Chapter 150: My Idiot.
The police station was alive with activity. Officers moved back and forth, phones rang incessantly, and the air smelled faintly of burnt coffee and stale paperwork.
Hugo sat on an uncomfortable metal bench, his wrists cuffed in front of him and his head tilted back against the wall.
His Benz, the car he'd only just started enjoying, was now gone—towed to who-knows-where.
"This is the worst day of my life," Hugo muttered, glancing at the officer stationed nearby.
"No, scratch that. Second worst. The worst was when I was 14 and got dumped in a pizza shop and still had to split the bill."
The officer ignored him, busy typing up a report. Hugo sighed loudly, fidgeting with the cuffs.
"Any chance we can skip this whole process? Maybe call it even? I mean, I only endangered a few lives."
The officer didn't even blink.
Defeated, Hugo slumped against the bench. He replayed the events in his mind, wincing at the memory of his car running out of gas and the gang's furious expressions as they were hauled off alongside him. What a disaster.
Just as Hugo was contemplating his life choices and wondering if prison jumpsuits came in sizes that wouldn't make him look ridiculous, the front doors of the station swung open with a dramatic clatter.
In strode Sanchez. His broad shoulders seemed to block the light from the doorway, and his sharp eyes scanned the room with the precision of a hawk.
Dressed in a crisp black coat and a suit that screamed "I mean business," Sanchez moved with the authority of a man who wasn't used to being questioned.
Hugo's heart soared and sank all at once. Relief at seeing his mentor clashed with the dread of the inevitable lecture.
"There he is," Sanchez said loudly, his voice carrying across the station. "My idiot."
Hugo groaned. "Great. Can't wait to hear this one."
Sanchez marched up to the front desk, where a young officer looked up nervously. "I'm here to bail out Hugo Fernandez," Sanchez declared. "The reckless man-child sitting over there."
"Sir, you'll need to fill out some—"
"Paperwork?" Sanchez interrupted, sliding a neatly filled-out form across the desk. "Done. I know how this works. Let's move it along."
The officer blinked, clearly caught off guard by Sanchez's efficiency, before muttering, "Uh, I'll just get the release form ready."
As Sanchez waited for Hugo to be processed, he turned to face his protégé. Hugo offered a weak smile.
"So… how's your day been?" Hugo asked, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Don't start," Sanchez snapped. "What were you thinking, Hugo? A high-speed chase? Through the city? With a gang and the police chasing you? Did your brain just take a vacation?"
"Technically, it wasn't my fault," Hugo protested. "The gang started it. And the car ran out of gas. If it hadn't, I'd have totally gotten away."
"That's your defence?" Sanchez pinched the bridge of his nose, visibly trying to contain his frustration.
"You thought you could 'totally get away' in a Mercedes-Benz? Do you know how many cameras are in this city? They probably tracked you the moment you hit the highway!"
Hugo shrugged sheepishly. "I panicked, okay? And in my defence, I didn't expect them to chase me for so long. I thought I'd lose them after, like, two turns."
"Two turns?" Sanchez repeated, his tone dripping with disbelief. "Hugo, this isn't a video game. You don't hit 'respawn' when you crash into a mailbox!"
The officer eventually returned with Hugo's release papers. Sanchez signed them swiftly, muttering something about how this was the last time he'd bail out an "overgrown teenager."
As Hugo stood up, the cuffs removed, he stretched dramatically. "Finally! I was starting to feel like a criminal in here."
"You are a criminal," Sanchez shot back. "At least for today."
Hugo followed Sanchez out of the station, squinting against the afternoon sun. The fresh air hit him like a blessing, though his relief was short-lived when Sanchez turned to him with a steely glare.
"Before you ask," Sanchez said, "your car's at the repair shop."
"My car?" Hugo's eyes widened. "Wait, what happened to it?"
"Let's see," Sanchez began, counting on his fingers. "You scraped it against a wall, dented the bumper, probably ruined the suspension, and burned through the tyres like they were made of paper. The mechanic said the repairs would cost around $3,500."
Hugo's jaw dropped. "Three thousand? Are they replacing the engine with gold?"
"No," Sanchez said dryly. "They're fixing the mess you made. You should be grateful it's not worse. If the cops had impounded it, you'd be looking at even more fees."
Hugo groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "This is why I should've just taken the bus today."
The pair walked in silence for a moment, Hugo too embarrassed to complain further. Eventually, he couldn't hold back.
"Do you think they'll let me pay in installments?" he asked.
Sanchez shot him a sideways glance. "You've got bigger problems than repair costs, Hugo. The cops are watching you now. You're lucky you had a dash cam to prove your innocence. One more stunt like this, and you're looking at serious jail time."
"I get it, I get it," Hugo said quickly. "No more high-speed chases. I'll drive like a grandma from now on."
"Good," Sanchez replied. "Because if I have to come down to that station again, I'm charging you for my time."
"Noted," Hugo muttered, kicking a pebble down the sidewalk.
Despite his frustration, Hugo couldn't help but feel a little grateful. Sanchez might've been harsh, but at least he'd come to his rescue.
"Thanks, by the way," Hugo said quietly.
Sanchez raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For bailing me out. And for, you know, not letting them lock me up forever."
Sanchez smirked. "Don't thank me yet. You're paying that $3,500. Consider this your punishment."
Hugo groaned again. "This just keeps getting better."
As they walked off into the city, Hugo couldn't help but think about his car. His poor Benz, sitting in some repair shop, waiting to be restored to its former glory.
And then there was the gang. Would they come after him again?
"Hey, Sanchez?" Hugo asked, glancing over.
"What?"
"Do you think I should stick to my electric bike? You know, something that doesn't run out of gas?" Explore stories at empire
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I tried to keep this as realistic as possible. Please tell me if I made any mistakes! If I didn't, buy me a castle!
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Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!