Runner-up 1

Like a bullet exploding out of a gun barrel, Charlie dashed across the terminal toward the restrooms. Countless travelers veered left and right as he bolted past them. He knew, somewhere in the recesses of his mind, that he was running nowhere. But his body was blazing with fury and wouldn’t let him just stand there like a helpless infant.

He tripped and tumbled to the floor. Sweat dribbled off his face and his body let out one exasperated breath after another.

He had to stop and think this through. His brain was buzzing with so many possibilities that he felt like screaming. Genie had made off with the flash drive, but where? There was no time to figure out motives, he needed to find her. It had only been a few minutes, she couldn’t have made it far.

Charlie slowly lifted his head and leaned against the wall. A young police officer, stationed at the opposite corner, was alertly watching the crowds around him.

Of course. He would have the police find Genie before she escaped. All he needed was to come up with some story fast. She had, after all, stolen his property. That was reason enough. Even if the police looked into the files, the data would be meaningless to them without the second disk in Cabo. For a solitary moment, Charlie felt a wave of pleasure at the thought of Genie being thrown into a prison cell.

He made eye contact with the officer and waved him over. The policeman looked startled, then called over another officer and pointed to Charlie. Something was wrong.

Suddenly their eyes widened as if they were struck with an epiphany. The second policeman mumbled into his radio and placed one hand on his holster. Their faces took on expressions of deadly determination.

Charlie’s head felt like it was going to roll off his shoulders.

“Charlie Bonner?” the first officer said when they reached him.

Charlie was so shocked he just nodded reflexively. They didn’t waste any time. Each of them grabbed one of his arms and threw him up against the wall.

“We don’t want to cause a panic at the airport, you understand?” one said in a hushed tone. “You’re going to come with us quietly to our car outside. We don’t want to handcuff you here, but we will not hesitate to do whatever is necessary.”

Charlie felt himself being whirled around and pushed forward. A small crowd of spectators had already formed and were eagerly awaiting the officers’ next move.

“You are wanted for questioning in the murder of Kimberly Waters,” one of the officers said as he continued to shove Charlie across the passageway.

“You don’t understand,” Charlie blurted out. “I have no idea who that is, this is a mistake . . . “

“She had a stage name that you’re probably more familiar with, you sick freak,” the other officer interrupted. “Carmen.”

The crowd had grown and was buzzing with excited conversation as they watched Charlie being dragged to the airport lobby. Outside the glass doors he could see a number of police cars awaiting his appearance. One or two reporters stood with cameras ready. Welcome to the red carpet premiere of my ruin, he thought.

Charlie realized that when his associates in Cabo discovered that he was being detained by the police, he would not live to see next week. Time was caving in on him. He needed to act. The few steps from the lobby to the exit were his only chance to save his life.

Tom Yufik lives in South Pasadena and is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where he studied English, film and psychology.