Judge Preston stood, looking more annoyed than alarmed. "Are you kidding me? We just had a false alarm two days ago." She grabbed her purse off a brass coat rack. “Ms. Taylor, Ms. Vasquez, we'll have to continue this in half an hour when they allow us back in. We’ll use my private exit."
She led them to a door at the back of her chambers—one April hadn't even noticed. It opened onto a narrow corridor, concrete walls and fluorescent lights. Service access, probably for staff and emergencies. The alarm was shrieking louder in here, echoing in the concrete corridor.
"This way," Judge Preston said, leading them down the corridor. April could smell smoke now—acrid, bitter.
“Wait, do you smell that?”
Before anyone could answer, two firefighters rounded a corner ahead of them at full jog.
Guess it’s not a drill.
"Your Honor?" The one in front shouted over the alarm. "Smoke reported on this level. We'll escort you to the nearest exit." And now April could see the smoke beginning to fill the hall.
"My goodness." Judge Preston coughed. "This is real?"
"Yes ma'am. Stay in single file, keep moving. We’ve got some smoke ahead but it'll clear. Fastest way out. Let’s move."
They fell into line, the first firefighter in front, then Judge Preston, then Gabriela, then April. The second firefighter brought up the rear right behind April. The smoke grew thicker the farther they went. April could barely see Gabriela's back ahead of her. Her eyes were streaming. The alarm was still screaming, disorienting, making it impossible to think.
"Keep moving!" The firefighter behind her called over the noise. "Almost there!"
April took another step. Her foot caught something—she didn't even see what—and suddenly she was falling, her ankle twisting hard as she went down. Pain shot up her leg and she cried out.
"April?" Gabriela's voice came from somewhere ahead in the smoke.
"I'm okay!" April called back.
“Keep going with them, Don, I’ve got her!” the second firefighter shouted. He was already sliding his hands under her armpits, helping her stand. "You all right to walk, ma'am?"
April tested her weight on her ankle and winced. "Twisted it but I think I'm okay."
Through the smoke, April could just barely see the others disappearing. The firefighter gripped her arm firmly, steadying her.
"Thank you. I don't know what I tripped on?—"
She felt a sharp sting in her neck. For a second, she didn't understand. Thought maybe a spider bit her, or?—
Her legs buckled. The firefighter caught her before she hit the ground.
“Something’s wrong,” she slurred. The smoke. She needed to get out of the smoke knocking her out.
When the firefighter spoke again, his voice sounded different. Accented. Cold.
"Shh," he said. "Quiet." He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, then headed in the opposite direction from the others.
April tried to scream. Tried to fight. But her body wouldn't cooperate.
Shane. I need Shane.
Kevin—
The world went black.
TWENTY-EIGHT
"I thinkwe need to discuss this in chambers before we proceed. There are too many irregularities here, and I want to hear from both parties without the theatrics." Judge Preston stood. "We'll start with the defense. Ms. Taylor, Ms. Vasquez, please join me."
Shane watched April and Gabriela disappear into the judge’s chambers as a pit formed in his stomach. They knew there was a possibility that April’s false identity would come back and bite her on the ass and they hadn’t been wrong. He could only guess what the judge wanted to know. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
