Page 48 of The Girl He Wanted

The mall was remarkably clean. There was the scent of cleaning chemicals floating in the air, and Paige could also smell paint and new carpets, a fresh smell that signaled that the mall was being worked on, ready to be reopened. Paige briefly wondered what the news that a killer had chosen this as the site of a murder would do to the place, but she pushed that thought away. She wasn't going to let Alvin succeed in his grim task.

Paige realized that she couldn't hear the whimpering in the distance anymore. She motioned to Christopher, signaling him to stop. They both stood still, listening intently for any sound. The silence was absolute now.

Paige's heart raced as she imagined the worst-case scenario. Had Alvin already killed Zelda Mackie? Had they arrived too late? She shook her head, trying to dispel the thought.

"We have to keep moving," Paige said, trying to keep her voice steady. "We can't give him enough time to do what he’s planning to do."

Christopher nodded, and the two of them continued down the halls of the mall. They kept their guns at the ready, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of movement.

They headed upwards. Paige moved towards the escalator, her gun pointed forward. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the silence, and the only other sound she could hear was her own breathing.

Finally, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She spun around, her gun raised, ready to fire. But it was only a rat, scurrying away from her. She let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding.

Christopher obviously noticed the tension in her because his hand closed around her wrist, squeezing it gently. Paige looked over at him, his eyes meeting hers in the dark.

"We'll get her out of here," he said, his voice steady. "We'll stop him."

Paige nodded, feeling a sense of relief that she had someone like Christopher by her side. Together, they made their way through the corridors of the abandoned mall, their guns at the ready.

"We can't cover all of this in time if we stay together," Christopher said as they continued to make their way through the mall. "We're going to need to split up."

Paige hesitated at the suggestion. Splitting up would make them more vulnerable, but she knew Christopher was right. They needed to cover more ground if they were going to find Alvin and his victim.

"Okay," Paige said, nodding. "You take the third floor, and I'll take the fourth. We'll meet at the roof."

Christopher nodded in agreement, and they went their separate ways. Paige made her way up the stairs to the fourth floor, her gun at the ready. The dim light of the mall meant that Paige had to use her flashlight to pick her way through the empty spaces, looking into each of the mall's abandoned units to make sure that Alvin wasn't there with his victim.

She moved quickly, checking each room as she passed, but there was no sign of Alvin. Procedure said that she had to check them all, to be thorough, but it was still hard not to run straight for the roof. She felt a sense of urgency knowing that time was running out. If she didn't find them soon, it might be too late.

Paige found a door leading upwards though one of the mall's towers and went through it, making her way up and up, keeping her gun trained on every dark corner in case it held some threat. Paige kept climbing the stairs inside the tower, determined to catch up to Alvin as he prepared for his last sacrifice.

Finally, she reached the roof. The wind was howling, and Paige could feel the cold air on her skin. The storm was showing no sign of relenting as rain battered her, forcing Paige to wipe it out of her eyes, trying to focus as she looked for any sign of Alvin or even Christopher. He was meant to meet her up there, after all.

The rooftop around her was exposed to the elements, the rain pelting her skin like icicles, the cold wind chilling her bones. The rain was a cloying, cold slap in the face, the wind a maniacal howl.

Through the rain, Paige stared out, trying to see anything. Her flashlight's beam reflected from the wires of the sign that hung between the buildings, several of those wires broken and hanging down.

Paige looked past them, and she saw three figures. One was bound, stumbling. That had to be Zelda. Another was Alvin. Paige recognized him from the photographs that she'd seen of him with Dr. Kostopoulos.

Then there was Christopher, approaching over the rooftop, clearly planning to make the arrest. Paige felt a surge of hope that this would soon be over, that her partner would be able to take down the bad guy, and the woman he'd taken captive would be safe.

Even as Paige thought it, Alvin turned around, his eyes falling on Christopher. Paige couldn't hear the words that passed between them, but she knew that Christopher would be demanding that Alvin give himself up.

Alvin raised his hands, and Paige saw Christopher move in to cuff him. That was the moment when Alvin lunged, knocking the gun Christopher held aside, slamming into him, and striking with all the fury and strength that came from his madness.

Paige wanted to help then, but she couldn't. She was stuck on a separate rooftop, connected only by the sign and its trailing wires. She could only stand and watch as the two of them fought.

It was a brutal fight, both men were evenly matched, and Paige could see the determination in Christopher's eyes as he tried to take down Alvin. He struck with fists and elbows, his training making the difference, letting him land blows through the gaps in Alvin's defenses. He closed in, reaching for Alvin, obviously trying to overpower him and handcuff him.

That was when Paige saw Alvin strike back with a vicious headbutt that caught Christopher square in the face. Paige saw Christopher stagger, obviously stunned by the blow.

That was all Alvin needed to follow up with a barrage of punches. The sound of the rain and the wind was drowned out by the sound of fists hitting flesh. Paige could see Christopher struggling to defend himself against Alvin's frenzied attack. Blood was streaming down his face, and his movements were becoming slower and weaker.

Paige saw the moment when Alvin knocked Christopher down. Then, worse, he stood over him and lifted him back to his feet, moving him towards the edge of the roof. Paige realized to her horror that he planned to throw Christopher over the edge.

Paige's heart felt as though a hand was closing around it, her terror for Christopher was that great. She knew that she had to do something, or Christopher would be killed. Paige lifted her gun, aiming carefully. She fired, the sound of the shot loud even against the storm.

The wind was too strong and the haze of the rain too great. Paige's shot went wide. Worse, Christopher was between her and Alvin now, so that she couldn't risk a second shot that might hit him.

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