Wrong Place, Right Time(66)

The voices become clearer as they get closer, so now I can tell that at least one of them is a girl.

“Are you sure?” she asks.

A guy answers. “Yes, I’m sure. Would you stop freaking out? You’re making me freak out.”

They could be teenagers or maybe college students. Their voices are too youthful to be older than that. I’m not sure whether this reassures me or makes me more panicked. Kids are prone to making rash decisions. Kids do stupid things when under pressure. Do they have a gun?

“You guys leave lights on in here?” the girl says. “That’s very wasteful, you know.” Apparently, we have a future environmentalist in the building. Nice. I roll my eyes. Doesn’t she realize what she’s doing is more serious than leaving a few lights on? She’s breaking and entering! Where are her parents when she’s off breaking the law?

“How am I supposed to know?” the guy says. “I don’t work here.”

Interesting. The guy doesn’t work here, but he seems to be the one initiating this little visit. Is he here to steal something? Is he related to somebody who works here? I feel like a total spy right now. I strain to hear as much as I can. Who knows? I might be asked to be a witness at some future date.

I duck down even farther. Only the top of my head and my eyeballs are over the top of the desk now. Shadows appear outside the glass windows of the office I’m in. I thank my lucky stars that I didn’t bother turning a light on when I came in. The glow of the computer screen is enough to illuminate the whole room, especially with the lights from the office across the hall shining in. Lucky will be in full view if they go into that office more than a few feet. He’s too big to hide anywhere.

“Come on,” the guy says. “It’s in here.”

Now I can see the two figures clearly. They’re young, but the guy is big. Really big. Like football-player big.

I’ve seen enough. I duck down all the way below the desk, and climb into the knee-hole very carefully and quietly. I pray they can’t hear me breathing. I nearly have a heart attack when the light to the office goes on.

What will I do? What will I say? Will the big guy beat me up? Will he call the police? How will I explain my presence here? Will they believe I’m part of the cleaning crew? That I have permission to be here?

I knew I shouldn’t have come. I knew this was a bad idea. Why did I do this? This is like breaking and entering. Why did I think this had no risk? A thousand other thoughts are running through my brain, and my ears are on fire as I try to imagine the many different scenarios that could possibly roll out in the next five seconds.

I hear footsteps on the carpeted floor. Closer and closer they come . . .

Here it comes . . . The moment of truth . . .

A loud crash rings out from another office.

“What was that?” the girl asks, sounding almost as panicked as I feel.

“Wait here. I’m going to go check.”

“I’m not waiting here by myself! Don’t leave me alone! No way!”

When I hear them leave the office, I let out a long sigh of relief. Lucky caused a distraction to take the heat off me, but now he’s in trouble. What should I do? We’re a team! I can’t abandon him, much as I might want to.

I grab my cell phone and text the first person I think of who can save me. Dev. I don’t stop to question why it’s him who comes to mind and not the actual police, who are supposed to be acting as our backup.



Me: Help! We’re busted! Someone’s here!



His answer comes immediately.



Dev: Can you get out without being seen? Do they have weapons?

Me: I don’t know!

Dev: Call 911. Give them as much detail as you can. Hide. I’m on my way.



I dial 911, holding the phone to my ear and covering my mouth so that I can muffle my voice as much as possible. I hear nothing in the office from Lucky, and I have no idea where the couple has gone, but they can’t be far.

The dispatcher at the police department picks up my call. “Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

I whisper as softly as I can and still be heard. “Hi. I’m with Bourbon Street Boys Security, and we’re at the Blue Marine administrative offices doing some night work, and there’s been a break-in. Can you send someone?”

“Ma’am, we have already received a call from your location, and officers are just outside the rear door. Can you tell us if there are any weapons involved?”

Relief flows through me. Of course Lucky called them. It’s probably what I should’ve done in the first place.

“I’m not sure. There are two people who look to be in their early twenties, maybe, or late teens. One of them is not familiar with this office, but the other one is; however, he doesn’t work here.”