Emily raised her eyebrow at him. “Did he look like a construction worker? Those were expensive shoes he was wearing.”
“I don’t know.” Schultz shrugged.
“I want my hand swabbed, and whatever else they do. Then I’m going to check the other corner of the building. If there’s damage we’re in trouble.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No, I’ll be all right. You’re probably needed here.”
“I wasn’t giving you an option.”
Schultz flagged down a nearby forensics officer and he took evidence from her hand and sleeve.
“I’ll need your shirt,” the forensics specialist said as he took the last swab from Emily’s shirt.
“My shirt?”
“It’s evidence. Along with these.” He placed the now enveloped swab with the others.
“No. You can cut off what you need. But my shirt is staying on my back.”
“Why are you being difficult? I’m doing you a favor by doing these swabs here. What makes you think it’s all related to what’s happening here?”
“He had cement particles on his top.”
“That could be from anywhere.”
“Cement dust particles.”
“If we do find anything on your shirt, the evidence cannot be used in court.”
“Yep. Whatever.”
Emily looked up at the building, searching for any other damaged windows, when everyone around her began clapping.
One of the bomb squad members emerged from the carpark, leaning back as he carried a heavy metal box out. The officers kept their distance.
Stopping in the middle of the road, he placed the box down and removed his helmet.
“Clear. Other one will be out in a minute.”
“Excuse me.” Emily walked over to him. “Could they have caused any damage six floors up?”
He gave her an uncertain look. “No. The one that partly detonated, if it had fully exploded, would probably have only caused minor damage in the stairwell. Not enough to be felt six floors up.”
“Hmmm. Okay. And the bubbly liquid?”
“Colored water.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“Why do you ask?”
“I just want to check something out first. Don’t go too far.”
His mouth fell open as Emily walked towards the corner. She could hear Schultz’s racing steps not far behind her.
Shielding her eyes from the sun’s glare bouncing off the windows, she looked up to the fifth and sixth level windows.
“Holy mother of—” Schultz said.
“Who knows how many more are in that tower?” Emily shook her head.
The devastation was obvious here. Sheets of plaster between the windows had split and fallen off. Steel frames were now visible. Windows had cracked.
Emily ran to the officer manning the barrier.
“How long have you been manning this boundary for?”
“All day. What’s the problem?”
“You didn’t feel or hear anything?”
The officer shook his head.
“You sure?” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him.
“Are you doubting me?”
“Just asking. Strange that someone who is patrolling the line didn’t see or hear that rubble fall down.” She pointed up towards level six.
He glanced up for a second before returning his attention to Emily.
“I can’t help you. Sorry.” He turned around and spoke into his handheld radio as he walked towards his car.
“He’s hiding something,” Emily murmured.
“What, him?” Schultz replied. “Don’t think so. He’s one of our best officers.”
“Hmmm.” Emily pulled out her phone.
She dialed a recent number on her call list. The line rang twice before it was answered.
“You got an answer,” Harry answered.
“We’re working on it.”
“Time’s ticking. You don’t have long before I blow her brains out.”
Sharon shrieked in the background. Emily could only imagine he’d placed the barrel of the gun against her head.
“I have a question. Have you experienced any tremors today?”
“Besides the one you were meant to have been in?”
“Yes,” Emily replied, getting frustrated.
“A small one.” He paused before continuing. “Nothing major. Probably an earthquake.”
“More than an earthquake,” she heard Sharon yell out in the background.
“What did she say?” Emily asked.
“Nothing. We did feel a tremor. We’re all good.”
“Okay, thank you. I’ll have some news for you shortly.”
She disconnected the phone call.
“Schultz, you got a spare handheld?” She eyed his radio.
“In the car. Why?”
“Good. I’ll grab it on the way past. We need to sweep each level. There’s more than those two devices. Can you organize that?”
Schultz didn’t argue, not this time. This was the only time she didn’t want to be right. She was hoping to be proven wrong, for the sake of everyone’s safety.
“And I’ll get Harry and Sharon out safely.”
She glanced over her shoulder. The officer she was suspicious of was on his phone. As soon as he saw Emily looking at him he turned his back to her. She followed the direction he was looking. Nearby, the young man who had advised them of the explosion was also on his phone and appeared to be looking directly at the officer.
Emily’s stomach began to churn. Something was fishy, alright.
Chapter 53
Emily stepped out of the emergency stairwell and onto the sixth level floor. Stopping in the doorway, she felt her mouth drop open as she took in the devastation before her.
Cracked and partially fallen plaster sheets revealed the building’s skeleton. Office furnishings leant towards the rear of the building.
A piece of plaster freed itself from the last few strands that was holding it to the wall and, landing on the floor with a thud, sent a flurry of dust into the air.
Wind whistled in through the new hole in the wall, the building next door now visible. Dust and papers flew around the office space.
Looking a little farther along, towards the area where the floor was sinking, Emily noticed that another piece of plaster wasn’t far from falling off the wall.
The floor shook. Office furniture grated along the floor, sliding towards the rear of the building. Looking up the wide passage, all Emily saw were closed office doors. Towards the far end, the floor was beginning to slant backwards.
“Where are you, guys?” She scrunched her hair in her hand as she looked around.
Running to the first door, she pulled down on the handle. It didn’t move.
Banging on the door with her fists, she yelled out, “Harry. You there?”
With more force behind her punches, she banged on the door again. Silence.
Running to the next door on the opposite side of the hallway, she tried the handle. It was also locked.
“Where is he?” she asked herself as she looked around.
All the doors were shut, and all blinds were drawn.
“Are they even still here?”
She tried the next two doors, which were also locked.
The floor rumbled again. The furniture at the end of the passage slid and shifted further. Another sheet of plaster fell off the wall.
“Level one cleared,” Schultz reported over her handheld radio.
“Top level cleared,” another male’s voice reported.
Emily was now halfway down the passage and was running out of doors fast.
Stopping outside the second to last door, she held the door handle and pressed her ear against the door. She could hear a muffled male’s voice murmuring something.
Clenching her jaw, she pushed down on the door handle, expecting it to stop moving at any moment. But her hand kept moving downwards. Her
heart pounded faster. The snib clicked and the door creaked open.
The murmuring stopped.
Emily reached for her gun but didn’t find it. Fu, she thought, remembering he’d taken it from her in the warehouse.
Unarmed, she slowly pushed the door open.
“Harry. It’s over.” Emily took a step towards him.
He turned and pointed his gun at her chest.
She raised her arms in front of her. “I’m not armed. Look.” She turned around, her back towards him. “See, you’ve got the only gun.”
Sharon shrieked and Emily swung around. Harry had his gun pressed to his own temple.
“You don’t want to do this,” she said as she lowered her arms. “What will your wife and family think? How will your children live if they found out their father killed himself?”
“What difference does it make? No matter how you look at it, I’m a dead man.” Harry pressed his gun further into the side of his head.
“We’re so close. This is nearly over. Do you really want to do this?” Emily looked at Sharon then back to Harry. “Do you want some good news? It looks like the information you and Sharon forwarded me is going to open a whole can of worms. What Andrew did to you and your family, to your friends and neighbors... That information is all out there now. The waves are growing into a full-blown tsunami.”
Harry loosened his grip on the gun.
“What good is any of that when the farm isn’t back in my name?”
“And you’re right, it’s not. Not yet. These things take a little time. They’ve got to follow the paper trail and get it all retracted. You know legal departments and their red tape.”
“We don’t have time.”
“What do you mean? There’s still plenty of time. You’ve got a lot of years ahead of you yet. There’s still a lot of fight in you.”
“Show her.” Harry lowered his gun until it was aimed towards Sharon.
Emily took a step towards Harry, her eyes on the gun. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him nudge Sharon’s shoulder with the gun barrel, pushing her towards her computer.
Sharon paused for a second and then opened the email attachment. A video played.
Fu appeared on the screen, sitting at a table, with port holes behind him. Emily assumed he was in a boat cabin.
“My cherished Emily, if you’re watching this, I take it you’ve met Harry and Andrew’s mistress, Sharon.” Fu’s head moved to the side as he thought out loud, “Oh, isn’t his wife going to be ecstatic when she learns of his extra-curricular activities? Anyhow, back to you, my dearest Emily.” He returned his attention to the camera. “Do you really think you’re smarter than me? Ah, don’t answer. I already know your response. You’re sitting there gritting your teeth. Biting your tongue.”
Emily unclenched her jaw but her eyes were still narrowed as the video continued to play.
“You escaped the first bomb. Well done. I would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t. Can’t say some of your cop friends were as fortunate. Anyhow, by the time this is played, no doubt you will be sweeping all the levels of that building. Do you think you’ll find anything before time runs out? Yes, that’s right, you have until quarter past to find them all.” He paused and stared at the camera before continuing, “Let me ask you this. Is the human risk worth it? How many uniforms are you willing to lose so two people can live?” Fu leant back in his chair and stared right at Emily.
With his head resting against his hand, he continued, “You don’t go into battle with me and come out in front. No one does. Good luck, and I wish you well.” Fu turned around.
The video stopped with his back to them.
“Shit, that little prick. When did this video come through?” She looked between Harry and Sharon. “How long do we have left?”
“It...” Sharon looked down at the floor. “It came through about five minutes ago. I don’t know. Everything has been a blur today.”
“You think?” Emily snapped and Sharon flinched. “We can’t think. We need an exact time.”
Emily leant over Sharon’s shoulder then looked at her watch, calculating. Four minutes had already passed.
Chapter 54
Opening the timer application on her cell phone, Emily punched in seven minutes and twenty seconds. She checked the computer showed the same time as her watch. It was correct.
She hit the start button, and the timer began its countdown.
“How come you didn’t mention he is your uncle?” Harry started. “That bastard has caused all this. If it wasn’t for your family-”
“He,” Emily pointed at the computer screen, “isn’t my family. We’re not even blood. He’s nothing but a sworn enemy. If you want to clear your name, we need to get out of here. NOW.”
Harry didn’t flinch. All Emily saw was anger in his eyes and his knuckles turning white as he held his gun, tapping the side of his leg.
“Sharon, you’re coming with me.” Emily grabbed Sharon’s arms and helped her out of her chair, placing herself in between her and Harry. “I’m not ready to die today and I hope you aren’t, either. You have this one last chance to get out of here alive... If you stay, they may never recover your body. How do you think your family will feel about that? Your casket will be buried without a body in it.
“Your last chance.” She felt behind her and pushed Sharon towards the door. “Sharon, get out of here. I’ll be right behind you.”
Harry raised his gun at Emily. Sharon ducked her head and ran out of the room.
“There’ll be police down there, all guns pointing at us. They’ll shoot me on sight.”
“You don’t want to do this. Do you want to see your family again? Do you want to walk your daughter down the aisle?”
A tear rolled down his cheek.
“Come on.” Emily gestured for him to come. “Let’s get out of here.”
He lowered the gun and let it slowly drop through his fingers to the floor.
“Okay. You’re good. Let’s get out of here.” Emily grabbed the nook in his elbow and pulled him out of the room.
“I’ll try the elevator,” Sharon yelled over her shoulder. Sharon was already at the end of the corridor. She pressed the button once, then punched it four more times, in rapid succession.
“That isn’t going to help you. It won’t be working today, not with the building leaning to one side. We’ll need to take the stairs,” Emily yelled.
“Stairs?” Sharon looked towards the emergency door then back at the elevator door.
Emily checked her watch. “Six minutes, thirty seconds left. Stairs. Now.”
“Six floors, six minutes?” Sharon questioned.
Emily pushed them both towards the emergency exit.
“Whatever you do, don’t stop. Keep running. Your life depends on it. Mind over matter.”
Kicking the door in, she shoved them into the emergency stairwell.
Depressing the button on her handheld radio, Emily yelled into the microphone, “Schultz, we’ve got six minutes to get the hell out of this building.”
The signal went static then Schultz’s voice came over the radio frequency. “Can you repeat that?”
“Another video’s been sent. We need to get the hell out of here, now.”
“Fuck.”
Then the radio was silent. Emily took one last look down the corridor before closing the door behind her.
“Hurry,” Emily yelled out.
She grabbed the steel railing and a cold shiver traveled up her arm. Ignoring the sensation, she descended the steps two at a time. A door came into view, with a number five painted on it. Her heart pounded faster and louder. Her arms outstretched, she grabbed the curve in the railing with both hands and swung her body around. Missing the last few steps, she landed with a thump one the next set of steps.
Her phone beeped.
“Five minutes,” she yelled to Harry and Sharon, who were just starting to descend level four stairs.
She didn’t need to lo
ok at her phone. The timer was the only application active. The only app that mattered.
Emily noticed Sharon was starting to struggle, falling farther behind Harry.
“Schultz?” Emily said into her handheld radio. Static interference was her only reply. “Schultz. You there?”
No reply.
“Shit.”
Sharon was bent over the railing, her breathing labored.
“Sharon. Listen to me.” Emily pulled Sharon off the railing and held Sharon’s head in her hands. “I really need you to push through the pain. Remember, mind over matter. Brain over muscle. Your body can do so much more than you think it can.”
Sharon shook her head. “I... I... can’t.”
Emily grabbed Sharon by the arm and pulled her down the steps.
“Breathe. You need to calm your breathing down.”
Sharon shook her head and let out a pitiful wail.
Emily gripped Sharon’s arm tighter and picked up her pace. Although Sharon’s breathing was still labored, at least they were moving.
“Breathe through it.” Emily practiced her deep breathing out loud, and Sharon mimicked her. Before they reached the next level, Sharon’s breathing was under control.
“Much better. Now we need to pick up the pace a little.”
“O-okay.”
“We’re getting out of here together. Right?”
“You don’t have to wait for me. I know I’m holding you up. I’ve screwed up my life anyway. I’ve ruined what career I had. No one’s going to want a secretary with my record. You’ve got your own family to worry about instead of me.”
A vision of her sister and niece flashed before Emily. She fought back the tears.
“Don’t talk bullshit. I’ll personally put in a good word for you.”
“Thank you.” Sharon managed a small smile.
“Right. I don’t leave anyone behind. Let’s take these steps two at a time.”
Without hesitating, Sharon took the lead, taking the steps two and sometimes three at a time. Emily followed close behind.
They reached the door to level two as her timer beeped again.
“Don’t look back. Just keep running,” Emily yelled out to Sharon.
Sharon stopped and looked back. Emily was holding the level two exit door open.
The Analyst (Emily Lee Series Book 1) Page 19