Page 35 of Serial Burn

He entered the store to find it empty except for Kenzie, James, Sampson Greene, and his K-9, Otis. Greene eyed him. “Can’t track a man without a scent article.”

“I know.”

Kenzie backed away from the storage room. “It’s clear.”

James lowered his weapon. “The whole place is clear.”

“Well, he didn’t just disappear,” Nathan said. He took a step forward, then stopped and looked up. Walked a few more paces, then stopped again and listened. “Maybe he went up, not out,” he said, his voice low.

Kenzie nodded. “Just thinking that. But from what access point?”

James went back to the storage room. “Start looking.”

They fanned out and started the search once more. Nathan checked the restrooms, then the women’s changing room. He hesitated. A black curtain drawn across the back was darker in one area. Because sunlight had faded the other part? Weapon ready, he stood to the side and whipped the curtain aside.

An open window. It exited to a hallway, not to the outside. “Found his exit point.”

The others joined him and they all climbed through. Cold air hit him. It might be inside, but it wasn’t heated. Cole nodded right. “Cross and I’ll go this way.”

“Kenzie and I’ll take left.” Nathan swept down the hallway, praying the guy didn’t step out of a doorway and open fire. They were all sitting ducks at the moment.

But it was quiet, the doors to other businesses clear. When he reached the end of the hall, he paused. Stairs leading up to his right, the sidewalk in sight through the window at his front. Going with his gut, he took the stairs.

Footsteps darted, pounding just above him on the flat roof. Nathan shoved out the door at the top of the stairs and caught sight of the fleeing man. “Hey! Stop!”

The guy looked back over his shoulder, spun once more, and aimed himself toward the edge of the other side of the roof.

Nathan had a bad feeling. “Don’t do it!”

Of course the dude ignored him. Nathan added speed to his steps and reached, grasping for a handful of the loose-fitting green coat, but his fingers scraped the material and the suspect leaped over the edge of the building.

Kenzie’s gasp echoed in his ear. Nathan came to a skidding stop and pinwheeled to keep from vaulting over. He looked down, expecting the worst, but to his surprise, the guy’s gloved fingers were attached to the gutter of the neighboring building. “Help!”

“Hold on!” Nathan gave the man’s location and officers closed in, but Nathan could see his fingers slipping.

“Help me! I’m gonna fall!” The terrified screech echoed in the air.

“Great,” Nathan muttered and backed up as far as he thought he might need. He’d jumped that distance before. Barely. When he’d been a lot younger.

One hand slipped off and the guy cried out, arm flailing. Nathan took two more steps back.

“Don’t you dare,” Kenzie said.

“I don’t have a choice.” He needed that guy alive.

With Kenzie shouting in his ear, Nathan ran and vaulted over the open space below, soaring for a brief second before he landed just beyond the suspect. Nathan hit hard, his left leg buckled, and he rolled, gasping at the pain that shuddered up his hip. Then he shifted, clamped down on the wrist of the dangling possible arsonist, and held on.

“Th-thank you.”

“Shut up.”

Nathan tuned into his surroundings. Officers were finally on the roof and heading toward them. James, Cole, and Andrew led the way, all with ferocious frowns on their faces. Cole dropped beside him and added his strength to haul the guy up and over. In seconds, he had him on his stomach, hands cuffed.

Andrew turned to Nathan. “Are you out of your ever-lovin’ mind?”

“Absolutely.” Now that they had the man in custody, he allowed himself to take inventory. His leg ached, but his hip hurt with a vicious bite.Please, God, don’t let it be broken.

“Are you hurt?” Andrew asked.

---