Once on the fifteenth floor, he realized he had no plan. He pressed his ear against Julia’s door. The low grumble of a man’s voice confirmed someone was in there with them. How could he get them to open the door again? Or could he make enough noise to cover the sound of using the key?
He glanced around the hallway, and a red button near the stairs caught his attention.Duh, he thought. On his way to it, he remembered Julia had mentioned an older couple in 15-2. The last thing he needed was them trying to make it down fifteen flights of stairs. He knocked on the door and waited impatiently. A young woman wearing a scrub top and a name tag answered the door. Probably a home healthcare worker.
“You take care of the couple that lives here?” he asked, and she nodded.
“I don’t have time to talk but wanted to warn you,” Alex said. “Ignore the fire alarm that’s about to go off. There is no fire. The elevators will stop working. Donottake them down the stairs.”
She started to protest, but he interrupted. “There’s an emergency next door, and I’ve got to get in. Lock the door when you shut it.”
He didn’t wait for her response before running down the hall. The ear-piercing scream of the fire alarm started immediately. Repercussions would be severe, but he didn’t have time to mess around. After a minute, as he’d counted on, the door inched opened. That was all he needed.
Alex barged in, knocking Julia backward. He surveyed the scene quickly. Kenneth had a gun pointed at Calvin, who sat frozen. Julia was as pale as the snow outside.
The super’s eyes widened. “You,” he shouted, swinging the gun around to Alex.
“Kenneth?” Alex said, brows knitting in disbelief. The sweet, meek super was the bad guy?
“Kenneth isn’t feeling well,” Julia said, struggling to keep her tone even. “He’s nothimself.”
Alex shot her a questioning look. She was trying to tell him something, but what? If Kenneth wasn’t himself, who would he be?
“I’m fine,” Kenneth said, but in a voice Alex had never heard him use. Julia cleared her throat and with the hand Kenneth couldn’t see, subtly made a small circle with her finger by her ear—the universal sign for crazy. Terrific.
Kenneth had shut the door and moved away from the three of them, but still pointed the gun in their direction. Alex’s intrusion seemed to have discombobulated him, which was good. He’d have a better chance at taking him down if he could keep him off guard.
“Kenneth. You’re scaring Cal,” Julia said. “Will you please put the gun down?”
“No way,” Kenneth said. “Look, I just want you. Why don’t we leave the kid with this guy, and you and I go?”
“Sure,” Julia said at the same time Alex said, “No.”
She shot him a hard look. “I’ll go with you if you promise not to hurt Cal.”
“Julia,” Alex said. She held up a hand. He knew she would do anything for Cal, but he couldn’t just let her saunter off with a deranged maniac.
The gun at Alex’s back was useless. Even if he could pull it and shoot fast enough, Kenneth would still have time to fire at least once. Alex wasn’t willing to risk Julia or Calvin. And if he got shot, they’d be back where they started with no one to help.
Kenneth appeared to be conversing with multiple people, moving his lips without sound, facial expressions varying wildly. He became more agitated with each passing minute.
“It’s too loud to think with that bloody alarm going off. You.” He used the gun to point at Alex. “Turn that thing off. Then call Rudy and tell him there’s no fire. Any funny business, and I shoot the kid.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Alex said, tamping down the anger over Kenneth traumatizing Calvin. “You have to use a key to reset it. I’ll call Rudy, so he can tell the fire department.”
This was his opportunity to send a message to Rudy. He used his cell to call the desk downstairs. “Rudy. It’s Alex. I’m in Julia’s apartment. The fire alarm got pulled by accident. Can you advise 911 that it’ll need to be reset?”
“Is everything okay?” Rudy asked.
“No,” Alex said. “No fire.” He couldn’t be much clearer. Hopefully, Rudy wouldn’t wait for details before calling the police.
“I can’t stay here with all this noise,” Kenneth said. “Julia and the kid are coming with me. You try to follow us, and I’ll shoot one or both.”
Alex stood to protest, but the terror in Julia’s eyes stopped him. She clearly had no doubt that Kenneth meant what he said. Alex held up his hands. “Okay. I’ll stay. I promise. You don’t have to shoot anyone.”
“Put your shoes on,” Kenneth ordered Julia and Calvin. They stumbled to the entryway and did as he said.
“The fire alarm grounds the elevators. They won’t work,” Alex warned Kenneth, hoping he’d rethink fleeing.
“I don’t care. I have to get out of here. We’ll take the stairs.”
