"Anything else you noticed?" Gabe pushed his chair back.
"No. I think that was all. Like I said, it was very fast and well orchestrated. I'm surprised at myself that I had enough presence of mind to look at the plate. I wrote the number on my arm with the black pen I had in my pocket." He held out his arm.
Gabe could see the shape of the arm, but not the actual writing. He glanced up at Martin. "Same number he told us?"
"Yeah. It's the same. Come on. Let's go." Martin tugged at Gabe's wrist.
"Thank you for your help." Gabe held his hand out to the man. "If we find her still alive, we'll owe you."
"Good luck, mate. Good luck."
Martin led the way out of the restaurant. "My car is in the parking lot across the street. Let's get in there and turn on my scanner. I also have a friend who can run that number and maybe get an address."
"You have a police scanner in your car?"
"Yes, it's a hobby. Come on. Let me help you cross the street. It'll be faster if you let me lead you." Martin took Gabe by the elbow and practically dragged him across the road.
They sat in Martin's car for fifteen minutes listening to the scanner and waiting for his friend to call back with information on the license plate.
At the same time the scanner went off and they heard some plans to raid a building on a nearby street, Martin's phone rang. He answered the phone and got out of the car. He leaned back inside and said, "Listen to that while I talk to Robert." The car door shut.
Gabe turned up the sound on the scanner. He listened carefully and even though the actual address of the place where the riot squad was gathering wasn't divulged, Gabe's heightened hearing let him know exactly how to find the right place. He could isolate some of the background noise and immediately knew the building was near a construction site.
He stuck his head out of the car window.
"Martin. Come on. I think I can narrow down where they are."
Martin opened the car door and slid back in. "Phone call was a bust. The car is registered to a corporation. My pal is going to keep researching since he's found that there seems to be a series of corporations that own this vehicle. Every time he finds one, it leads to another. He's good. He'll eventually find out who is the ultimate owner."
"Olga could be dead by then."
"Hopefully not but, even if we find her alive, we're still going to want to prosecute for all this, aren't we?"
"You're right. Now, can we go? I think they're going to raid a building over near Hammersmith Bridge. Head over that way. It sounded like some construction site was nearby and I think I recall a new office suite being built over there. It would be highly unusual for there to be two discussions about rescuing two women on the same day, right? I mean, I know it's a big ugly city, but I heard someone call for detective inspector Carlyle, so it has to be them. Right?"
"I hope so." Martin cranked the car and drove out of the parking lot, paying the fee on his way out.
*****
Olga worked with the piece of metal she sneaked out of the toilet and twisted the hooked end into the lock hole of the handcuff. She didn't think it would really work but she had to try. It wouldn't do to quit and not at least make an attempt to escape. After all, she didn't want to die and she certainly didn't want Gina to, either. She idly wondered if they didn't survive if she'd still get into heaven since she'd made such a mess of her life when it came to protecting her friends. She laughed a bit hysterically.
"What's funny?" Gina asked from the other bed where she'd been watching Olga intently.
"I was wondering if I'd go to heaven or hell if we die here today."
"I fail to see the humor."
"Me neither, really, but I have to think of something to take my mind off this crazy plan I concocted. I don't think it's going to work. She struggled with it for a while longer and was stunned when she finally worked the lock loose.
The click was audible and Gina gasped. "You did it. I thought you were daft to try but you did it." She leaned toward Olga's bed, "Didn't you?"
"I can't believe it, but I did." Olga held up the open lock. She rubbed her wrist, glad when the feeling came back and the tingling stopped.
"Get mine. Get mine." Gina was too loud in her excitement.
Olga shushed her and crept over to her friend's bed. "Keep quiet and hold still."
When Gina was free as well and rubbing her own wrist, Olga sat back on her own bed.
"We need a plan now. We're loose but if they come back in, we need to put the cuffs back on. Slide yours backward on your hand and make it look closed. Can you do that, G?"
"Yeah." Gina practiced the movement. "There. Does that look like it's shut?"
"Good enough. Yeah."
"So, this was very clever but what next?"
"I'm not sure." Olga shrugged.
Gina stood and tiptoed toward the door. She leaned on it and listened.
Olga's gut clenched at the risk Gina was taking. If the man in the mask came back in now, they would be found out and who knew how bad things would get then?
"Get back over here. You can't stray far from the bed. They could open the door at any time."
"I don't hear anything out there. Nothing."
"I don't care. Come back."
"Okay, okay." Gina returned to her bed and sat. "I'm back. Now what?"
"I don't know. Do we rush at the next person to come in and try to take him out or do we pretend still to be cuffed and wait until he gets right to one of us and then pounce? Which do you think is better?"
"We might be able to make it work if one of us pretends to be sick. The other can call for help and, when they come to check on us, the one playing sick can head butt whoever comes and the other of us can hop on his back. Maybe kick him in the privates to take him down. I know that's one sure way to hurt a man."
"Wow. You're more bloodthirsty than I ever knew." Olga snickered a little. "I think your second idea is best. Since you came up with it, do you want to be the ill one or me?"
"Oh, Olga, love, I want to be the one to kick that bastard who's held me here since Friday night. It's the least you can do. Let me be the one to attack that jerk."
"Have a go at it. I'll lie down. You call out and let's get ready to get out of here."
"I like that. Confidence is the key, right?" Gina tittered nervously.
Olga put her hand up with the cuff loosely around it and pulled her legs up to her stomach as if she had a stomachache. Gina adjusted her hand as well.
"Help. Help, my friend is sick. She needs a doctor," Gina called out.
No one came.
Olga nodded at Gina. "Try again. This time put a bit more angst in your voice."
Gina tried again and, again, no one came.
Olga unhooked her cuff from the bed and crept over to the door. She leaned against it to listen for any noise in the other room as Gina had done earlier. Her ear on the door felt warm. Puzzled, she stepped back a bit and placed both palms on the wood.
"What's wrong, love?" Gina unwrapped her own cuff and rose from the bed.
"This door is hot. I think there's a fire in the other room. No way would this door be as hot as it is if there wasn't something going on over there to make it this warm. Come feel for yourself."
"What happened to your fear that the men next door will catch us out of the cuffs?"
"I know you're not stupid, Gina. Think. No one came when you called out, this door is hot, they've left us here to die. What better way to get rid of us than to set fire to the place and go?" Olga panicked at the thought of burning to death. She'd had nightmares about fire and explosions since Renee's death and now it seemed that would be her fate as well. She thought she'd known on some level that she deserved to be punished for her friend's death but, now that the time was at hand that such a thing might actually happen, she realized she wasn't to blame and she didn't want to die. Certainly not today and certainly not by fire.
"Quick, grab something to break this door d
own," Olga glanced around the room for anything that would work.
"Isn't there some rule about not doing that since it could cause a backdraft?"
"Did you see any other choice for us?" Olga looked frantically around the room. "Do you see a window we can break? Do you want to die in this room or do you want to take a chance and live?"
"Okay. I'm ready to live. Let's do it." Gina dragged over the only chair in the room and hefted it into the air.
"I hope the door is hollow." Olga stepped aside for Gina to swing the chair.
The door bowed slightly but didn't cave. Gina smacked it again and again until Olga grabbed the chair in mid swing.
"This isn't going to work. Let's regroup and figure out what to do next. Breathe a minute, G."
Gina bent over double and sucked in huge gulps of air.
Olga paced around, the hopelessness threatened to overpower her. What to do? What to do?
Finally, she made a decision. She grabbed one end of the bed that Gina had been cuffed to.
"Watch out. Get out of the way."
Olga ran full tilt at the door, shoving the bed ahead of her. When it made contact with the wood, the bed broke though into the next room. Raging fire backlashed into the area where Gina and Olga stood. Flames filled the room.
Chapter Twenty-Four
"Daring is a noble business."
Russian Proverb
Gabe and Martin stood on the sidewalk outside the old apartment complex that had been slated to come down but was still partially standing. Detective Inspector Carlyle tried to get them to leave but Gabe stood his ground even in the face of arrest. He agreed to stand aside but he insisted on being nearby.
The riot-gear-dressed policemen on the scene milled around waiting to be allowed inside the building. Martin described the area to Gabe and what was going on. Gabe paced in a small circle as they waited. Periodically, he'd ask what was going on but he mostly kept to himself.
Finally, Gabe turned to Martin and said, "Let's go around to the back side of the building. This waiting around is killing me. I think Carlyle is afraid to go in since he assumes the women will be shot or something if he makes a move. I say we need to make our own private move."
"We could get in a lot of trouble."
"I don't care. The woman I love is probably in that building and in a lot of trouble that could be getting worse as we sit here doing nothing."
"Okay. I'm in. I hate to think something bad could happen to them while we stand safely on a sidewalk. Come on." Martin took Gabe's upper arm.
They made their way quietly toward the back of the construction site and to the furthest door to the derelict apartment complex. Almost as soon as they arrived at their destination, Gabe came to a halt.
"Smell that?" he asked Martin.
"No. I don't smell a thing. What is it?"
"Fire. It's fire. Go tell Carlyle that we need a fire truck. Now." Gabe stuck his nose in the air and sniffed. "Yeah, this building is on fire."
"Gabe, I don't see any smoke. I don't know about this."
"I was a fireman for years. You can bet everything you own on my nose. I'm positive I smell fire. I'm going in to find Olga and her friend. Go get the fire department."
"You can't maneuver your way alone. I'm coming with you."
"I can follow the smell. I can find them in there." Gabe moved toward the door. "Get help. I'll be back."
"No. I'll call Carlyle but I'm not leaving you. If the people who grabbed Olga are still in there, you won't see them coming. It won't do anyone any good if you get yourself killed by a gunman you can't see."
"If you're coming, then shut up and come on. Call Carlyle from the stairwell."
"All right." Martin opened the door that hung loosely from the jamb. "After you. I have a feeling this is going to be like following a blood hound."
"Good thing I have a good nose. Remember, when it gets smoky put your shirt over your mouth. Breathe through it. If we pass a bathroom on the way, let's go in and wet our shirts in case we need them. It makes breathing easier."
"Okay. Got it. I'll be on the lookout for the first apartment and we'll get water there." Martin flipped open his phone and dialed. While Gabe moved ahead of him, Martin spoke into the phone to let the detective inspector know that a fire team and truck was needed.
Gabe tried not to listen to the conversation since he needed to focus on where he needed to go. He knew in his gut that the fire had been set to hurt Olga. He knew it in his bones. This was also his worst nightmare come true -- to be back in a fire emergency. He tried to block out the memories of the last fire he fought, the one where he had on safety equipment but was still blinded by an explosion. There was a lot at stake then and he did save four people. He'd hoped never to be in another situation where the burden for someone else's life was in his hands.
This time was a bit different from the last one as he'd had no inkling of the way that one would end, with his blindness. He'd often wondered if he had known, would he have gone ahead and entered that room, that room that exploded. Now he knew. Yes. He would have done exactly the same thing. He couldn't stand by and let someone die. This go round, more was on the line for him personally, though. He decided if he couldn't save the woman he loved, he wasn't sure he wanted to emerge from this building.
He kept his hand on the stair railing as he made the slow journey upward in the direction of the stench of the flames. Aware that Martin was behind him and still talking on the phone but ignoring the words, Gabe kept going.
"Let's make a left turn here," Martin said as he placed his hand on Gabe's back. "This is a bathroom. Let's wet our shirts."
Gabe took the detour. They ran cold water over their shirts and as they walked out of the bathroom, Martin said, "I smell the fire now. It's a good thing that the builder left the water hooked up."
"Head this way." Gabe moved up the stairs a bit further. They turned on a landing.
Someone shot at them. A bullet whizzed past Gabe's ear. Martin shoved Gabe to the side. "Get down. There's a guy with a gun."
Another bullet went past. Gabe ducked his head. "Which way?"
The man shot again. Martin let out a grunt.
"Are you hit?" Gabe asked.
"Yeah. In the shoulder. I'm fine. Just a nick."
"Where is the guy? Can we get past him? Can we try to disarm him?"
"I don't know. It's getting smoky in here. I can't tell really where he is."
"Can we move a little? I'm going to take him down if I can. We need to get to the women now. It's getting worse in here and they don't have a chance if we don't get there soon."
"Stop for a second and think, Gabe. You're in great shape but you can't dodge bullets. You'd be crazy to try."
"I have to try. It's urgent." Gabe reached out and gripped Martin's forearm. "I have to get them out. Now."
Without waiting for Martin to answer, Gabe started creeping again up the stairs. The bullets kept coming but, miraculously, none hit him and no more hit Martin. When Gabe figured the man was out of bullets unless he reloaded, he took a chance and moved forward more quickly.
When they arrived at the next landing, Gabe could hear the man run away, his dress shoes clattered on the uncarpeted risers. "I hope some of Carlyle's men are outside to grab that bastard. Are you all right to go on? I may need you to help but, if you're hurt too bad, you can stop here. I'm going to start calling for them now since I think the source of the fire is close by."
"I can go on. Like I said, I'm hit, but not bad."
"Come on then. We've got to start shouting." Gabe called out, "Olga, Gina."
"Wait. What if there's someone else here? Another gunman?" Martin placed a hand on Gabe's arm.
Gabe whirled around and took hold of Martin's biceps. He practically shook him. "Here's the thing. I'm going to save her or die trying. Are you in or out?"
"I'm in."
"Good. Then start yelling. We're running out of time." Gabe let go of his friend and realized that his righ
t hand and forearm were covered in a sticky substance. He could tell by the smell that it was blood. "God, mate, you need to go back and wait for an ambulance. This amount of blood feels like more than a nick."
"Doesn't matter. I owe you. We're going to find your woman. Come on, time's a'wasting." Martin moved past Gabe and Gabe followed, both of them yelling the women's names.
*****
Olga and Gina crawled near the floor since that was the place where the most fresh air was available. The heat intense on their faces, Olga prayed as she crawled. She was beginning to believe they'd never survive. Gina was behind her holding on to her blouse.
Gina was crying a little and hitched her breath every once in a while. It was setting Olga's teeth on edge but she reined in her frustration so, if they died, the last thing she said to her friend wasn't said in anger. But God, how she wished she'd stop that noise.
Olga's face hurt and she knew her eyebrows had to be singed from the fireball that flashed up at them when the bed broke through the door. She resisted the insistent urge to touch it. Afraid of what kind of damage she'd already sustained, she didn't want to make it worse. She hadn't looked Gina in the face either, scared of what she might see.
They inched their way across the room with flames all around them. Right as they arrived at the door to the hallway, some of the ceiling gave way and fell on Olga's back,
"Get it off, get it off," she screamed as the blazing pieces burned through her shirt.
Gina swatted at the large embers, then flipped Olga over on to her back and yelled, "Roll, roll. Remember. Roll to put out the flames."
In her panic to get the flaming pieces off her, Olga rolled but cried out in pain as her tender burnt skin made contact with the floor. She thought she'd pass out it hurt so bad. She inhaled a huge gulp of smoke and coughed.
When the fire on her back was out, she lay still. She was in so much pain she didn't know how she'd go on.
"We have to keep moving, Olga. Come on. We'll die if we stay here." Gina hovered over her.
"I don't care." Olga's words were a whisper. "I can't make it. Go on. Save yourself."
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