by Julia Bright
He turned the corner and saw that Megan had the door open at the end of the hall. The last of the moms with toddlers went through and the other women began escaping into the stairwell. Megan stayed at the door, ushering women through. She was a strong kid, and he’d make sure she knew how special she was after they were free from this mess. She’d make a heck of a soldier.
Lorelei stepped through and Whisper heard someone behind him before he turned and saw Red standing in the hall, his eyes wide and mouth open. He pushed Lorelei through and set the injured woman down before grabbing the key and shoving the door closed.
He jumped to the side and scooped up the woman he’d been carrying then headed up the steps, praying the door held. The rattatattat of gunfire sounded and he moved even faster.
Someone was pounding on the door, demanding he open for them.
No freaking way.
The women stopped, and he glanced up, meeting Megan’s gaze. He lifted his brows and her face screwed up.
“Can’t get through on the second floor,” Megan said
“We don’t have a key,” Brenda called down.
By now the kids were starting to get restless. The lollipops would only last for so long and the man screaming below didn’t do anything to help them keep calm. He needed a good plan because it looked like they were kind of screwed. He set the woman he’d been carrying on the steps and looked them in the face, hoping to convey authority. He made an executive decision. “Keep going up.”
One woman carrying a toddler and an older child rolled her eyes. He wanted to tell her to buck up and quit being such a drama queen, but that was the Army speaking and she wasn’t enlisted.
He found another woman who looked kind of fit and pointed to her. “You, help that woman who is carrying two kids. We need to move. In about four minutes they’re going to break through that door and they won’t hesitate to kill you. They’ve already killed one of the men.”
A couple of women gasped. One woman clutched her throat and leaned against the rail. Panic raced over the women. Maybe he shouldn’t have told them a man was down, but he needed to emphasize how important it was they keep moving.
“My husband,” a short, squat woman said. She was middle age, her hair too dark not to be dyed.
Whisper held up his hands. “Do you have kids?”
“I do.” The woman looked at him funny, like the question was out of place, but her family was exactly what he needed her to think about.
“I can keep you alive if you keep moving. If you go back, you’re dead. Do you want to ensure your children have at least one parent alive?”
Her lips quivered and her face went red. “But I could—”
“There’s nothing you can do. Those men are unstable. If you want to live, climb the stairs and keep climbing until we find a door that is open, or we find a way out.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Ghost as he put his earbud in so he didn’t have to hold the phone while he carried the woman up the stairs. He picked her up again as Ghost answered.
“Yo.”
“Cap, I need real schematics for this building. We’re on the second floor going up but we’re trapped in the stairwell.”
“On it. I’ve got the team here. We’re looking at the building.”
“Thank you. That’s the best news I’ve had all day.” He met Lorelei’s gaze and noticed the tears in her eyes. He needed her to hold it together. “You okay, Lorelei?” She nodded. He adjusted the woman he was holding as he angled his hand to take hers in an awkward grasp. “We’ll get through this.”
Her brows bunched. “But those men.”
“Once I get you out of this, I’m going back for them,” Whisper said.
She shook her head. “They have guns.”
“I’ll figure it out as I go.”
“Yo, Whisper,” Ghost said in his ear. “Looks like on the fourth floor, there’s a vent that goes from the stairwell to the hall.”
“That’s great.” Maybe they could get out of this.
“Great if you were a child,” Ghost said.
He looked at Megan. It was too much to ask, but they needed everyone to help. “I’m in luck I have a few with me.”
“Good. Use them. I’ve always encouraged you all to use the tools available.”
“Let me relay the information.” He called up to the women at the front. “Stop on the fourth floor. We have a plan.”
They continued climbing the stairs and Lorelei hung back with him. “Who are you on the phone with?”
He shrugged. “A friend.”
“Aw, I’m your friend,” Ghost said.
There was no reply he could reasonably give to Ghost. He was in a stairwell with civilians who needed him to remain calm. They weren’t trained for this, and they certainly didn’t ever need to know who he was.
The women had stopped on the fourth floor but made a path for him to move ahead. They were all pale-faced with red-rimmed eyes. Whisper set the injured woman on the stairs before he turned to Megan, eyeing her and the vent cover.
“Megan, I’m going to ask you to do something. I need you to be strong.”
Her eyes grew bright. “I’ll do it. Just tell me.”
He pointed to the air vent. “That vent will drop you to the hall. Once in there, you should be able to open the door. At least that’s the plan.”
“Okay. I’m strong. I do kickboxing at the gym.”
“Good, because you’re going to need those muscles.” He shouldn’t force her into this. She was too young, but none of the other women would fit, and he certainly wouldn’t.
Ghost chuckled in his ear. “She sounds like a spitfire.”
Whisper didn’t say anything. He didn’t need Megan being self-conscious. She was a spitfire and would make an excellent soldier one day, if she went that route. “Just let me remove these screws.” He pulled his multipurpose tool set from his pocket and began working on the hex-head screws, loosening them before he let them drop into his hand. When he had all the screws removed, he pulled off the grate. He turned to Megan and lifted his brows.
“You’re up. I’ll give you a boost. Just step on my knee and then I’ll push you up by your foot. It’s going to be dirty.”
Megan shrugged. “I’m fine with a little dirt.”
Whisper helped her up and pushed her feet, watching as her torso disappeared through the hole. She paused. Banging sounded overhead. He prayed she could get the grate loose on the other side.
There was a loud bang then it clattered to the floor. She was in. He watched as her feet disappeared and then he heard an ooff on the other side of the door. Below them in the stairwell he heard a lot of noise, but the robbers hadn’t broken through the door yet. He prayed the men weren’t being killed, but all he had time for right now was these women and children. Maybe he should go back down there, but if he did and these kids ended up dead, he’d never forgive himself.
He heard the click of the handle being pressed on the other side of the door, but nothing happened. It sounded again twice more, then he heard a slap to the door.
“Megan, is it stuck?” he asked.
“I can’t get it open. There’s some huge padlock.”
“Dammit.” If he were over there, he could unlock the padlock, but there was no way for him to tell her how to do it.
“What’s wrong?” Ghost asked.
“I sent a teenager to the other side of the door and now she’s stuck.”
Ghost grunted. “Get the other women to the roof. We’ll have a bird up there waiting.”
“Dammit, she’s just a kid,” he said.
Ghost’s voice stayed even as he spoke. “Take the rest up to the roof. Then go back for her. We’ll help you.”
“Got it.” He met the condemning gaze of the women he was trying to help. They weren’t please, but neither was he. They had to keep going. He bent and picked up the injured woman. “We climb. Let’s head up.”
One red-faced woman moved to him, her finger poking h
im in the chest. “But you can’t—”
He held up his hand, cutting the woman off. “Megan, I’ll be back. Find an office and hide. Do not come out unless you hear my voice, you got that?”
“I hear you.” Megan sounded like she was trying to stay brave, but he knew she had to be afraid.
“I will come back and get you.” The words were said as a promise and he would get her out even if he had to break down the door, right now, he had to save these people.
He turned and found Lorelei staring at him, her brows knit tight. He didn’t have time to work out if he’d disappointed her or not. This was why he didn’t date. Understanding women was nearly impossible. Well, he didn’t talk much either, so it was hard all around. Those qualities made it difficult for women to get to know him.
“Let’s go. We have a bird, a helicopter waiting on the roof for us,” Whisper said.
“The roof?” one of the moms with toddlers asked.
“Just hold on tight to him. This is our exfiltration strategy.” They climbed the next five floors, going slower as they rose. Heck, even he’d slowed by the top floor. He could hear Ghost talking to the other guys and then the police. He hated leaving Megan behind. There was no question in his mind, he’d go back and get her.
The sound of the bird up top hit him and he smiled. These women would be safe. They were close to the exit and he no longer heard anyone down below. The door to the roof opened, giving them an escape. The women filed out, some crying out in relief, others in dismay.
The cops were consistent. Every one of those women were considered suspects until they proved otherwise. If he went up there, he’d be tagged as a suspect. No way he could get Megan back.
Before he climbed the last few steps, he set the injured woman he’d been carrying on her feet and grabbed another lady, meeting her gaze with what he hoped was a serious plea for help. “I need to go back for Megan, you help her up.”
The woman he’d asked to help was in her thirties, healthy and she could manage the task, but she shook her head.
“I can’t carry her.”
“I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to help her. Just loop your arm around her and get her up the stairs. She can walk a little.”
The woman looked like she wanted to say no, but she wrapped her arm around the injured lady and helped her.
“I’m only doing this for that poor girl you left behind,” the woman said. Her anger was obvious. They hadn’t liked him leaving Megan behind. He hadn’t wanted to leave Megan behind either, but she would be okay.
He turned away from the woman and didn’t bother answering. He raced down the stairs to the level below the roof, hurrying to head back and help Megan. He was about to tell Ghost what he was doing when he saw feet. And they weren’t men’s feet but women’s. How had he let anyone stay behind?
The lower he went, more of the woman came into view. He recognized those peach pants. Lorelei.
“What are you doing down here?” he almost shouted the question.
“I’ve been trying all the doors. This one is open.” Lorelei pushed on the door and it swung wide. He shook his head and grunted.
“You need to get up there. The cops are here to rescue you,” he said.
“I’m not leaving Megan behind. I’ll go with you.”
“But—”
She held up her hand and gave her head a shake. “No, you listen to me. I’m not abandoning her. She’s young and scared. Plus, if those guys come after you, you’ll need me to run off somewhere with Megan and get her up to the roof and to safety. And if you have to send someone through another small space, you won’t fit. You’re all broad and muscly.” Lorelei waved her hand at him and raked her gaze down his body.
Ghost chuckled. “She has a point. You are muscly.”
Whisper’s lips turned up as he shook his head, hating that Ghost sided with Lorelei.
“What?” Lorelei asked.
He met her gaze, realizing she had no clue he was chatting with Ghost still. He pointed to his earpiece and shrugged.
“Are you still on the line with whoever you’ve been talking to?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“What are the cops doing to get us out of here? When are they going to go in and get those men? I want answers.” Lorelei’s mouth pinched tight, her brows bunched.
Ghost chuckled again, probably liking that Lorelei was busting his balls. He held her gaze, trying to ignore Ghost.
“I’ll get us out of here. We’re going to look for a way down to the fourth floor. We’ll find Megan and then I’m getting the two of you up to the roof and to safety.”
Lorelei didn’t look away. He saw something change in her gaze though. She went from just looking at him, to her gaze filled with respect.
“Okay, then let’s go.”
The sound of the robbers below trying to break through the door had stopped. He knew that wasn’t good for the men in the bank. They didn’t deserve to be left behind, but he had to focus on getting out the people he could help. Frustration tugged at the back of his mind, but he would go back and save as many of the men as he could.
He and Lorelei moved quickly down the hall on the tenth floor. The offices were empty and dust moats floated in the air. Midway down the hall he saw an open office with a desk and chairs.
“Are any of these floors in use?”
Lorelei shook her head. “No. The bank is the last customer here. We’re slated to have a new building constructed at the front of the lot, then they’ll tear this place down when we move out.”
“Why? This isn’t that bad.”
“No, but they have to make room for progress, at least that’s the line.”
“So none of the offices above the bank are occupied?”
“No.”
“Elevators?”
She shrugged. “I think they shut those down for safety. It may be why the bank was robbed. The last tenant left last week.”
“I had no idea.” He’d been overseas helping keep the world safe. Things happened here, and he had no clue. It was weird trying to be a member of a community and being in the military. Sometimes he felt on the edge of it all, not belonging anywhere.
They were at the elevator and he pressed the button, but nothing happened. No motor noise, nothing.
“Other stairwell then.” He looked at the emergency exit map on the wall and found the route. The other stairwell was only a few yards away. If this one was locked, they'd be screwed, unless he could pry the door open.
Whisper glanced in an office as they walked by and found a broken chair. One of the legs sat between the seat and the door. “Hold up. I need that.”
“What?” Lorelei asked.
“Chair leg. It can be used as a weapon.” The weight of the wooden leg was good. He ran his hand over the length and gripped the smaller end in his right hand. It would make a good club. “Let’s go.”
With renewed purpose, they entered the stairwell and raced down the stairs, him moving quietly, Lorelei moving a little more loudly. Silence didn’t matter as much since they weren’t in immediate danger. They were approaching the fourth floor and his heart picked up. He needed to get Megan out of this crazy situation. Her safety was too important.
He rushed forward and pushed on the door, but nothing happened. “Dammit.”
“What’s up?” Ghost said in his ear.
“Fourth floor door on this side won’t open.”
“Let me look what I can find,” Ghost said.
Lorelei was beside him, shoving at the door. He pushed on the door too and noticed it gave a little.
“Harder, push harder,” Whisper said to her.
She moved closer to him, her hair tickling his cheek. He had to keep his focus. First save Megan, then the men.
“It’s moving,” Lorelei said.
“Hold on. Move out of the way. I’m going to see if I can lean into it a little.”
Lorelei stepped aside. Her lips were turned down in a frown, worr
y clouding her eyes. He wanted to take that worry away, but the best way to remove the clouds in her eyes was to get her to safety.
He leaned in, shoving the door. He heard the metal creak and squeal then it gave way. He was about to say something to Lorelei when he heard rapid gunfire. They both ducked low. No one was shooting at them, but it sounded so close. He met her gaze as they heard talking below. She lifted one finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. She was very cute, telling him how to act in a situation like this. He almost wanted to laugh, but he didn’t.
The robbers had broken through the stairwell door on this side. They needed to get Megan to safety now, and he wanted Lorelei to be safe too. He should have forced her to head up to the roof. She shouldn’t be here with him, but if there’d been a tight space, he would have needed her help. Teams always did better than lone operators. He’d love to have someone like her as a life team member, but there was time to think of that later.
He pushed open the door, moving slow so it didn’t squeak. Lorelei slipped in then he did too just as the sound of heavy boots moving fast filled the stairwell. The door closed, but there wasn’t any way to lock it. They’d busted the lock. If the assholes tried the door, they'd be found.
“Finally!” Megan called out as she exited an office down the hall.
She was being too loud and him shouting wouldn’t get her to be quiet. He raced forward, tugging Lorelei along with him. They ducked into the office Megan had just come out of.
“Shh, they’re on the way up.” Whisper spoke so low he hoped Megan heard.
Her eyes went wide. “Oh shit.”
“Where were you hiding?” The question was again spoken low enough no one else could hear.
She mimicked his low voice. “Back here. There’s a closet.”
“Show us,” he commanded.