Dayton steps from the elevator, passing a concierge in the hall, who glances away as he passes him. Belinda informed him that Savannah was seen in the lobby. His breakfast meeting turned out much better than he anticipated. Savannah’s plan was brilliant, he was able to secure over thirty thousand in investment money. With a promise to spread the news the number could grow much higher. He can’t wait to share the news with Savannah!
The concierge turns the corner and starts to run for the staff elevator. He shakes nervously, as he waits for the elevator to reach his level and open.
Dayton turns the corner and slows in his tracks. The door to the suite is cracked open. He pushes it open and stands in shock at the state of the room. Chairs are knocked aside and on the ground are a few hairpins he recognizes, and Savannah’s carpet bag is tossed on its side.
“Savannah!” he roars. His mind races as he runs through the suite looking for her and it strikes him. “The concierge!”
He runs from the room, bumping into a second concierge in the hallway. He seizes him by the throat. “Where is she?”
“Who?” the terrified man gasps. “I brought the tickets,” he wheezes.
Dayton releases the pressure from his throat and shoves the tickets in his coat pocket. “Where do the concierge take the sheets?”
“We... we use the staff elevator. I can show you!” They run, and Dayton prays that he’s in time to save Savannah.
The man giggles as the doors slide shut and pats the rolling cart. He drinks from the flask in his pocket, and his smile fades as it stops on level four. When the door opens, he pointed at the young maid trying to walk inside, “No, you don’t want to be in here.”
“Oh, I can take those for you,” the maid offers and grabs the cart.
“No!” he shoves her back out of the elevator ignoring her shout of outrage. She slams into the wall just as another maid comes around the corner. “Are you alright?”
“That’s man is crazy! We need to report him.”
“No!” He screams as the elevator doors slide shut and move down another level, only to stop again.
Dayton watches the elevators slow progress and smiles. “Go get Maxwell Fields, tell him to call the Sheriff, now!”
“Yes, Sir,” the young man runs using the steps. Dayton follows and checks each level. He runs, fast, down the steps thankful that the rising rooms are still lower than he is.
Two young maids are complaining to Maxwell when a concierge runs up looking terrified. “He said for you to call the Sheriff!”
“Who?” Maxwell demands.
“Dayton Patrick! He said a man took Savannah!” he quickly fills Max in on the details.
Max turns and shouts for security. “Lockdown the Hotel, Especially the staff elevators. No one in or out!”
Dayton runs, desperate to reach the bottom level before the elevator. He makes it to the bottom level, just as the man slams through the exit doors on the bottom of the Hotel. A swift punch sends him flying backward and skidding to a stop at Dayton’s feet.
“Fred!” Dayton growls and grabs him by his throat and slams him into the wall. “Where’s Savannah!”
Fred starts laughing, just as Maxwell shouts out orders to his Security to start searching for her. “Seize him!” Two large men grab Fred and lift him from his feet by an arm on each side.
“You’re never gonna find her in time!” Fred spits his blood and teeth out on the ground.
“Where is she?” Dayton shouts.
One of the security guards finds an empty rolling cart with blood inside. “She’s not here,” he snaps. Fred laughs manically, and Dayton turns away from him.
“She can’t be far,” Dayton tells Maxwell. “I just passed him on the way down. We need to check every level.”
“Already on it,” Max says, “We’ll find her, Dayton.”
“You’ll find pieces of her,” Fred shouts as Security tries to drag him to the office to wait for the Sheriff.
Dayton closes his eyes, “Lord please cover Savannah with your protective embrace, shelter her in your wings, keep her safe and guide my path,” he prays.
“That’s right, pray, fool, she’ll need it!” Fred grunts as one of the guards knock him accidentally into a doorway.
“Sir! We found something.”
The young maid is crying and holding her head. “He slammed me into the wall,” she weeps.
“The doctor is on the way, Maria, tell me did you see a girl with red hair?” Maxwell asks.
“No just a smelly, drunk, man. I was on the third floor, and he had a cart, when I offered to take it, he slammed past me.”
“What’s on the second floor, Max?” Dayton demands as Max draws a pistol from his safe and turns around.
“Laundry!” They start running for the employee stairs. “It has stairs leading outside, but it’s locked down.”
“He’ll be desperate now,” Dayton grumbles.
Savannah wakes and grabs her head against the pain. She is stuffed inside something moving, and sheets are on top of her. Her face is stinging against the pain of being punched and her head is throbbing. Reaching down for her boot, she grabs the four-inch blade she carries inside and slips it free of the sheath. It’s not much, but
