She did not want to be in New York. She had no choice. She knew of nowhere else to go. She could have called. Should have called. It was late. Barney at the front desk said that, to his knowledge, Mr. Evers had not left. Hallie had waited forty eight hours and then when she did not hear from Jake, she went into action. Of course, the burner cell phone was disconnected. She had no other way to track Jake. Kyle was the only one she could ask. She was not sure she could even trust him. Finally, the chime sounded and the doors opened. Immediately, she could tell something was wrong. A light flickered at the end of the hall and papers littered the receptionist’s lobby. She pulled her sidearm from beneath her jacket and leaned against the wall. She controlled her breathing and listened carefully. All she could hear at first was an electronic buzzing. She resisted the urge to cry out for Kyle. Then she heard a groan. Hallie crouched down low and crept down the hall toward the lobby, her eyes scanning ahead.
