Page 1 of A Cold Fateful Night
Chapter 1
With his hands in his jacket pockets, Dorian Fields staredbroodingly out the entrance windows. The deserted downtown Denver streets werecovered in thick white snow. Turning his head from one side to the other hedidn't see a single soul walking or driving by. Despite it being Friday hedecided earlier that day to stay late and catch up with some work, ignoring theweather warnings from his coworkers and the news.
Turning away from the windows he began to go towards the elevatorwhen he heard the loud draining whir. The power just went out. Quiet and darkthe desolate office building echoed its barren state. Calmly he turned backtowards the front entrance windows and observed the buildings across thestreet. The lights were out across the street as well.
With the lights out in the main foyer, the office building wasdraped in heavy darkness. The dim outside light cast a faint hazy blue tintalong the edges of the darkness, but it didn't go far. The depth of the longfoyer and black tile was too great and too dark for the small amount of lightthe windows had to offer. Pulling out his phone he used it as a flashlight ashe made his way down the exit stairs towards the parking garage.
Opening the door, Dorian stopped in his tracks at the pitch blackgarage. Cursing inwardly in annoyance he scanned the nothingness in front ofhim noting the gated entrance and exit ramp heading up to the street. Thesloped ramp was covered in thick snow piled against the grated metal gate.There were no emergency lights anywhere in the building or if there were, theysure as fuck weren't on. Narrowing his gaze at the gate, Dorian questioned ifit would even work.
Letting the door to the stairwell shut behind him, he began tostep forward.
"Hello!" The muffled desperate voice sounded in thedarkness to his right. "Is anyone out there?"
Shining his phone light towards the voice, he could see the blackmetal doors of the elevator. There was someone trapped inside.
"Yes, I'm here." Setting his phone screen facing down,on the concrete in front of the elevator doors, he created a makeshift lantern.
"Oh my God thank you, I have been stuck here for a couple ofminutes now, and my phone isn't working. I began…"
"Can you pry open the interior doors?" It was a womanthat was evident by the light, airy voice penetrating the steel doors—a veryscared, chatty woman at that.
"Oh…Umm no I tried I can't seem to get my fingers in betweenthe seam." She sounded closer now as if she was pressed directly againstthe doors.
Pushing his fingers into the crease of the doors Dorian slowlymuscled the two heavy doors apart until the doors' internal hydraulics kickedin easing them all the way open. Stepping forward he put a boot in front of theopen doors and began to repeat the process on the interior doors.
"Can you call the police or fire department please?" Hervoice was no longer muffled, Dorian could hear the nervous fear in her voiceclearly. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the sharp pain to his fingers as hepried at the second set of doors.
"Are you still there? Please say something I…"
The doors opened, catching both off guard. With his handsoutstretched on either side of him holding the doors, open Dorian looked downat the wide-eyed woman standing inches away. Dressed in a long leopard furcoat, the small brunette gave him a large grateful smile. Dorian had seen herbefore, once a few weeks ago when he first started the job. She was walking tothe front door the same time as him, Dorian could clearly remember her softthank you she gave him as he held it open. That day he only got a passingglance at her face, but he did notice her outfit, as well as everyone else shepassed by.
The woman obviously had a thing for old clothes judging from hisfirst encounter and what little of her outfit he could see now. The first timehe saw her she was wearing an outfit reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy's infamouspink suit, hat and all. Picking his phone off the ground, she inadvertentlycast the bright light across her face highlighting her high round cheekbonesand plump round lips. Her light brown hair was piled high in a pillow curlsaround her collar and face giving her a warm, soft look.
Handing him his phone back Lasette stepped back as he let thepowerless elevator doors slowly shut again. Grabbing his phone, he held it sothat it still illuminated the dark space between them.
Getting a good look at her savior Lasette had to do a double-take.The man was huge. Built like an athlete the tall wide shouldered man gave her acalm accessing look. He possessed a fine classical handsome face that instantlyattracted the eye, however, any attention his features might have captured wereimmediately turned away by the uncompromising hardness etched across his sternset lips and a unapproachable set-in glower that held not one shred ofsoftness. The gray storm clouds he called eyes looked at her intently.
"Thank you so much, you have no idea, I was really startingto freak out in there," Breathing an audible sigh of relief Lasettesmiled, nervously filled the silence between them. The man's gray eyes calmlystared at her as she rambled only making her want to ramble more. "I triedcalling for help on my phone it but won't connect with anyone not evenemergency numbers. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't have comealong when you did. I really…"
"We she could going," his calm, deep voice immediatelyquieted her as a gust of strong wind rushed through the gate.
Without saying anything, he began walking across the cavernousparking garage, his dark boots echoing with each step. Shoving her hands intoher pockets for warmth Lasette rushed to keep up. Standing next to theautomatic gate he looked around the machine they would normally swipe their keycards on to get out.
"Is there no manual release?" She asked, desperatelywanting to leave and get into her toasty car and out of this godforsakengarage.
A deep grunt was the only reply he gave her as he flashed phonelight around the gate. After a couple of minutes of searching, both of themusing their phones to walk along the wall of the freezing garage, they met backup with nothing to report.
"Can we ram it?" At this point she is ready to tryanything, her stocking covered legs felt absolutely numb from the blizzardwinds whipping freely through the grated gate.
Lasette watched the man's harsh profile as he gave the large metalgate a calculating stare before shaking his head.
"No, we will just end up wrecking our cars if not injuringourselves."
She sighed nodding her head in agreement, that definitely wouldn'tbe a good idea since they were alone with no way to call for help. Not surewhat to do next she turned to him to ask for his opinion, but he was alreadywalking towards the large black truck parked in the corner. The truck was theonly other car on that level besides her own. Since it was a holiday weekendand a lot of people didn't come in today it made it easy to find a space at thetop of the garage.
"We need to get out of here," opening his truck Lasettewatched him take a few things out and stuff them into his coat pockets.Unfolding a knitted black hat that matched his black coat and boots, he pulledthe material over his dark close cut hair.
"I suggest we go to Union Station and try to find acab."
