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stairs, Glock ready. He stopped three feet short, looked for signs of life. The guy wasn't breathing. He'd given it up.
     
    This time, he raised the Chief on the radio clipped to his uniform shirt.
     
    “What's up Tim?”
     
    He gave her a shortened version of what just happened.
     
    “I've got at least four or five like that at the hospital. Me and George are going through trying to get people out of here. Get the civilians out of the building and get over here. We need the help. Are Rob and Kayla okay?”
     
    “They're fine. I have them all waiting down in the lobby. What about the shooting?”
     
    “What about it?” Ross said.
     
    “I had no choice.”
     
    “This isn't a normal night. I trust you did the right thing. Now get your ass over here.”
     
    Tim signed off. His gut churned and he started to shake from the adrenaline surging through him. He left the stairwell and headed for the elevators, determined to put on his best cop face for the civvies.
     
     
     
    Rob sat next to Kayla on a bench in the lobby, his arm around her. Ryan leaned against the wall and Mary paced back and forth, her heels clicking on the marble. Ramsey was busy doing something on his iPhone. Probably something vital like playing Angry Birds . Rob had showed it to him last month and the old man had gotten hooked.
     
    Rob thought he'd heard a gunshot from up above, but the others hadn't seemed to notice it.
     
    “Will the police find him Dad?” Kayla asked.
     
    “I bet they will.”
     
    “Will he get arrested?”
     
    “Probably.”
     
    “I didn't mean to hurt him.”
     
    “You did what you had to do. You're not in trouble,” Rob said.
     
    “I hope I didn't hurt him too bad.”
     
    Rob kissed the top of her head. She was a sweet kid, always thinking of others, no matter what the circumstances. “I'm sure he'll be fine.”
     
    Mary, still pacing back and forth, said: “Where's that cop? I'm getting out of here.”
     
    Ryan said, “He said to stick around.”
     
    “I'm leaving. You coming?” Mary said, giving Ryan a hard look.
     
    He shrugged his shoulders. “Okay.”
     
    She took the lead, ass swinging like a pendulum. Ryan followed behind. Rob noticed him admiring the goods as he walked. The two of them left the building. The glass doors gave a hollow bang as they slammed in the near-empty building.
     
    Rob heard the elevator ding and a moment later the cop appeared. He looked a little pale, which Rob figured wasn't a good sign.
     
    “Well?” Rob asked.
     
    “I found him. He attacked me. Had to shoot him.”
     
    Ramsey looked up from his iPhone. “Carl? You shot my maintenance guy?”
     
    “Sir, something had happened to him. His appearance changed. Not sure what.”
     
    “You couldn't have subdued him?”
     
    “Wasn't an option, I'm afraid. I'll need you all to leave the building. I have to help Chief Ross over at Saint Mary's.”
     
    Rob said, “What's going on at Saint Mary's?”
     
    “They've had some security issues. Now if you can please leave. I have to go.”
     
    Security Issues. Rob reached in his pocket and gripped his cell phone. Then he let it go. If he called Emma it would seem like he was mothering her. She could handle whatever was happening at Saint Mary's. “What do you say we go home and pop that popcorn?”
     
    “Extra butter?”
     
    “Extra butter.”
     
     
    “Cut it out. Trying to drive,” Ryan said.
     
    He swatted Mary's hand away from his crotch. His lips were all twisted up and he was frowning. He looked pretty damned cute when he was flustered. She giggled and said, “Suit yourself.”
     
    Ryan pulled up the Nissan up to the driveway that emptied onto Maple Avenue. The street was deserted. Across from the Ramsey's parking lot was a weeded lot. There'd been an auto shop or something that had burned to the ground.  A few charred bricks from the foundation were scattered in the weeds.
     
    There was something else odd in the field. A dozen people