The young man’s face ashened. “A class three release? My God, that ... that’s ... that’s bad isn’t it?”
“Well, it can be. Say, these readings are higher than I thought we’d get. Maybe we should evacuate the building. How many people are in here?”
“Another guard on the second level and a couple of guests.”
“All right. You let them know we may have to evacuate and I’ll contact the boss to get a decon team over here ASAP.”
The guard turned his back on John to reach for the telephone.
John slipped his handgun from its holster and cold cocked the young man behind his right ear. He went limp and crashed to the floor.
John froze, listening for a sound to indicate he’d been heard. The building was quiet.
A door in the right wall was labeled restrooms. John gripped the guard under his arms and dragged him toward the door. He didn’t waste time tying the man up, either he would have Caitlin out of there before the guard woke up or it’d be too late for either of them.
He stopped to read the guard’s nametag. Bill Roberts.
It struck him that overcoming the guard had been too easy, but with the perimeter security as good as it was, the inside guards usually got a little lax.
“Caitlin, I’m inside. Are there any other guards?”
“I didn’t see any, but there could be.”
“All right, be ready. I should be there in a couple of minutes.”
John found a pair of elevators just down the hall from the lobby. One set of doors was open. He stepped inside and scanned the controls. There were apparently three floors above ground and two below. He pushed the button for the second floor. The elevator moved silently, but a bell sounded as the doors opened. John pressed the hold button and raised his gun to cover the doorway. No one appeared in the opening. He listened for the sound of footsteps in the hall and waited. In a few seconds, he heard the sound of heavy feet coming toward the elevator.
“That you, Bill?” a voice called.
Judging by the sound the speaker was another young man and not more than ten feet away. John let him get a little closer, and then stepped into the hallway. His gun leveled at the speaker.
The man’s eyes grew wide, but he made no attempt to reach for his holstered weapon.
“Just remain calm and you won’t be hurt.”
“What did you do with Bill?”
“He’s resting comfortably. Turn around and walk.”
The guard nodded slowly, then turned, and moved slowly back the way he had come.
When he reached the first corridor, John stopped him again. “Just hold it there.”
There was a desk and telephone there and an open paperback mystery novel lay cover up on the desk.
The book was entitled “S is for Suicide.”
Down the right corridor, about seventy feet away, an exit sign glowed red above a door.
John moved close, unsnapped the man’s holster, and removed his weapon.
“Turn down that way,” John ordered as he shoved the gun into his belt.
At the third door, John again ordered him to stop. “Unlock that door.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Sure you can. Did you forget I have the gun?”
“No, it’s just that I don’t have the key.”
“A jailer without a key? Then what use are you to me?
John clubbed him behind the ear and he went down.
He knelt and removed two spare magazines from a leather pouch on the man’s belt. Rising, he stepped over the man’s body and knocked lightly on the door. “Hello? Anyone home?”
“John, is that you?”
“Don’t you recognize my voice?”
“It’s difficult. I can barely hear you.”
“Uh-oh.”
John tapped the door again with his knuckles.
“What uh-oh?” she asked.
“The door is steel and I don’t have a key. I don’t guess there’s any way to open it from that side?”
“No, it’s a bare knob over here and I’ve already tried it.”
“Just a minute then.”
John holstered his weapon and took his lock picks from a coat pocket. He tried to work fast, but his fingers weren’t as coordinated as usual. It took him nearly two minutes to pick the lock.
The door swung open and Caitlin stepped into his arms.
Her emotions swept over him as they touched. For a moment, he could do nothing but hold her and share the touch, the warmth, the love.
Then she looked up into his eyes. “I told you I’d come for you, Caitlin. I’ll never let them separate us again.”
“John, you’re exhausted. You didn’t tell me how bad your wounds were.”
“Not so bad, nothing a little rest and a couple of pints of whole blood wouldn’t cure.”
“Always ready with a wise ass remark. You’re incorrigible.”
“And I thought that was what first attracted you to me. Are you all packed? It’s time to get on the stage.”
“All packed.”
John pulled the guard’s pistol from his belt and jacked a round into the chamber. He decocked it and flicked the safety off. “Take this. The safety’s off, just squeeze to fire.”
“All right.”
She took the extra magazines and tucked them into her belt.
John opened the door slowly and listened. No sounds.
He stepped into the hall and silently told Caitlin to follow.
“Is he?”
“Just unconscious.”
John was almost to the end of the corridor when he heard the elevator chime. “Oh shit, we’ve got company. Back the other way, toward the stairwell,” John transmitted as he backed away from the corner.
Footsteps pounded in the hall. Lots of footsteps.
As a uniformed guard came into view, John sprayed a three round burst at his legs. The man went down cursing and
