The Genesis Illusion

Chapter 33

Paul, saying goodbye to Maria, opened the door to let himself out. The apartment was at the opposite end of the hallway from the elevator. Maria didn't know much about the disease outbreak. That's not surprising since Maria was only fifteen. I wish Lee was home. He would have remembered? So what did I learn about the inventors? Nothing.

As Paul stepped into the elevator, a man wearing a hood passed by the open door walking toward Lee's apartment. The doors closed. Wonder who that was? A hood? In Singapore? He must have come from the stairway? The elevator arrived at the ground floor and Paul stepped out, reaching with his toe as if to feel the floor before he put full weight on his foot. He walked this way toward the double glass exit doors progressing more slowly with each step. He halted before pushing the door crash bar, his head lowered staring down at the tile floor.

It's probably nothing. Or? I should do something? Paul turned re-entering the elevator his heart beating in his head. A moist film, not quite sweat, covered his brow and his feet became heavy resisting any movement. When he arrived at Lee's apartment floor, he stuck his head out to look down the hallway like he'd seen on TV cop shows. This is stupid. If I can see them, they can see me. Where is he? Paul crept down the hall stepping lightly so as not to make any noise.

Paul strained to hear through the apartment door. Two unintelligible muffled voices, one male and one female, were becoming louder so he could almost make out what they were saying. I need to do something Maria might be in trouble.

He heard a shout, "Stop that." It sounded like Maria. Paul knew he had to act. He reached into his hip pocket and grabbed his folding umbrella. It was the only solid object he had. Holding it in one hand, he struck the door hard with the closed fist of the other. Pounding repeatedly he shouted, "Police, police, open up. This is the police."

The talking inside the apartment stopped. Then he heard scraping noises like chairs being moved. Then there was a loud thud like a window or a door slamming against its frame.

Paul was panicking now. He pounded on the door again, "Police, police, open the door or I'll..."

The door knob turned from the inside and the door opened. He pushed it aside to see Maria slumping to one side with a pained look on her face and cradling her arm with her hand. She crumpled to the floor. Paul rushed in grabbing her to break her fall. Then he ran through the apartment holding his umbrella over his head as if it were a club. One of the large windows in Lee's room was open. He looked out but saw no one on the fire escape that led to the ground floor.

Returning to the living room Maria slouched whimpering on the floor holding her arm. "Whoever it was must've run off," Paul said. "Looks like he jumped out the bedroom window." Maria didn't respond. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Maria said. "My arm, it really hurts. He grabbed me when I tried to get away."

Paul pulled out his phone and dialed 999, the Singapore emergency number. He told the operator about the assault and asked for the police and medical aid for Maria. After hanging up he helped Maria to the couch wrapping his arm around her shoulders while they waited for the police to arrive.

"What happened?" Paul said.

"I'm not sure, it happened so fast," Maria said. "He said something about you. Yeah, he said your name. I think he was here to get you?"

Officer Ho was the first to arrive. Ho must've been following me. He arrived so quickly that Paul didn't have time to ask Maria anything else. The Officer called for an ambulance after seeing Maria's condition. A few minutes later two more officers arrived followed by paramedics.

Paul remained in the apartment after Maria left with the paramedics. But he was anxious to get to the hospital, so the police said he could go. They said they would take statements at the hospital later.

I didn't sit on my bony butt and do nothing this time.