Open House

by Mickie B. Ashling

  When he could string a sentence together without adding in the words fuck or shit, he replied, “Hindsight and all that crap….”

  “Is Seth okay?” Adam asked, pulling him back to the case.

  “He’s locked himself in our safe room,” Bryce said tersely. “I think he’s hurt, but he’s not telling me how bad it is.”

  “I’m glad you have the room and even happier that Seth thought to use it.”

  “Who knew it would ever come in handy,” Bryce said. “Can you meet me at my place? I’m not sure if Owen’s gone or still hanging around trying to outwait Seth. If I see him first, I might use his head for batting practice.”

  “You’ll do no such thing,” Adam warned. “Wait for me in the lobby.”

  “Hurry!”

  “I’m leaving now.”

  Bryce disconnected and called Seth right back on the number saved in his phone. He answered after one ring.

  “Bryce?”

  “Yeah, babe. How’re you doing?”

  “Did you talk to the police?”

  “They’re on the way. Tell me what’s going on.”

  “I can barely see anything out of this peephole, especially if Owen’s directly in front of it,” Seth said. “He tried to kick down the door a few more times, and when that didn’t work, he went back into our bedroom. I’m certain he’s trashing the place, looking for a hidden stash of gold. I told him I had no money, but the asshole didn’t believe me.”

  “Goddammit! I’ll kill that bastard when I get my hands on him.”

  “You’ll have to get in line,” Seth said darkly. “I’m not normally a violent person, but he brings out the Freddy Krueger in me.”

  “Don’t leave the safe room until you hear my voice on the other side of the door.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  “I have a gash on my forehead.”

  “How did that happen?” Bryce asked menacingly.

  “He punched me clear across the room,” Seth recounted in a shaky voice. “I fell and hit my head on the tile in front of the fireplace. It was bleeding, but I think it stopped.”

  “You’re safe for now,” Bryce said. He felt sick at the mental image of Owen towering over Seth and knocking him around without compunction. The guilt hit him hard, and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. He had to stay cool if he wanted Seth to feel reassured. There would be plenty of time for self-recrimination later.

  “Bryce,” Seth whispered. “He’s back in the closet. Are you sure he can’t break the door down?”

  “Positive. The door is solid wood reinforced with sheets of Kevlar. The hinges and strike plates have extra-long screws. Unless Owen has a pneumatic drill in his pocket, he’ll never get through.”

  “That’s reassuring.”

  “What’s he doing now?” Bryce asked.

  “I can’t really tell because he’s bending below the peephole, but I have a very bad feeling about this.”

  “I’m telling you that door is impenetrable.”

  Seth’s next question almost stopped Bryce’s heart.

  “What if he smokes me out?”

  “Say what?”

  “He’s up to something, Bryce. It looks like Owen’s disabled the smoke alarms because now there’s black smoke rising from the floor,” Seth said in a voice filled with horror. “Oh my God, it’s seeping in through the edge of the door and has a horrible acrid smell. Am I going to suffocate?”

  “I’m calling the fire department,” Bryce said brusquely. “Don’t hang up; I’m putting you on hold.”

  Bryce called 911 and reported a high-rise fire. He gave them his address and then called Grier. Fortunately, he was in the office.

  “Hey, Bryce,” Grier said amiably. “How’s it going?”

  “Not so good,” Bryce said. “I’ll explain in a minute, but do you remember if there’s a ventilation shaft in my safe room? It’s been so long since we built it I don’t remember.”

  “Let me get the plans,” Grier said, putting the phone down. Bryce used the time to check in on Seth, who was far from calm. In fact, he sounded like he was having trouble breathing.

  “Babe, what’s the matter?”

  “The room is filling up with smoke.”

  “Goddammit!”

  “Should I open the door? I’m more scared of fire than Owen.”

  “Don’t do anything except hold on for a sec.” Clicking back to Grier, he barked, “You there?”

  “Yes. The safe room butts up to an outside wall, so we were able to install a vent. It’s normally shut, but you can push it open with a lever near the baseboard, allowing outside air to flow in.”

  “Thank you, buddy.”

  “What’s going on, Bryce?”

  “Hold on,” Bryce said, switching back to Seth. “Babe?”

  “Still here,” Seth replied hoarsely. “Not sure how long I can hold out without opening this door.”

  “Listen to me, Seth. Look at the baseboard on the wall to your back.”

  “What about it?” Seth asked.

  “Do you see anything that looks like a heating vent?”

  “Yes.”

  “There should be a lever close by.”

  “Yeah, the ones that go up and down. Should I try moving it?” Seth asked dubiously. After a second, he exclaimed, “I got it to move, Bryce, and I can feel some cool air. This should work until the cops get here, right?”

  “Yes, we’re on our way,” Bryce assured him. “I need to put you on hold again.”

  “Okay.”

  Seth sounded even more terrified, and Bryce pictured him huddled on the floor, trying to catch a whiff of the clean air.

  “Grier, are you still there?”

  “Yeah, talk to me.”

  “Long story short, Seth’s locked himself in the safe room, and the person he’s trying to keep out has decided to smoke him out. Is that door fireproof?”

  “Holy… shit,” Grier said, drawing out the words. “That room was designed for home invasions, not fires. The door will hold up a lot better than most, but eventually, it’ll buckle.”

  “How long do we have?”

  “I guess it depends on what they’re using as an accelerant.”

  “Fuck. I have no idea. Seth sees black smoke. The fire department’s on its way, and Seth’s hanging on the other line. I’d better go.”

  “Keep me posted?”

  “I’ll try,” he said, switching back to Seth. “Babe?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’ve got my nose pressed to this vent like a puppy sniffing out a treat. Thank goodness for a long phone cord.”

  Trying to mask his own hysteria, Bryce advised, “Stay away from the door. You’re better off right where you are.”

  “How much longer do I have to sit in this room?”

  “It shouldn’t be long. I’m approaching the building, and I can see the cop cars and fire trucks.”

  Seth was quiet for too long, and Bryce figured he was already crying or about to break down. “Babe, talk to me.”

  “What?” Seth asked brokenly, confirming Bryce’s suspicion. The guy was unraveling.

  “We’ll be up there before you know it.”

  “Really? And if you’re not? How am I supposed to get out of this situation?” Seth asked, voice rising exponentially. “This is a fifteen-story building, and you’re on the top floor. There’s no window, and even if there were, I can’t fly to safety. I don’t have any weapons, and now opening the door to duke it out with Owen isn’t an option either. I’m not Superman, Bryce!”

  “Babe, please try not to lose it. You’ve been doing great so far.”

  “Why didn’t you add a gun to the survival kit in this room?” Seth asked accusingly. “A plastic water bottle won’t make a dent on that fucker’s hard head.”

  “You’re absolutely right. We’ll do better next time.”

  “Next time!” Seth screamed. “I�
�m still trying to survive this time.”

  Bryce scrubbed his face in frustration. “I’m sorry, babe. I’d trade places with you in a heartbeat.”

  “I know.” Seth sounded contrite. “This isn’t your fault.”

  “Actually, it is.”

  “Don’t say that, sweetheart.”

  Ignoring him, Bryce asked, “How’s the smoke?”

  “Getting worse,” Seth said, sniffling. “I’ll probably suffocate before you get to me.”

  Bryce’s own tears were blinding him as he came to a sudden stop in front of his apartment building. There were two cop cars and one ladder truck. Adam was huddled with the fire chief, probably working out a game plan. Bryce could hear more sirens, assuming they’d called in reinforcements, given the height of the building and the location of the fire.

  “Babe, I’ve got to get out of my car and talk to Adam. We’ll be up there before you know it. Can you hold?”

  “Yes, please hurry,” Seth emphasized.

  Bryce sprinted over to Adam and the fire chief and gave them a brief rundown of the situation.

  “I’m going to pull the fire alarm,” the chief announced. “We need to evacuate the building immediately.”

  “That’ll scare Seth even more.”

  “I’m aware of that, but it needs to be done.”

  “Okay,” Bryce said. “Babe, are you there?”

  “Where else would I be?”

  Bryce squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the vision of Seth all alone in that tiny room filling up with smoke. “I don’t want you to panic, but they’re going to pull the fire alarm and evacuate the building. It’s only a precaution.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up.”

  “You’re welcome,” Bryce said.

  Interrupting, the fireman advised, “Have your friend cover his head with a wet cloth. Is there water in the safe room?”

  “Bottled,” Bryce replied.

  “Any rags or paper towels?”

  “I think so,” Bryce said, feeling like an idiot again. How come he didn’t know what was in that fucking room!

  Glancing up the building, the fireman muttered, “We might be looking at a backdraft situation if the arsonist sealed off the closet.”

  Bryce moaned upon hearing this new piece of information. “Jesus Christ, could this get any worse…?”

  “Hand me the phone,” the fire chief ordered. “What’s your friend’s name?”

  “Seth.”

  He nodded. “Seth, this is Chief Randall. We’re on our way up, but you need to do something first. Stay as far away from the door as possible. Pour some water onto a cloth and cover your face and hair with it. Can you do that?”

  “I’m… yes… taking off my T-shirt,” Seth stuttered. “Now I’m pouring water all over it and slipping it over my head like a fucking shroud. Is that what you want?”

  “Yes. I’ll be right there,” the chief said, thrusting the phone back at Bryce.

  Turning to his men, he gave the signal to proceed. When he saw Bryce attempting to follow, he pulled him back roughly. “You need to stay here.”

  “Like hell I will,” Bryce said, wrenching free and running into the building before they could stop him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Adam and the chief exchanging words. Bryce hoped his friendship with the detective would give him the pass he needed to bend a few rules.

  Focusing on his task, he barked into his phone, “Babe?”

  “What, sweetheart?”

  “I’m about to enter the stairwell and might lose the signal.”

  “I understand.”

  “I love you, Seth.”

  “Me too. Next time we talk, it’ll be face-to-face.”

  “Count on it.”

  The line went dead, and Bryce pocketed his phone. The sound of the fire alarm was deafening, adding to the general confusion as a horde of residents rushed down the stairs, grumbling about the inconvenience. Some were clutching pets, and others were hugging their children. A few had laptops and purses. Bryce had been in enough of these “mock” emergencies to know most of the residents weren’t taking it seriously. Half of them probably figured it was another fire drill, but they always complied on the off chance it was a real emergency.

  When they got to the fifteenth floor, Bryce could see that his front door was ajar. There was black smoke billowing out of the master bedroom, which made his knees weak and his heart rate jump several notches. He tried running into the room, but a fireman held him back.

  “Wait here and let us do our job.”

  Adam appeared just then and hauled Bryce away.

  “Let go of me!” Bryce protested. “I told Seth I would rescue him.”

  “You’re not equipped to do anything but watch.”

  “I feel so helpless,” Bryce whined. “Let me go.”

  “No.” Unmoved by Bryce’s hysteria, Adam held him firmly in place. “You’ve got to trust them. We’ll only be in the way.”

  Adam put a comforting arm around Bryce’s shoulder, and the gesture helped to tamp down Bryce’s need to butt in and take charge. He chewed on his lip and prayed to a God he didn’t believe in, trying to take comfort in the repetitive words he’d learned in Sunday school. He could hear the firefighters issuing orders, and the hissing sound of multiple fire extinguishers putting out the fire was almost as soothing as a tranquilizer. Bryce heaved a sigh of relief the moment Seth was led out of the room. The tape on his forehead had slid off, exposing the gash, which was oozing with blood. He was pale and his soft brown eyes glittered, widening slightly when they rested on Bryce. A paramedic appeared out of nowhere, and Bryce took the blanket out of his hand and wrapped it around Seth’s naked torso, drawing him close.

  “You’re safe,” he said gently against Seth’s ear.

  Seth slumped in his arms and sobbed quietly.

  Chapter 20

  BRYCE LET the paramedics take over as soon as Seth got himself under control. Downstairs in the emergency vehicle, they flushed out Seth’s eyes with a portable eyewash unit. The soothing solution would not only insure the removal of any ash or debris that might have settled in his eyes, it also calmed the inflamed tissue. Next, they wiped him down with antimicrobial wipes, paying special attention to the gash on his forehead. The edges were pinned with butterfly closures instead of stitches.

  “This way you won’t scar,” one of them said gently.

  “Thank you,” Seth said automatically. He was still shaking from shock or cold—he wasn’t sure which—but he couldn’t seem to stop. Once again, they wrapped him in a fresh blanket. When seen as a whole, one tiny white line on his forehead was nothing compared to what could have happened. Seth shuddered, remembering the horrific moment when he’d doused his head with cold water, wondering if they’d find him on the floor by the time they snuffed out the fire. He would never look at another firefighter without remembering today.

  “Let me see your hands, buddy.”

  He turned them face up for the exam. His palms were slightly pink from accidentally leaning on the hot door, but the skin hadn’t blistered, so the area was simply cleaned with more sterile wipes.

  “I can put some salve on the red spots if you’d like?” the paramedic asked.

  Seth shook his head. “No, thanks.”

  “Do you want something to calm you down?”

  “No, I’m fine,” Seth assured the paramedic. “There’s no need for drugs.”

  Now that he was safe, he didn’t want to miss a thing. Seeing Owen led away in handcuffs would make the last couple of hours worthwhile, but he’d been told the bastard had escaped. How had someone so dumb managed to create such havoc? He could have easily burned down the building if not for Bryce’s quick response. Seth had a zillion more questions but knew they weren’t going to be answered until one of the cops showed up to explain. Meanwhile, he was sitting in an ambulance in nothing but lounging pants and a pair of socks. He’d forgotten to grab a T-shirt to replace the one he’d soaked with water. />
  Hoping to get an affirmative, he asked, “Is it okay if I join my partner outside?”

  “Sure, but keep the blanket,” the paramedic recommended.

  “Gladly,” Seth said. “As you can see, my wardrobe is severely challenged at the moment.”

  They laughed and wished him well.

  He stepped out of the ambulance, and Bryce was at his side within seconds. “Everything okay?” he asked solicitously, putting an arm on Seth’s shoulders and drawing him close.

  “Yes, all good. What’s happening?”

  Bryce scowled and reported that Owen was nowhere in sight.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Seth said. “With all the cops and firefighters around here?”

  “I’m telling you the guy is a fucking cockroach.”

  “What does the apartment look like?”

  “It could have been a lot worse. Most of the damage is in the master bedroom.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Seth said in disgust. “He was throwing stuff around and bellowing like a trapped elephant.”

  Bryce scrubbed his face and looked defeated. “I’m sorry, babe. A lot of this is my fault.”

  “Don’t you dare take responsibility for any of this,” Seth said angrily. “We’re dealing with a sociopath, and there’s no second-guessing someone like that.”

  “If I had called Adam or Jack as soon as Owen walked out of my office this morning, we might have been able to head him off at the pass.”

  “And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

  “Huh?”

  Seth cradled Bryce’s face and kissed him gently. “The point I’m trying to make is that you aren’t to blame.” Sighing, he leaned his forehead against Bryce and grumbled. “The security in this building is for shit.”

  “I plan on speaking to the owner’s association the minute I can get enough people together to listen.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem with everything that happened today.”

  “In fairness to the poor doorman, I order takeout all the time. One Jimmy John’s driver looks the same as any other.”

  “Who told you he was dressed in that disguise?” Seth asked.

  “Adam and I looked through the logbook.”

  “In the future, all deliveries should be scrutinized regardless.”