Buried

CHAPTER 42 | a ray of hope

📎A/N .. we are now at the business end of the story and only have a few more chapters till it's all over. Getting a little sad ;-(

If you're interested, have posted an interview with the lovely RK Close - the author of Red Night - A modern tale with bite on my website. Check it out at http://mnjgreenhill.com/mnj/2015/11/24/rk-close-red-night/

I hope you enjoy the chapter.

❤ ℳ 

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"No one's in," Murphy repeated. "It doesn't matter how many times you knock on that door, or how loud. There still won't be anyone in there to answer."

Kaitlyn shot Murphy a disgusted glance and rested her head on the cold, impersonal door with a dull thud. The metal numbers 2A, cut into her forehead in the process. She had been ringing, buzzing and banging on the wooden door for the past ten minutes.

"So where the hell is he?" she demanded.

"Probably doing building manager stuff," Murphy said, pulling her away from the door. "Try calling him again."

Kaitlyn yanked her phone out of her pocket and redialled. Hoping against hope that this time, it wouldn't go through to voice mail. They needed to confirm who had taken her mother and, the quickest way to do this, was to get their hands on the building's CCTV footage.

Harvey, the building manager and brother-in-law to the owner, while not the sharpest tool in the shed, was efficient at what he did and took it seriously. He was hardly ever at home during the daytime and was always found fixing one thing or another in one of the apartments.

Joshua and the others were currently working their way from floor to floor, seeing if they could track him down that way. She was guttered when she heard his familiar message. The sense of urgency was now more pronounced than ever.

Kaitlyn nearly dropped her phone when the sudden vibration jolted her. Glancing down at the display she answered as soon as she saw it was Joshua. "Did you find him?"

"He was out the back in the dumpsters of all things," Joshua said, "We'll meet you in the foyer."

Kaitlyn was out the door and flying down the stairwell before the call was terminated.

It took a little convincing, numerous flashes of their FBI identification and a lot of cajoling before Harvey would let them take a copy of the days recordings from the foyer and Kaitlyn's floor.

"I'm not sure that I'm supposed to be letting you have a copy," he kept on repeating.

Harvey stopped short when Murphy towered over him, held up an F.B.I badge and let out a menacing growl. "How would you like me to take you into custody for obstructing an investigation?"

"B... But," stuttered Harvey, clearly terrified. "Don't you need a warrant?"

Harvey froze at the disdain that was dripping from Murphy's response. "A woman's life is in danger and you want to waste time with a warrant?"

"I guess not," Harvey mumbled as he switched on the monitor and reached for the blank thumb drive that Kaitlyn handed over.

They were fortunate in that the security system backed up at midnight. That meant that they had footage from midnight last night till the current time.

"Can't you go any faster?" Kaitlyn pled when the process to transfer the two required files seemed to take a lifetime.

No sooner had Harvey unplugged the device, than it was torn out of his hand, and Kaitlyn rushed out the door followed by Murphy and Joshua. Molly and Liam, who had been waiting in the foyer, trailed behind as she took off to the stairwell to return to her apartment.