I needed to get out.I needed to move.But Iron was still in the room, and the two men were searching the building, and if I stepped out from behind this shelving unit I would be exactly as dead as Carl.
The second man came back.“Rest of the building’s clear.You want us to check the roof?”
Iron shook his head.“They’re still here.”He looked at the door.“They’re good at hiding, but they made a mistake.They left this ledger open when they heard us coming in.They didn’t have time to put it away.”He tapped his finger on the desk.“They’re still in this room.”
My heart stopped for a full second, then kicked back into double-time.This was it.In mere seconds I’d be dead.Or worse.
The men looked around, confused.“There’s nowhere to hide in here except --”
“Under the desk,” Iron said.“Check under the desk.”
The first man dropped to his knees and shined a flashlight under Carl’s massive desk.The beam swept in a wide arc, illuminating the empty knee well.I was still behind the shelving unit, pressed flat against the wall, my knees pulled tight to my chest.
“Nothing,” the man said.
Iron’s jaw tightened.“Check again.”
The man ducked his head lower, shining the light into every corner of the space under the desk.“I’m telling you, there’s nobody there.”
Iron nodded, finally satisfied.“Get the rest of the files.Then we burn the place.”
The two men returned to the filing cabinets.They worked quickly now, pulling out folders and stacks of paper, dumping them into the duffel bag.One of them returned to the hallway and came back with a plastic jug.He unscrewed the cap and began pouring a clear liquid across the floor.The sharp chemical reek cut through the air.Smelled like gasoline or something similar.
My eyes started to water.I pressed my sleeve against my nose.
Iron watched his men work, then checked his watch.“Two minutes,” he said.“Then we’re gone.”
They finished packing the duffel and stepped into the hallway.Iron paused at the door, took one last look at the office, then pulled it closed behind him.
I waited silently, not daring to move or even breathe too much in case I coughed on the fumes.I heard the front door of the building open and close.I heard the rumble of engines starting outside.Then the fire started with a hollowwhomp.Smoke began to push under the office door in a gray curl.
I couldn’t stay behind the shelving unit.Smoke was already thickening along the ceiling, and the acrid smell burned my nostrils.I needed to get to the window on the far wall.Surely to God the men had all left before the building was completely engulfed.
The smoke got thicker, pushing through the office doorway in billowing gray clouds.Flames licked at the door facing, eating through the wood with hungry crackles.
I crawled, keeping low beneath the smoke.The heat pressed against my skin.My eyes stung.I ripped off my jacket and wrapped it around my right forearm, creating a makeshift pad to protect myself.The window on the far wall was my only way out.A narrow rectangle set high in the exterior wall, just wide enough for my shoulders if I turned sideways.
I hurried to the window.Grabbing an ornate wooden paperweight, I hurled it at the glass.The window shattered with a musical crash.I cleared the jagged edges as best I could, then hoisted myself up.
Bits of glass from the window frame bit into my palms.I got my upper body through, then twisted to bring my legs after me.The drop was about ten feet to asphalt of the alley below.I went through feet first, pushing off from the window frame with my hands.
The fall seemed to last forever.My stomach lurched.The ground rushed up to meet me.I hit the pavement, stumbling forward.Pain shot up my legs and I fell forward, rolling until I hit the brick wall of the building on the other side of the alley.
Above me, flames licked at the edges of the broken window.The fire had taken hold of the building’s interior.Smoke filled the alley as more of the building caught fire and hot wind swirled around me, the fire creating its own down draft.My eyes watered and stung, and I coughed with every intake of breath.In minutes, the entire structure would be engulfed and I needed to be far away from here.
I scrambled to my feet and backed against the wall, putting distance between myself and the burning building.Embers now swirled in the air like orange snow.Somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed.
I hurried to the side of the building where I’d stashed a .38 revolver I’d purchased at a gun show a few months back.I’d always known there was a good possibility I’d get caught and had protected myself the only way I could think of.Didn’t do me a lot of goodoutsidethe building, but they had metal detectors we had to pass through before entering.I’d stashed the weapon out here knowing that window would be my best way out in a bad situation.Thankfully, the weapon hadn’t been noticed by anyone.I pulled it from my hiding place and clutched the weapon to me like a lifeline.
The alley stretched about fifty yards in either direction.To my right, it dead-ended at a brick wall.To my left, it opened onto the street that ran past the front of theEnclave Éclipse.Going that way meant risking being seen by whoever responded to the fire and I didn’t know if I could see a threat coming with my eyes burning and stinging.
The sirens grew louder.I couldn’t be here when they arrived.I had no doubt Iron had killed everyone in the building.If anyone other than me had escaped, they’d be getting as scarce as I wanted to.Everyone who worked there knew shady shit got done inside that building.Most of them kept their heads down, collected their cash, and ignored everything else.No one wanted to get caught up in this mess.On either side of the law.
Halfway to the street, I heard the distinctive rumble of a motorcycle engine, cutting through the wail of sirens.The sound grew louder.I froze, pressing myself against the alley wall again.The smoke still hampered my vision and I couldn’t be certain I headed away from danger rather than straight into it.
I huddled against the alley wall, gun at the ready, though I doubted the way I trembled would encourage the guy to keep his distance if he confronted me.Half blinded by the smoke, I doubt I could have hit anything from any distance.The pen camera was still tucked into my bra, the micro SD card secure inside it.I absolutely could not lose that drive.
I took a breath and closed my eyes briefly.Sweat trickled from my hairline, mixing with the ash and soot on my skin to drip into my eyes.I raised my hand to swipe at the drops.I saw the blood before I touched my face.My palm must have caught the edge of the window as I climbed out because a gash split the meaty part of my palm.I didn’t think it was too deep, but I definitely needed to clean and bandage it.
