42
JT opens his eyes. The stars are bright above him. He moves his head to the side. Sees that he’s in the roof garden. He’s breathing. Alive. He doesn’t remember how he got here.
He breathes in the sweet night air. City air has never been so good. The memories come to him in a rush.
Slumping onto the stairs. Carmella falling beside him. Johnny nowhere to be seen. The summer house and door to the roof in sight. His vision going. Feeling for Carmella. Pulling her onto his back again. Crawling up the stairs, the concrete steps scrapping at his hands, his knees. Reaching the top. The door to the roof busted open. Dragging himself and Carmella through. Collapsing onto the tiled patio. Letting the nothingness take him.
He turns his head the other way. Sees Carmella. She’s curled into the foetal position, her black hair fanned out around her face. He watches her a moment. Checks she’s breathing. Exhales with relief when he sees that she is.
Gradually, he pushes himself up to sitting. He feels lightheaded and for a moment thinks he’s going to pass out. But he fights the urge away. Takes a few breaths. Wonders where the hell Johnny’s gone.
He puts his hand on Carmella’s shoulder. Gives her a little shake. ‘You need to get up.’
She murmurs and her eyelids flicker open. Looks up at him, confused.
‘Take a minute,’ he says. His voice is rasping, his throat dry. ‘We made it outside. You can breathe okay now, but you’re going to feel weird a while.’
‘Okay,’ she whispers. Slowly she sits up. Blinks. ‘I don’t feel so great.’
‘Like I said, give it a minute.’
She does as he says. Stares out across the roof garden. He follows her gaze. After the pitch-black of the penthouse, it seems lighter out here under the stars. He scans the rooftop. The whole place has been planted like a tropical jungle. There are trees and exotic, brightly coloured flowers, a waterfall feature and a small lagoon. Tiled mosaic paths weave between the planted areas. In the distance, the city of Chicago remains shrouded in darkness.
‘The power’s still off,’ Carmella says.
JT nods. ‘Guess it could take a while. We should make our way down. Get to street level.’
Carmella frowns. ‘Why? We could just wait here for help.’
That’s not a good idea. If Cabressa wants the knight, JT knows that he’ll want Lori to take him to it – if they manage to get out of the building. He can’t leave her out there on her own. He promised he’d help her on this job, and blackout or none, he’s going to make it back to her. ‘I don’t do waiting.’
Getting up, JT pauses a few seconds to get his balance, then walks across the roof garden, searching for Johnny. He spots him over in the far corner and heads towards him.
‘Johnny?’
The retired ball player turns. He looks pale. There’s blood splattered across his T-shirt and down his jeans, and over his face and arms. JT knows most of it is Carl’s, but there’s a bunch of ugly knife wounds across the man’s arms, and a nasty gash across one side of his face. The blood has trickled down his face and stained his grey-flecked beard crimson. ‘He’s dead, dude. I killed him.’
‘You did what had to be done.’ JT doesn’t say Johnny’s action nearly killed him and Carmella. That he remembers the man pushing past them on his way to the roof, and that he didn’t give them a backward glance. Instead he says, ‘It was self-defence.’
Johnny doesn’t meet JT’s gaze. Looks away, off the roof towards the city below.
JT glances down. There’s a dull throb in his forearm and as he sees the knife cut, he remembers what happened. ‘Carl would have killed Carmella too. Probably all of us.’
‘I guess.’
‘You need to snap out of this. Dwelling never does no good.’
Johnny’s head jerks up. He looks back at JT. ‘Why should I—?’
‘Look, I’m getting off this building, and Carmella’s coming with me. You can come with us, or you can stay. It’s your choice.’ JT turns away, starts walking back to get Carmella. It’s time to get moving.
‘How?’ asks Johnny.
JT stops. Turns back around. ‘There’s an emergency stairway – it’s the only route down from the roof. I’m going to find it, and use it to get to street level.’
‘And then?’
JT holds Johnny’s gaze. Thinks about Cabressa and Lori and the chess piece. Feels a punch to his chest as he dares hope Lori made it out the penthouse alive. He has to get to her, help her. Live up to his promise. He gives Johnny a small smile. Shakes his head. ‘Then I’m going to forget all about what happened here tonight and just get the hell out of this city.’