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“The building fire alarm,” Luke said, wincing. “This happened when I first moved in, too. A bunch of false alarms. They said they fixed it, but… let’s go downstairs. It will be quieter outside.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened, and I remembered the weird feeling I’d had downstairs when we got out of the car. I put out a hand to stop Luke. “Wait. Let me go take a look first.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“I have a weird feeling about this.”
Luke narrowed his eyes at me. “I think you’re being paranoid.”
“It’s my fucking job to be paranoid.” I checked the security bar on the balcony door, then closed the blinds. “Just wait here until I check it out. Don’t open the door for anyone. I’ll use my key to get back inside.”
I grabbed my clutch, checked the peep-hole, then slipped into the hallway. The alarm was louder here. Other doors in the hall opened and the neighbors emerged. I saw Janice and Jimmy, the retired couple, walk into the hall and hurry to the stairs. Then Lexi’s door opened. I tried to hurry past her, but she saw me and ran to catch up.
“Another alarm. I’m getting sick of these. They shouldfirethe fire department!” She giggled at her own joke. “Where’s Luke?”
“Still inside.”
“Smart. It’s probably a false alarm.” She glanced sideways at me. “I thought the date went really well. He was totally into me… until the end of the night. I was giving himallthe signals, but he asked me to leave. Does he do that with all the girls he brings home?”
“I wouldn’t know,” I replied when we reached the stairwell. The smell of smoke was in the air, too faint to see. Maybe the alarm was legitimate. But my hackles were still raised, so I took the stairs down. The smoke scent grew thicker all the way to the apartment lobby. There was a little kitchenette with a coffee bar and a microwave. Smoke hung in the air, and someone was gesturing angrily at the microwave.
“Who the hell puts a bag of popcorn in the microwave for this long? The whole thing is charred black…”
I felt myself relax. It was just a stupid mistake. I was jumping at shadows for nothing.
But as I turned to go upstairs, someone else said, “Why is there a fork in the microwave?That’swhat started the fire.”
“It’s probably those kids on the second floor,” the first guys complained. “They’re always up to no good…”
Alarm bells went off in my head to match the fire alarm.This fire was no accident. It’s a distraction.
I sprinted back upstairs, grateful that I wasn’t wearing heels with my dress. When I reached the third floor, I opened the door as quietly as I could. The hallway was empty. The alarm continued blaring in my ears as I stalked inside. I held my clutch like a club and hoped I wouldn’t have to use it. The leather bag wouldn’t do much damage against a genuine attacker.
Hopefully it’s all in my head, I thought as I reached the hallway intersection leading to Luke’s apartment.It was just the kids on the second floor causing trouble.
I rounded the corner, and froze. At the end of the hall, near Luke’s door, was a man wearing a hoodie. All I could see was his back as he walked away from me. He stopped in front of Luke’s apartment, and a few seconds later, the door opened. The hooded man stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the light inside.
And silhouetting the gun he held at his side.
No, no, no, I thought as I took off at a sprint. Time seemed to slow down as I crossed the fifty feet. I would never reach him in time. It felt like I was running through sand, and my legs refused to go faster. In between blares of the fire alarm I heard Luke’s voice say, “Caz? Is it a real fire or… oh.”
The man raised the gun. He said something, but I didn’t hear it. I was still twenty feet away. The seconds ticked off as I lengthened my stride, grateful that I was wearing a loose-fitting dress rather than Lexi’s. As I closed the distance, I waited for the gunshot that I knew would occur at any second. Luke came into view in the living room, his hands raised to his side. The attacker took closer aim with the pistol, his arm seeming to stiffen as he prepared to fire.
I slammed into him like a wrecking ball, and the two of us fell to the floor inside Luke’s apartment. My element of surprise didn’t last long, because the man with the hoodie twisted toward me. He was wearing an N95 mask, but his eyes were brown and bloodshot. I saw with horror that the gun was still in his hand, and he was bringing it around to me. I struck out with my fist, hitting him in the wrist, and I pulled back to punch again—
The gun smashed into my temple, and my vision went white. I was dizzy for several seconds, and felt the cool tile of Luke’s kitchen floor against my cheek. I groaned, and tried to blink away my dizziness, but everything was still swirling.
I was aware of the attacker picking up his gun. He rose from the ground, too far away for me to grab. Luke lay on the floor by the couch, and slowly raised his hands.I’ve failed, I thought, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop him, that I was about to see my client get shot right in front of me.
But then the man darted to the balcony door, throwing open the security bar and running outside. He leaped over the railing, then climbed down out of sight.
Luke ran after him, peering over the edge before coming back inside. He closed the door and lowered the security bar into place, then closed the blinds. “Hello? Police? I’d like to report a break-in. I was threatened at gunpoint. Yes, the Obsidian Apartments. He climbed out of my balcony and fled south, toward the commercial park…”
He continued giving instructions, then hung up. “Cops will be here in five. I can’t believe the fucker got away… Caz!” He crouched over me, then brushed aside my hair and peered into my eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said as the dizziness faded. I had risen to a sitting position, but didn’t think I could stand just yet. “My head hurts a little, but not bad.”
The relief on his face was obvious. He stroked my cheek with his thumb and said, “Oh, thank God. You’ve got to stop taking blows for me—”
