{Characters are really old, like way over 18. No representation here should resemble anyone IRL. It's a story. Many thanks for dropping by.}
Crisp autumn day, sun, and no wind. Just after sunup, and I was pacing an easy lope through the waterfront trail. Depending on weather, I had three circular routes available of six km. Two, connecting their termini at the parking lot, so I could simply end one, and continue on the other in four different combos to keep it interesting. Doing both, being my usual run when I had more time. The third was at the other end of the greenbelt, and more varied terrain. This was today's selection. It was also less popular with leisure walkers due to the steeper elevation changes.
The leaves had changed colour, the maples in this area offered autumn reds and golds. The morning sun clipping them from a low angle with the deep blue early sky, gave them the quality of fire.
These pacific coast maples had very large leaves 250mm (10") to 300mm (12") inches tip to tip, unlike the Atlantic side where I grew up, palm sized maple leaves were normal. I had nearly slipped on a couple in their dewy state and mentally checked myself to be more attentive.
Birds calling this time of day were usually males, warming up their voices for a day of defending their turf, and attracting a mate. A different cry shrilled not too far ahead of me. It was a female of the human species, and discordant in the relative quiet, seeming plaintive.
As I rounded a couple more bends, and up a rise, a young woman was trying to evade her knife wielding assailant, and had suffered the fate I'd just missed. She was down, the attacker walking to her, to use his now dominant advantage for whatever purpose he had in mind.
The next things went by outside of time. Woman, slash wound right arm, unable to get up, 40's male, possibly homeless by his dress, and a small blade in his right hand.
He had an open stance, and my arrival would be timed to be in the six feet between them. He was so focused on his victim; he failed to notice me until he reached back to initiate another slash at the girl. He snarled, and began his swing as I intervened snapping my left hand to lock onto his wrist, and a spinning elbow strike to his mouth. Teeth flew as I continued spinning and ducked under his straight arm. I applied pressure to the phalange mid-point on the back of the wrist I captured, making him scream, and release the knife. It was a simple twist to bring his arm up and behind his back, trapping his elbow with my other hand and twisting hard up and in until I heard a satisfying snap as his arm shattered. He wasn't going to be very combative now. I toppled him with a leg hook to the inside of his knee, and he fell screaming with the impact to his fractured arm.
Kicking the knife well away from him, I turned my attention to the woman.
"You OK? I saw at least one knife cut."
She was in mild shock, and looked at me with vacant eyes. I repeated my question softly a couple more times and I could see I began to register.
"No, I think I'm OK."
"Don't worry, I know some first aid, and I see one cut for sure. Do you mind if I look you over, and examine this one?"
"Of course, thanks."
"By the way I'm Barclay, friends call me Clay."
"Samira," she said, "or Sam. Only my nenek calls me Samira." She tried to smile.
"Ok, well, besides this one on your upper arm, which may need stitches depending how deep, you managed to get two more on your other forearm. Can you walk? I have a first aid kit. You aren't bleeding badly, so we can patch you up and get you an EMT."
"I twisted my ankle on the maple leaves, and it hurts a lot now."
"Do you know what he wanted?"
"Phone, cash, watch, and who knows what else, if you hadn't come by"
He was trying to get up, but was in a lot of pain.
"I would suggest you lie there scum bag, until the ambulance arrives if you ever want to use that arm again. It's going to need surgery."
I called 911 and advised what went on as I was helping the victim up. We were pretty close to the lot fortunately, and could begin start first aid soon. They asked me to remain at the scene and don't hang up. I politely told them to stuff it, I wasn't babysitting the attacker. Then hung up. It occurred to me as I had the phone at hand, to get photos of the scene, Sam's injuries, the attacker, and knife, which only took seconds.
I half carried her, and she managed with one leg. We were at my SUV quickly and sat her on the tailgate. The first aid kit was handy, and I exposed her worst injury. After flushing with a small bottle of sterilized water, I noted it wasn't a deep gash but long. The bleeding collecting in her top made it look serious. I wrapped it, so the EMTs had an easier time to examine it. The other two were shallow cuts, bleeding was light. More her clothing being cut, and the collected bleeding, gave the impression she was more seriously injured. I cleaned, then wrapped them too.
"Let's check the ankle." It had a small swelling, but her range of motion was good considering. I cracked a chemical cold pack and applied on top of a lightly wrapped tensor bandage. "Hold this on it until the cold gets too much and move it to another spot, and so on."
"Thanks Clay, this is so nice of you. I feel badly you got caught up. I don't even know you and you have been so caring. Not like the last man I knew, and I don't mean the prick we left back there," she smiled.
Sirens were heard in the distance. The first to arrive being the ambulance. I gave a quick rundown what I did so far, and they double checked everything. If she was careful, and didn't do anything to open it up, stitches were unlikely. She would have a scar to remember this day. They applied salve to her worst wound, and re-wrapped her. As for the ankle they suggested she get some couch time, and put a pillow under it. Relax the tensor every few hours, and use a cold compress hourly. See a Dr. if anything bothers her, especially the deeper cut.
"Well Sam, since driving may be sketchy, how about I run you home after the cops grab the shithead, and we give them our names. By the way, I've had a few police encounters over the years, and they will be looking to charge everyone and let God figure it out. At this stage it's best to give a one line basic, "He attacked me to rob me using a knife, and I've been injured. This man came by and saved me from being killed." Kinda statement. They will try to ask you 50 more questions, lie about your lack of cooperation going against you, and ask you to repeat yourself a dozen more times. Tell them you are finished, in pain and going home, then ignore them till they get the message you are no longer engaging them.
And sure enough, two B&Ws rolled up, and four patrolmen piled out, two going with the EMTs to secure and treat the assailant. Just as I predicted, our two started out all friendly, and when we didn't play their game, got snarky. The only question I answered after handing them my ID and a one-line statement, was why I didn't remain at the scene as instructed.
"I needed to attend to Sam's knife wounds, after a 10-minute hike out, the EMTs got here 10 min after I had her patched up, and you bozos another 10 after they had checked her," I should just let her bleed out possibly, because you were too busy sucking each other's dicks for 50 minutes, to attend a knife attack and injured victim? Kick rocks, we're done here."
"We can detain you for," as I interrupted him, "Lawyer, and you better pause to consider what kind of complaint, or suit, a good lawyer will draft, if you interfere with my rights.
Big guy wanted to pound me I could tell, but his buddy, pulled him back and suggested they talk with the sergeant. By the time I assisted Sam into the vehicle, the more experienced officer came back and asked if I would please come down for more discussion about the shape the victim was in, he needed a signed statement.
"Negative. This poor woman is in pain, needs rest, and I have nothing further to say. You have my contact information if something arises, call me, I'll call my lawyer, we will set a time to sit together and you can watch us remain silent."
He knew he had nothing, and I had obviously had contact with police in the past. Unless they had real evidence of wrongdoing, this was going nowhere, while he watched us prepare to leave.
"OK Sam, where to?
"I'm kind of homeless at the moment, since my cheating prick of a boyfriend was the only name on the apartment. I'm couch surfing at a girlfriend's, and it's a constant commotion there. Maybe a cheap hotel for now?"
I looked at her, and just realized she was strikingly beautiful. It didn't feel right dumping her, like she just went through with the ex.
"I know we are strangers really, but I have a good feeling about you. I can't bring myself to leave you at the curb somewhere. My condo is half decent, and there's a big comfy couch you can convalesce on. You honestly won't be a drag. Take a photo of me and my license plate, and text it to someone you trust along with my address."
"Thanks so much, maybe I can get an Uber this evening. I don't need to do that other stuff."
"I kinda insist you do, so I feel better your peeps know where you are and OK, Gimmie your phone. As for staying, I'll bet it's a week before you have a spring in your step again, and it's no bother, as you will see."
She handed it to me, I jumped out for the plate, got in and took a selfie of the two of us, and handed it back. She sent the pics off, and started getting queries back as word spread among her friends.
Parking in the underground close to the elevator, we popped up to my floor and opened the door to assist her inside.
"Clay, this place is huge, oh wow, sooo cool, OMG what a view!" she rambled as she took it in.
"I might never want to leave she laughed."
"Pizza later for dinner? Any faves for toppings?"
"Hawaiian?" she laughed.
"Hey if you're serious, I'm into Hawaiian." I replied
"No, I love it, but always get voted down."
"Well, something in common. How's the ankle and your knife wounds.?
Sam replied, "my ankle obviously, but only the larger cut is still tender."
I'm kind of jealous I won't have a cool story for the office tomorrow, surviving a knife battle." I chuckled.
Sam got a serious look, "I haven't had time to process this I just realized. It's been way more serious than I realized. If you hadn't stopped him..." and she started to choke up, as memories she was pushing away slipped into her realty.
Her look of sober reflection stole her happy moment.
