I made it into the neo-gothic building, skidding around the corridor to the elevators, and pounded on the UP button.
My heart punched against my ribs. “Come on!”
The elevator dinged open, and two women spilled out laughing, one tugging the other by the hand. I squeezed past them and pressed for the 32ndfloor, once, twice, three times.
The doors grated shut, and each second passing made it feel like the elevator was being manually lifted. I shifted my weight, my hands clamped into balls at my side.I’m coming, I’m coming, I’m coming.An age later, the doors squealed open and I skiddedinto the party.
Tens of students and lecturers chattered over a live Bach pianoforte, poppinghors d'oeuvresinto their mouths. Through the thick pack of champagne-drinking tuxedos and gowns, Quinn and Hunter weren’t anywhere to be seen. Darting around a waiter in a golden waistcoat balancing a tray of caviar, I spotted Hannah near a large bookshelf, leaning against Roger, who was playing with the ends of her hair.
I pushed my way to her, stumbling over my shoelace. “Have you seen Quinn and Shannon? Or Hunter and Mitch?”
Hannah tilted her head. “Are you okay, Liam?”
“No,” I said, scanning the crowd once more. “Have you seen anyone?”
“Is Hunter the one in the wheelchair?” Hannah asked. “I saw him and another guy head into the bathrooms ten minutes ago—”
I zipped to the bathrooms, banging my shoulder against the door in my hurry. It swung in. Cold air whistled through a partially open window, but otherwise it was unoccupied—
No.
An empty wheelchair sat in an open stall, a camera bag hanging on the back—
My head pounded, palms sweated, stomach crunched at the terror that ripped through me. All I could think about was that threat. I saw The Raven thrown from the top of the Cathedral of Learning, tumbling, head over heels, screams lost to the rushing wind...
“Hunter?” I whispered, pivoting to a sharp arc as a breeze whistled again.
A splotch of blue wedged at the corner of the windowsill caught my eye, furthering the trepidation. Blue rose petals.
Quinn.
With trembling fingers, I called the police again and told them there was an assault in progress. “Hurry, 32ndfloor of the Cathedral of Learning.”
“Police are on their way.”
“They’re outside the bathrooms.”
“Remain where you are . . .”
A grunting cry stung through the window gap. The phone dropped from my grip and clattered against the tile. I pushed on the foiled glass. Meeting resistance, I shoved my shoulder against it, wedging it open. I thought I’d made a fair amount of noise, but the direction of the wind and traffic and beeping horns below worked in my favor.
A dark, stone balcony stared at me, framed by an inky sky and a smattering of city lights.
“What are you going do about it, Raven?”
A judgment and a dare all at once.
Thwack!
A gurgled gasp, followed by a cry.
Sneaking out of the window, I tiptoed to the edge of the building. My hands and cheek pressed against cold, pocked concrete, and I peered around the edge of the cornered balcony.
I absorbed the scene like I had Freddy’s punch to my gut. It took all my effort not to fold in on myself and sink into a useless puddle.
Jack stood with a gun pointed toward the ground, his body turned away from me toward Hunter, who’d been dragged into the corner of the balcony and slumped there. Mitch crouched at his side, mumbling repeatedly how sorry he was but claiming he didn’t have a choice.
Jack’s been working with someone to gather information, lure out The Raven.
