Chapter Four
Once she’d realized the threat looked to be female, hysterical and just a teenager, Carolina whipped open the door. “Stop that.” She held the gun at her side and used her other hand to point at the girl’s twisted features. “Stop screaming. Get in here.”
Helping the girl into her place, she checked the corridor. “It’s okay folks, she’s with me. I’m Agent Carolina Madison, FBI.” She shut and locked the door, and placed the gun behind her back in the waistband of her pants. Turning to the cowering girl, she grunted, “This better be good. Acting like a complete moron, screaming, upsetting everyone in the place. What possessed you?”
The quivering girl shouted; panic evident, “He’s coming to kill me.”
“Calm down.” Carolina took the teen’s wildly jerking hands in hers and held them in front of her, giving them a shake. “He who?”
As she listened, she automatically registered certain details about the slender teen’s appearance. Her black hair worn long and straggly, moisture-filled brown eyes widened by fear, and the Chinese features, that showed a promise of beauty, stood out the most.
Voice again rising, hysteria the cause, the girl clarified, “The same man who killed the woman in the opposite apartment building.”
Stunned by her reply, Carolina’s radar slipped into operational mode. “A man killed a woman in the opposite apartment? How the hell do you know that?”
“I watched. He caught me. His evil expression through Bud’s binoculars warned that he saw me. And he’ll come. He knows where I live.” Terror-filled, shaking uncontrollably, Alicia grabbed at Carolina, her eyes enlarged by fear and dripping tears. “You’ve got to help me.”
Carolina, trying to grasp everything at once, to decipher the babble and make sense of the situation, hesitated.
“Agent Carolina, you’ve got to believe me. Look, I live with the White’s down the hall. Tonight I was babysitting. I was like, bored, so I used Bud’s binoculars and looked out the window. The killer knows I saw him. He’ll come and shoot me too. You’ve got to believe me.” Spittle running from the side of her mouth, snot ready to drip, Alicia sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand.
Carolina zeroed in on the one word that left her stunned. “Babysitting? There’re kids left alone? How many?”
“Three babies. They’re sleeping. I’ll go and get them and bring them here. I just wasn’t sure you’d be home, and I didn’t want to scare them for nothing.”
“Wait. When did this happen?”
“A few minutes ago, maybe five. I came here as soon as I remembered you were a cop. I’ll get them.”
“No, you’ll stay right here and call 911. I’ll go and check out the apartment. What number is it? Is the door locked?”
“No! Oh man, I forgot to lock the door or bring the keys. It’s at the end of the hall on the left, Apartment 2020. The babies are alone with that killer.” The teen slid her shaking hand through her long hair at the front, gathered it and threw it back over her shoulders.
“Calm down. Do as I told you. The phone’s in the kitchen. Call the police and tell them what you told me. And whatever happens, don’t leave this apartment. Only let me, or the guys with a badge come in. Got it?”
“Got it.” Alicia ran for the kitchen, knocking over a chair on her way and ignoring it.
Rattled, using her training to control uncomfortable urges of running as far and fast as she could, Carolina reached behind her for her gun, turned the safety off and opened the door. She made sure it locked behind her and then checked the corridor, noticing the elevator light showing the last stop had been on their floor.
Which could mean nothing or…
Slowly, holding the gun in the two-handed aim taught at the academy, she made her way to the apartment down at the end of the hall. Ready to hurl, her stomach reacting violently to the sudden stress, she forcefully tamped down on the negative emotions. Reaching, she opened the door noiselessly and slipped inside.
Surveying the living room, she recognized the sweet odor one gets from a can of room spray. The view from the huge window caught her attention.The girl could be telling the truth.Suddenly, she heard a noise and quickly sought refuge behind the puffy couch sitting a few feet away from the wall.
A man, dressed in dark clothes and a mask, slipped out of the bedroom hallway and moved toward the kitchen. She saw him silhouetted in the soft lighting from under the counter and noticed instantly; he held a Glock with a silencer and looked completely comfortable while doing so.
Shit. The teen had called it right. He was here to clean up.
Unwilling to show herself, knowing that a killer wouldn’t hesitate to shoot; she hoped he’d turn away from her to check the pantry. Then she could sneak up from behind and catch him unaware.
Before the plan could be implemented, distant sirens informed that the police had arrived. Now spooked, the killer headed for the exit.
Reluctant to let him escape, Carolina called out, her voice shrilly. “FBI. Hold it ri-right where you are. Drop your—”
Gunshots, aimed her way, thudding into the wall above her, stopped the rest of her speech. Dropping down again and peeking from the side of the sofa, she sent one bullet toward him but realized he’d already made a sprint for freedom. She heard the door crash open and running footsteps.
Quickly swallowing her reluctance to move, she followed to the staircase, reopening the closing door. She yanked her head back just in time as he sent a flurry of bullets her way. Not wanting to get shot, but needing to shadow the asshole, shaking badly, she glued her body to the wall and took her time.