Chapter 6: Butcher? Murderer?

Shelia’s POV

I followed Travis's instructions and ran towards the fire escape. The hotel had 26 floors, with the party on the top floor. More and more people crowded into the stairwell. I looked around but didn't see Travis.

The crowd pushed me downwards. Because of my high heels, I stumbled and fell. Luckily, I gripped the handrail tightly, preventing myself from tumbling down the stairs. But my knee hit the step hard, breaking the skin. A sharp pain shot through me as blood trickled onto my foot.

I forced myself up to avoid being trampled. Someone helped me to my feet. I turned to see it was Esther. Strangely, in just a few minutes, she had changed clothes. Her military uniform and medal were gone, replaced by a pink dress that seemed too young for her. It was also clearly too small for her tall frame.

Before I could think more about it, she ordered, "Take off those ugly shoes."

I obeyed, removing my high heels. She then helped me continue down the stairs. My resentment towards her dissipated somewhat with her concern. Perhaps this calm maturity was what Hugh loved about her.

"Do you know what's happening?" I asked her.

"No idea. I just know if we don't hurry, this stairway will be completely blocked."

When we reached the 17th floor, a gunshot suddenly rang out behind us. I turned to see a middle-aged man dressed as a waiter, standing above us with a gun scanning the crowd.

"Don't move," he said in heavily accented English. He should came from a Arabic-speaking country. I had studied both Arabic and Spanish languages.

People trapped between the 17th and 18th floors froze in fear, while those below the 17th floor frantically rushed downwards, their footsteps threatening to collapse the stairs.

The waiter descended step by step, his gun passing over several women's faces without incident. It seemed he was searching for someone, not intending to harm everyone.

Suddenly, Esther pushed past two people in front of us and pulled me along as she ran down. I didn't understand why she suddenly became so reckless.

The crowd grew chaotic again, with many people falling in the commotion. The middle-aged waiter gave chase, firing another shot, but the scene had descended into chaos. I glanced back to see a man trying to grab the gun, only to be shot.

In the confusion, Esther had pulled me down to the 14th floor.

Instead of continuing downwards, she led me through the fire escape door into the hotel corridor.

"Check if any room doors are open," she said, already ramming into one.

Despairingly, all the rooms were locked. We banged on doors crying for help, but no one would open.

"There's another fire escape at the other end of the hotel," I told Esther. I had been to this hotel before.

Just then, the middle-aged waiter appeared in the corridor, glaring at us.

My knee was swollen, and the wound had reopened from the exertion, bleeding profusely.

"Don't move," he repeated.

Fear paralyzed me. If he wanted to harm me, he could have shot me already. Was he planning to take me hostage? But why chase me specifically? There were so many people on the stairs, why not pursue them? Was it because I was Travis's sister? Travis's special status made me overthink.

Unsure what to do next, I looked to Esther for guidance.

But she clearly had no intention of listening to the man. Instead, she grabbed me and ran towards the other fire escape. The man behind us finally opened fire without hesitation. I felt bullets whiz past, my breath catching in my throat.

Just as he was about to reach us, Esther suddenly shoved me into him. We both fell to the ground.

The man pushed me off him, stood up, and roared in Arabic, "Butcher! Murderer! Whore!"

I understood what he was saying, but I don’t know why he said these words.

From the ground, I watched Esther run to the fire escape. She slammed the door shut behind her, escaping alone without even a glance back at me.

Despair and disgust overwhelmed me. She had never intended to help me; I was just her human shield!

I looked up at the man again. He kicked me once but then stepped over me, firing a shot at the fire escape door.

It dawned on me that he had been chasing her, not me!