“No. There was a popping sound. Twice. It felt like it was sabotaged. We really have to be careful, Matt. We have no idea where we are.”
Matt didn’t say anything, and she wondered if she was completely off base.
“We were separated for a reason,” she continued. “If you’d found me first, you would have tried to pry open the doors and you could have been decapitated when the elevator fell half a floor. I’m not wrong. I have a bad feeling.”
Obviously, she thought. They both had a bad feeling because they’d been abducted by the partner of a psychopathic killer and dumped in this abandoned building likely as a ransom to free the psychopathic killer. Or as revenge for arresting him.
“You’re right,” Matt said. “We have to assume that it was sabotaged, and we take each step with caution.”
She let out her breath, squeezed his hand. “Okay. Nice and slow.”
“Ready?”
Kara nodded. Staying here wasn’t an option. No food, no water, and no one knew where they were—except the person who brought them here.
Matt opened the door cautiously. The stairwell was dark. The green exit sign barely illuminated the landing. The staircase appeared metal, but Kara could only see a couple steps down.
The air was musty, concrete and rust and a pervasive moldy stench. That didn’t surprise her—Florida was humid.
“Stay right behind me,” Matt said.
“You couldn’t shake me if you tried,” Kara said.
He put his hand on the railing, which wobbled. “I don’t know how secure the staircase is, but it appears to be attached to the wall so we should be okay.”
As soon as Kara let go of the door, it slammed shut, making her jump. The faint light disappeared, throwing them into darkness once again.
“Matt.” Kara reached out, felt his back.
“Try to prop open the door.”
She felt around but couldn’t find the handle. “We’re not getting out that way,” she said.
In some secure buildings and hotels, once you entered the stairwell, you could only exit on the ground floor. But she doubted a warehouse would have that sort of security feature.
Someone had removed the handle.
“I feel like we’re rats in a maze and the light was our cheese.”
“Rats are usually rewarded when they find the cheese,” Matt said, trying to look on the bright side.
“Not helping,” she mumbled. “Watch your step. Literally.”
She kept her hand on the small of Matt’s back as he descended.
Matt tested each step in front of him before putting his weight on it. The stairs were metal and had some bounce, but seemedto be intact. A musty draft came up from below, which made him think that this was a tall building, at least three but likely four stories.
He counted stairs, to get a sense of the size. Ten steps and then he was on a larger platform as the staircase curved to the right. He felt along the railing to make sure he was right; he was.
“The staircase makes a one-eighty here,” he said. “Ten more steps down.”
“What if that door doesn’t have a handle?”
“Then we go to the next floor. We’re going to get out of here.”
He tested the first step. Good. Second. Third... a sharp metallic crack and the stair gave way. His ankle went through, and a sharp pain made him cry out as the metal cut into his flesh. He leaned back, knocked into Kara, and the entire staircase seemed to sway.
“Hold on to the railing!” he shouted as the stair he had already tested started to bend.
