Chapter 57

Chapter 57—The not-so-safe safe room

3:10 a.m., Friday, December 30

Their attention immediately turned to figuring out a way to get out of the building. “Has to be a fire escape—code demands it.”
“There’s a fire escape off the back. But you can bet your sweet ass they’re watching it.”
“FBI. Open the door or we’ll smash it down. We have a search warrant.”
“Don’t worry about that door,” Allison consoled James, “it’s very sturdy. This whole apartment is a safe room. Even the fire escape window is designed to resist entry from the outside.”
“Al. If that actually is the FBI, they will get in. They’ll cut through the wall.”
“Two-layers of tempered steel, concrete filled, it is one hour cutting-bar rated.” Allison thought for a short moment, then stood to her feet. “Grab all your stuff, James. This will buy us a little time.” She grabbed James’ hand and led him into the bedroom, and then into the walk-in closet. There she opened the top left drawer of a built-in cabinet. She pulled it out until it stopped, then firmly yanked it. It was that last inch that released the latch securing the wall panel behind it. She then pushed the drawer back in, leaving it open just enough for her to slide her fingers into the cavity. She gripped the ridge above the drawer, and pulled firmly. The whole cabinet was part of the door mechanism leading from the Bernadette apartment into the spiral staircase. Allison then pulled the heavy door open. As she did, a motion sensor turned on a small battery-powered light which illuminated the staircase.
“What is this?” James asked, not believing his eyes.
“This is how we get outta here.”
“I can’t believe this. I always wondered how you did this. You’re some kind of a James Bond.”
“This is how we do it. Take a piss right now, because you might spend a while in here.”
James just stared at Allison for a few seconds. “Go ahead—do it.” James recognized Allison’s tone of command. “She’s back on her game,” he thought, as he started unzipping his trousers on the way to the toilet.
Allison then briskly went into the kitchen, opened a drawer and removed two one-gallon zip sealing plastic bags, three bottles of water, and a roll of paper towels. She then headed back toward the secret staircase. But, instead of entering the closet to wait for James, she detoured into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Quickly she changed from the robe into a pants suit., and found a pair of Allison’s shoes.
She then walked over to the bed, and removed a Walther semi-automatic pistol from beneath a pillow. She lifted her top, exposing a small roll of fat that hung just a bit over her the top of her slacks.  At first she slid the pistol under her pants. Realizing that it was not secure there, she removed it and tossed it on her bed. She then grabbed a thin belt out of a drawer. Again lifting her top, she placed the belt around her midsection, and tightened it until it was snug, but not uncomfortable. She then tucked the Walther under the belt, and pulled her top over it. “This is going to be a crazy day. Never know what might come in handy,” she thought as she made her way to the staircase, where James was waiting.
“Here, take this,” she said handing James the bags and paper towels.
“What is this for?”
“Use your imagination,” Allison barked, glaring into his eyes over her glasses. “Take it!” Allison had given James the roll of paper towel and zip bags in the event that he were to be stuck in the stairwell for an extended period of time. She did not want to reveal the storage cabinet to him, at least not now, because she did not want to have to re-stock it later.
James smiled and took the bags and towels from her, and stepped into the staircase shaft. Allison still remained in the closet. She was nearly, if not totally, sober by now. Adrenalin was kicking in, counteracting the alcohol.
She carefully slid the magic drawer back into the cabinet until she heard familiar click. That indicated the latching mechanism on the door could be engaged. She then entered the stairwell with James, and began to pull the door closed behind them.
“Hold on. Stop.” James squeezed past her and trotted to the office where they had been talking. He snatched up the laptop, yanking the power cord out of it, and hurriedly made his way back to the stairway. Allison had followed him to see what he was doing.
“Can’t believe I almost forgot this. I must be getting old, Al.”
James then walked down the first three steps, and waited. Allison re-entered the stairwell, pulled the heavy door closed behind her. She gave a final tug on the door handle until she heard the lock engage. Then, she engaged a second lock, this one on the inside of stairwell.
With the door closed, and double locked, the stairwell thus became a secret inner sanctum within Allison’s safe room complex.
“Okay, James, let me squeeze through,” she said, as she gripped his elbow and pushed past him. “This is not going to be very comfortable, but I’ll get you outta here as quickly as I can. “If the light goes out, just move around a bit, and it will come back on.”
“Wonderful,” James muttered.
Just as Allison reached the door leading into her lower apartment bedroom, there was a large explosion, followed by the building’s fire alarm sirens. It was obviously coming from the door to the Bernadette’s upper apartment.