Guardian Angels – Ambivalent - 33

Once again, Paddy buzzed them through the door. Then he sat down to watch the counter. Two kids came in just as the intercom rang. Whoever was on the other end asked for Mike. Paddy told them where to find him and then returned his attention to the teens, telling them what he'd told the pair earlier—that they'd have to come back after four and get in line for a bed. They argued with him briefly before giving up.

Moments after they left, he became aware that something was very wrong.

Instantly he was in the lounge. "Get the hell out of here," he ordered, pointing to the window.

Link and Mike looked at him in shock. Link pulled his gun, asking, "What's going on?"

"Move it," Paddy told him tersely even as he turned to face the door. Seconds later they all saw smoke curling under it. "And call 911."

Mike was at the window, trying to open it as the fire alarms went off. "It's stuck," he cried out in panic.

"Of course it is," Paddy growled in anger. "Break the damned glass."

Link did, using the butt of his gun. He and Mike crawled out, thus missing seeing Paddy vanish again.

Paddy reappeared in the hallway. Ahead of him, just heading for the side door, was a dark-haired man. The sprinklers and alarms were still going off as Paddy shouted, "Not this time, you bastard." He reached him instantly, grabbing one arm to swing him around. The man struggled to get free but one hard punch to his gut and he doubled over in pain. Paddy hit him again, in the jaw, and the man landed flat on his back on the floor.

* * * *

Ten minutes later, everyone who had been in the building was either out in front or, in the case of most of the teens, gone. Mike and Link, who had both gotten minor cuts from the broken shards of glass in the window, were being bandaged by EMTs.

Detective Massey was reading Owen McKim his rights prior to the man being taken to the police station to be booked on charges of attempted murder.

Paddy leaned against the building wall, watching the proceedings. He smiled ruefully when he saw Link with his arm around Mike as he talked to him. Mike grinned slightly, nodding, his attention totally focused on the young cop.

I think my assignment it finished, so I should leave before anyone tries to stop me.

Paddy pushed off the wall, only to find Detective Massey coming toward him. He stopped in front of Paddy, saying, "I'll need your statement about what happened."

Lying with a straight face, Paddy replied, "I was going to find Mike, to tell him someone was looking for him. In hindsight I suspect it was McKim I talked to on the intercom. Anyway, I got into the lounge and a minute later I started to smell smoke. I told Mike and Link to get out through the window and, being the idiot that I am sometimes, I opened the door. The sprinklers were on, the fire was going out, and I saw McKim trying to escape." He shrugged. "I guess he didn't know about the sprinkler system or he'd have done a better job setting the fire."

Massey nodded. "The firemen think he used gasoline, but not enough of it."

Paddy snorted. "And McKim thought the fire would be put down as accidental?"

            "At the moment, who knows? He's not talking. Perhaps he figured it would be blamed on some teen that was pissed off at the shelter for some reason."