept saying. "I'm just an actress. I don't understand why anyone would—"

"The gun was registered to a shell company," one detective finally told us. "Professional crew. This wasn't random, Miss Chen. Someone hired them."

Jamal stayed by my side the entire time, his presence steady and reassuring. When they finally released us at nearly 2 AM, he insisted on following me home.

"You should call your friend," he said as we walked to our cars. "Let her know you're okay."

Daisy. Oh God, she would be worried.

I pulled out my phone to find seventeen missed calls. Fifteen from Daisy. Two from James.

My hands were shaking as I called Daisy back. She answered on the first ring.

"Anna! Oh my God, where are you? I've been calling the police, the hospitals—"

"I'm okay. I'm at the police station. Someone tried to—" I couldn't say the words. "I'll explain when I get home. I'm leaving now."
doors."

"Anna, what happened?"

"I'll tell you everything when I get there. Ten minutes."

~

Daisy must have been watching from the window because she had the door open before we even reached. She looked between me and Jamal, taking in my tear-stained face, and pulled me into a fierce hug.

"Inside," she said, ushering us both into the apartment. "Now."

I told her everything—the sedan following me, the men with the gun, Jamal appearing like some kind of guardian angel. She listened in silence, her face getting paler with each detail.

"This is insane," she kept saying. "Who would want to—why would anyone—"

"I don't know." I was exhausted, running on adrenaline and fear. "But James tried to warn me. He called earlier, said I was in danger, but I hung up on him."

"James knew?" Daisy's eyes widened. "How did James know?"

Before I could answer, Jamal's phone rang. He glanced at it and sighed.

"My mom. I should ignore it, but she'll just keep calling—" He answered.
"Mom, it's late, what's—"

His expression shifted from annoyed to concerned. I could hear a woman's
voice, rapid and upset, though I couldn't make out words.

"Slow down," Jamal said. "What about Dad?"

More talking from her end.

"The hospital? When?" His face had gone pale. "What did the doctors say?"

He turned away from us, switching to Portuguese, his voice low and urgent.
After a minute, he switched back to English.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Tell him I'm coming."

He hung up and turned back to us, looking torn.

"My father had some kind of episode. Not serious, but I need to check on him." He slid his phone in his pocket. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Of course," I said, though fear crept up my spine at being left alone. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I don't know. Maybe. He's been having heart problems." He pulled me into a quick hug. "I'm so sorry to leave you like this."

"Family comes first," I said, meaning it.

"I'll call you later. Lock everything." He looked at Daisy. "Both of you, be careful."

~

After he left, Daisy turned to me. "First, someone tries to kidnap you, then he comes out of nowhere to rescue you.

"You think he's involved?"

"I don't know what to think anymore." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Anna... I think Jamal could be connected to Elena."

I froze halfway to standing. "So what if he is?" The exhaustion made my voice sharper than I intended. "Look, I've stopped thinking that way. The world doesn't revolve around me. Elena already has James—what would be her next move, sending Jamal to fall in love with me? Like I'm the only person in the universe who matters in her schemes?"

Daisy's face fell, and for the first time tonight, she looked genuinely hurt.

Guilt hit me immediately. "Daisy, I'm sorry—"

"No, I get it." Her voice was quiet. "I just don't want anyone to hurt you again."

I pulled her into a hug. "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

I forced myself to believe everything is alright. It should be.