Chapter 31 - The Distraction
The next afternoon, the sky over Cedar Ridge was heavy with dark, rolling rain clouds. I sat in the secure observation room at the Family Services Center, watching through the two-way mirror. Maya was playing with a colorful shape-sorter on the mat. Dr. Evans sat in the corner, her clipboard resting on her lap.
Derek walked into the room. He looked wildly erratic, his eyes darting frantically toward the heavy emergency exit door at the back of the playroom. He didn't even attempt to fake a smile today. He knelt on the mat, his hands shaking as he reached for a plastic block.
I felt a cold prickle of dread wash over my skin. "Something is wrong," I whispered to Elias, who was standing beside me. "Look at his body language. He’s wound too tight. He's not looking at Maya; he’s looking at the door."
Elias narrowed his eyes, his tactical instincts instantly recognizing the signs of an impending adrenaline spike. He keyed the microphone on his lapel. "Security control, this is Grant. Lock down the perimeter. We have a potential hostile situation developing in room—"
Before Elias could finish his sentence, a deafening, ear-piercing alarm shrieked through the entire building. The harsh, pulsing strobe lights of the fire alarm system flared violently, casting the sterile room in chaotic, blinding flashes of white.
"Fire emergency! Please evacuate the building immediately through the nearest marked exits in an orderly fashion!" an automated voice blared over the intercom.
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In the playroom, chaos erupted. Dr. Evans stood up, reaching for Maya to facilitate the evacuation.
But Derek moved faster. He lunged forward, violently shoving the psychologist backward into the wall. He scooped Maya up from the mat, ignoring her terrified wail, and sprinted directly toward the heavy, red-painted emergency exit door at the back of the room.
