No Shelter Read Online Free PDF

 
    “ What’s up? ”  
    “I’ll have a package for you to grab.”  
    “ The prize? ”  
    “That and another.”  
    Nova asks me what this means but I ignore him and continue down the steps. I’ve ditched my heels and the thin fabric of my stockings threatens to make me slip. Past the twenty-fifth floor, past the twenty-fourth, I hear the heavy footsteps closing in behind us. I can keep going—running five miles is a regular part of my daily workout—but it’s clear the Mexican girl is slowing down. She’s holding her side, wheezing, and I know she won’t be able to go another twenty floors at the same speed.  
    I push myself even harder, finally reaching up to her. I take her by the arm, and at the first floor we come to—the twenty-first—I open the door and push her into the hallway.  
    We hurry toward the elevators. Thankfully the hallway is deserted. I know cameras are watching us—have been watching us the entire time—and that the police are probably sealing off every exit.  
    I press the button for the elevators and start counting—one, two, three, four, five—and then there’s the ding and the doors open just as the emergency exit opens and the men appear. I see one of them raise his gun but it’s just as we’re stepping into the elevator and he doesn’t bother firing.  
    I press the button for the lobby, the doors close, and then we’re headed down.  
    “Nova,” I say, “we’re in the elevator headed down to the lobby right now.”  
    “ Who the hell is we? ”  
    The girl is having a hard time catching her breath. She asks who I’m talking to.  
    We pass the fifteenth floor.  
    “Nova, are you there?”  
    “ Almost. ”  
    The girl asks again, “Who are you talking to?”  
    We pass the tenth floor.  
    “Nova?”  
    “ You got a weapon on you, Holly, you better ditch it. Expect the police once those doors open. ”  
    “How many police?”  
    “ A shitload. ”  
    “What’s going to happen to me?” the girl asks. “No police. I can’t go back. Please.”  
    Three more floors, two more floors, one more floor, and as the elevator slows I flick the safety on the TEC-9 and quickly slip it in the waistband of my skirt. The doors open and I take hold of the Mexican girl’s arm, begin crying, screaming, telling the dozen men in uniforms that they had guns, they were gonna kill us.  
    The police have their weapons drawn. Suspicion is in their eyes. But then they see the two of us—helpless young women—and the suspicion starts to fade. Remorse replaces it, and two officers step forward, take our arms, try to hurry us out of the elevators. I don’t let go of the Mexican girl; she doesn’t let go of me. I bring the tears on without any trouble and the Mexican girl takes my cue and doesn’t stop either. We play a pair of blubbering idiots. People are everywhere watching us. I spot Nova in the crowd. The cops are leading us away from him but then another set of elevator doors opens and then there is shouting and gunfire and the place explodes with activity.  
    The two cops leading us away let go and turn back toward the action. I hold onto the Mexican girl and lead her toward Nova. He opens his mouth but I shake my head and push the girl toward him, say, “Take her back to the garage.” He knows better than to argue and nods and takes her and then they’re slipping through the crowd of people that is quickly dispersing, everyone running and screaming now that there’s gunfire.  
    I turn back around, inspect the damage. I hold the chain up at my side, the gold coin swaying back and forth. If any of Roland’s men are watching, they’ll recognize it. If they recognize it, they’ll understand what’s happened and come for me. That’s fine. My goal here is ensuring nobody follows Nova and the girl.  
    The gunfire continues by the elevators. It’s only been going on now for thirty seconds. Some police are hit, some of Roland’s people are hit. The