by Max Hudson
Alex snorted.
“Unless we get some more brats trying to sneak past the cameras.”
Chris grinned. He had been busy earlier in the day. First thing that morning, he had taken his phone to the police to show them the pictures. The police would be questioning the three youths right now. From what the detective had told him, the kids were no stranger to the police and neither were their families.
Somehow, that didn’t surprise him. Although Chris did feel sorry for the children. With parents like theirs, ones who let them smoke and go out attacking people so they could get more money for drugs, they didn’t have a chance.
“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about them anytime soon. The police have got the culprits.”
“Eh?” Alex blinked. “How do you...what have you been doing, Chris?”
“Nothing any more than usual.”
Alex shook his head.
“I don’t know how you do it, old-timer.”
“Hey!” Chris punched Alex’s arm. “I’m not an old-timer!”
“Compared to me you are.” Alex laughed. “What are you, fifty?”
“I’m forty-six, thank you. Nowhere near fifty.”
“Well, it’s still the wrong side of forty, if you ask me.” Alex shrugged. “An old-timer, and you’re still like the Energizer Bunny.”
Chris smirked.
“My partner can certainly verify that last part.”
“You...yuck!” Alex made a face. “That I didn’t want to know.”
“You did say it first.”
“And I wish I hadn’t.” Alex grimaced at his coffee. “Now this coffee is making me sick.”
Chris laughed.
“Oh come off it, Alex! You’re always talking about the escapades you’ve had with women and you don’t care if nobody wants to hear all the intimate details. Why should this be any different?”
“Because it’s me.” Alex shuddered. “I don’t want to know what my boss gets up to in bed with a girl.”
“Who said I was in bed with a girl?”
Chris sipped his coffee, looking over his cup at his colleague as realization dawned. He almost choked on his drink at the sight. Alex looked practically comical.
“You were...wow.” Alex blinked and scratched his head. “That I wasn’t expecting. You are a dark horse.”
“What do you expect me to do? Plaster it on the bulletin board?”
“Right next to me. Then I wouldn’t feel like I’m alone in my confessions.” Alex glanced at the screens, and then he sat up, frowning at one particular screen. “Who’s being a fucking idiot now?”
“What is it?”
“Someone’s left the emergency exit on the east side of the building open.” Alex tapped at the keyboard. “The alarm’s not going off, though.”
“You know what the alarms are like in this building. I think the engineer who looked them over took the batteries out.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Alex shook his head. “Honestly, what idiot decided to go out that way? Everyone knows that’s not supposed to be used unless in an emergency.”
“Perhaps they couldn’t be bothered to make their way down to the parking lot the usual way.” Chris put his cup aside and rose to his feet. “I’ll go and check it out.”
“Okay.” Alex grinned. “Bring back a couple of coffees while you’re at it, old-timer?”
“I beg your pardon?” Chris pretended to swipe at Alex’s head. “Who’s the supervisor here?”
“Sorry, boss.” Alex was still grinning as Chris headed toward the door. “Remember, I like two sugars.”
Chris rolled his eyes and ignored him. The younger man was an annoying little shit. Good company and kept things entertaining, but he didn’t know when to stop. Chris wondered, not for the first time, if his employers would object to him duct-taping Alex to his chair and gagging him.
He headed through the lobby and into the offices on the east side. It was the side backing onto the river, separated by a narrow alleyway. They had had some problems a few years before with teenagers breaking in and taking refuge from the weather in the offices or to enjoy themselves with illegal drugs. The door had been reinforced, but it wouldn’t take much to get back in that way.
Chris entered the room where the photocopiers were kept. The door was partially open, the smell from the river reaching his nostrils. And the wind was strong, rippling past Chris as he hurried over. He shone his flashlight outside, inspecting the alley. There was nobody there.
It had more than likely come open in the wind. There was no sign of anyone around in the offices, and no indication that the door had been forced.
A waste of time.
Chris pulled the door shut and made sure it was secure. Then he headed back into the offices.
He was barely through the door when pain exploded in the back of his head. Then everything went black.
Chapter Seventeen
Not for the first time in that hour, John glanced at his watch. He knew Chris would have started his shift by now, but he didn’t want to head down too early and hang around if Chris had gone on his rounds. That would certainly raise eyebrows. He had to bide his time.
His work had been intense, and John had been trying to catch up on everything all day. He hadn’t had a chance to have a break, not even at lunchtime - John had eaten at his desk. And he hadn’t had a chance to call Chris and warn him about Violet.
His sister was mad to think she could be in charge of her ex-husband’s life. John was aware that Chris had tried to date a few times after the divorce was finalized, but Violet always made sure she got in the way. The dates almost ran in the other direction. Nobody wanted to deal with a jealous ex-wife.
She had lost control, and Violet had been trying to get it back for months. It wasn’t working, but she refused to believe that it was happening. Nothing happened unless she was in control. John had known that for years.
It was a pity Violet hadn’t grasped hold of that herself. Chris was going to have her harassing him now. Moving on with someone else was one thing, but with her own brother? Violet was more than furious about it.
John wished his sister wasn’t such a bitch.
He checked his watch again, and saw it had just gone past the hour. Maybe now would be a good time to wander down to the lobby and stretch his legs, see if Chris was around, have a few private moments with him and then go back to work. That should give him some more energy.
Working different hours to his lover was going to be tough. But John could weather it out if he had to.
Waving at Sandy, who was still working furiously on her own figures, John took the elevator down to the lobby. Ninety minutes after the close of day and people were still trickling out on their way home. John was surprised any of his colleagues knew what home was; nobody seemed to know what relaxation was.
Chris certainly did. And John was just beginning to discover it himself.
He reached the security office, the door to which was open. Rapping on the door, John stuck his head around to find Alex, one of the other night staff, turned in his chair, swiveling around to face him.
“John, hey.” He gave John a grin in greeting. “What’s up?”
“Hey, Alex. Is Chris around?”
“Not right now. He went off to check one of the side exits. Some silly person decided to leave the building out the wrong door.” Alex raised his eyebrows. “Is there anything I can help you with? Is anything wrong?”
“No, thanks.” Now John was feeling deflated. He was going to look like a fool. He shook his head. “It’s okay.”
Alex was watching him curiously.
“If you want, you can wait here for Chris. Save you going all the way back upstairs.”
John hesitated. He should go back to his desk. Chris could easily come up to him. And it would save an awkward silence with Alex. But John found himself entering the office and taking a seat against the wall. Hopefully, Chris wouldn’t be too long. Alex was a nosy guy. Alex
sipped his coffee, still watching John.
“What did you want to see Chris about?” He asked. “I thought you and he weren’t on speaking terms.”
“We’re talking now.” John tried to be as vague as he could. “We’ve been talking a bit more lately.”
“Good for you.” Alex grunted. “I was wondering if Violet had got hold of you.”
John snorted
“Not a chance. My sister and I barely speak on cordial terms.”
“Join the rest of the population.”
“I think I was leading the way.”
Alex chuckled.
“I bet.”
He fell silent, and John resisted the urge to squirm. Alex was watching him intently, focusing on John instead of the screens. He cleared his throat.
“Shouldn’t you be working, Alex? Last time I checked, I don’t have a TV screen above my head.”
“I’m working.” Alex tilted his head to the side, still regarding John. “You know, I did wonder about Chris.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I have wondered in the past which way Chris really swung. Being married to a woman doesn’t mean anything. I didn’t realize he had a revolving door.”
John blinked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You and he are an item, aren’t you?”
Alex was grinning. He looked like he was enjoying himself. John sat up and stared at him.
“What...did Chris tell you something?”
“He said he was dating, but he didn’t say who the lucky person was. I just guess.” Alex’s grin widened. “And I guessed right.”
John groaned. So much for keeping it quiet. Alex was a big gossip. He talked about all his conquests, and they filtered back to the various departments. They made women swoon over the erotic details and men roll their eyes at the elaborate stories. John didn’t want Alex doing the same thing.
“It’s not something we’re going to be broadcasting all over the building, Alex...!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.” Alex winked. “As long as you don’t broadcast it where I can see it in here, that is. I don’t really want to watch porn while I’m on duty.”
“I’ll remember that,” John grunted.
Then he saw a flicker of movement over Alex’s shoulder. John sat up and saw a dark shadow hurry down the hall on one of the screens.
“What’s going on there?”
“Eh?” Alex turned. “Which one?”
“Middle left screen.” John stood and joined him at the console, pointing at the disappearing figure. “Who’s that? That part of the building is being refurbished. It’s completely deserted for the moment.”
Alex frowned. He brought up the camera on the main screen and tried to move the camera around to get a better angle, switching to another at the opposite end of the corridor. But all John could see was someone dressed in black with a hood covering their head.
“Dammit, can’t get a better angle on him.”
“Do you think someone’s trying to steal something?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. A few things have been going missing from that department. Computers and so on.”
“Do you think it’s those kids who have been mugging people in the parking lot?”
“I doubt it, unless they had an accomplice. Chris said he’d dealt with them.” Alex was still frowning as he checked the other screens. “Speaking of Chris, where is he? He’s disappeared from sight.”
John could feel something hard in his gut. Something wasn’t quite right. His company was an architect business, not really a target for thieves but there was quite a bit of equipment that could go for a lot of money. To see it actually happening was quite chilling.
Alex was still looking through the footage. Then John saw a body on the floor. It was gone within a second, and he gripped Alex’s shoulder.
“Hang on, go back.”
“Okay.”
Alex flicked the channels back, this time more slowly, and then John saw Chris. He was on the floor, face-down, unmoving. John’s heart momentarily stopped. Was he dead? Had the burglar got to him?
“Shit!”
Alex jumped to his feet and ran to the door. John ran after him. They were halfway across the lobby when Alex stopped and spun around, John careering into him.
“What do you think you’re going?” Alex demanded.
“I’m going with you.”
“Like hell you are!”
“Chris is my partner.” John protested. “I want to make sure he’s okay.”
But Alex was shaking his head, blocking John’s way.
“Not a chance. I won’t get you put into jeopardy as well.”
“We’re not going to be jumped, are we?”
“I’m not taking any chances.” Alex forcibly turned John around and pushed him toward the elevators. “Go back to your department and wait there. I’ll find Chris.”
“But…” John tried to protest, but Alex was still pushing him.
“Don’t argue, you big fool. Go back to your desk. I’ll let you know what’s going on once things are sorted. Go!”
Chapter Eighteen
The first thing Chris was aware of was the intense pain in the back of his head. It felt like it had been split open. His head felt very heavy, and it was difficult to lift it off the ground.
Chris rolled onto his back, forcing his eyes open. It was painful, like someone had hit him between the eyes.
Then again, someone had hit him. Chris hadn’t seen it coming, and he had been blitzed from behind. God only knew what had happened after that.
Chris’ hands were shaking as he fumbled over his body, checking his pockets. Everything seemed to be where it was supposed to be. He still had his wallet and his cell phone, along with his gun and baton. His flashlight was on the carpet beside him, the light starting to flicker.
How long had he been out? Chris mind was full of fog. It could be the next morning, for all he knew. It was difficult to tell.
“Chris!”
Chris heard some footsteps, and the lights turned on. The brightness was too much and Chris clapped his hands over his eyes.
“Fuck! Turn it off!”
“Sorry.” The brightness disappeared. “Better?”
Chris gingerly took his hands away. It was better, but not fantastic.
“It’s manageable.” He started to roll onto his side. “Help me up, will you?”
Seconds later, Alex appeared at his side, kneeling down as Chris pushed up onto his elbows. He put his arms under his colleague and eased him to a sitting position. Chris closed his eyes and waited until everything stopped spinning. He felt like he was going to be sick.
“What hurts?” Alex asked, his hands brushing over Chris’ head. “Is it just your head?”
“Yes.” Chris flinched as Alex’s fingers prodded his skull. “How bad is it?”
“There’s no blood and the skin isn’t broken,” Alex said grimly. He shifted back onto his haunches. “Chances are you’ll have a nice dent in your head.”
“Great. Just what I needed.” Chris pressed his hands to his head and took a deep breath. “Fuck, that hurts.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. Someone was lying in wait for me. They must’ve got the door open in the hopes one of us would investigate.”
Alex hissed.
“You were lucky you weren’t killed. What the fuck is going on?”
“If I knew, I’d let you know.” Chris grunted. “Help me up, will you?”
“Do you think you should be standing up?”
“I can’t do my work lying down here, can I?” Chris grasped Alex’s arm. “Help me up.”
Alex let out a grunt as he hauled Chris to his feet. Chris held onto his colleague as he swayed, trying not to fall over again. He squared his shoulders and took steady breaths.
“You need to go back to the office and sit down.” Alex looked concerned. “You’re in no fit state to d
o anything.”
“I’m fine.” Chris waved away his concerns. “Did you see where my attacker went?”
“I saw someone in the offices that are being refurbished at the back of the building. They were heading toward the back stairwell.” Alex cleared his throat. “When I say I saw him, John was the one who saw him.”
Now he had Chris’ attention. Chris stared at him.
“John? What was John doing in our office?”
“He came to find you. I told him to go back to his offices while I looked for you.”
Chris felt something cold clutching at his chest. He didn’t know why, but he had an inkling that John wasn’t going to go back to his desk unmolested. There was a chance the intruder and John were going to cross paths. John was big enough and strong enough to look after himself, but Chris had thought the same of himself. And he had been taken by surprise.
“Call the police.” Chris started to hurry toward the door, stumbling as the room swayed. “Notify them that we have an intruder on the premises and that he might be armed.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to try and find John.”
Alex snorted.
“Leave your boyfriend for now. We’ve got more important things to do.”
Chris growled.
“Just do it, Alex! I’m not arguing with you right now.”
He ran into the lobby, fumbling for his cell phone as he headed toward the elevators. But as he neared them, Chris saw the ‘out of order’ sign up on both shafts. Typical both were not working when he needed them to be. Cursing, he took a sharp left and hurried over to the service elevator, slamming his hand on the button. The doors opened almost immediately and Chris jumped inside, calling John as he pressed impatiently for the accounting floor. He paced around the metal box as it moved, but John’s phone just kept ringing. Then it went to voicemail. Chris hung up and tried again. That didn’t get answered, either.
“Dammit!”
Chris tried the main number of John’s department. It was picked up on the second ring and a female voice answered.
“Hello, Accounting Department. Sandy speaking.”
“Sandy, it’s Chris. Has John got back to the office yet?”
