He threw the Big Gulp cup into the trashcan on the corner of the empty intersection. He took long steps, sliding his feet with each pace to blur his footprints into something unrecognizable.
Passing in front of the brick building of lighted windows that seemed to reach the sky, he moved into the dark and narrow passageway between these brick titans. Looking up, he saw the snow on each fire escape landing and sighed. He stared for longer than he should before his courage found him. Flexing his fingers, ensuring the gloves on his hands were up to the task, he began climbing the trash dumpster to gain access to the pull-down ladder. He slowly pulled the ladder so it could be as quiet as possible. He noticed the wind picked up on the street and hoped that would dull any sounds he might create.
Once on the ladder, he wiped each step to keep them similar and vague as to who might have been there. Only three flights he thought to himself and began the slow process of moving up those flights, unseen and silent.
Once he found the third landing, he could see inside the warmed room, the familiar blue airplane lamp that sat on a child’s nightstand. He saw the back of a boy with messy dirty blond hair, leaning over something. Probably drawing again, he thought as he absently caressed the folded-up drawing in his pocket.
This inspired him to get to work, he took out the flat head screwdriver and quietly popped the window lock and began to push it up, until he heard her voice from the other room.
He hid himself from the window, white steam coming from his rapidly breathing mouth. He needed to temper himself to go through with this. He was not the bad guy, no matter what anyone else said. He wasn’t crazy. He knew this was what’s best for his son, even if the judge couldn’t see it.
Steeling himself, he turned to the window again, gently pushing up to discover it wasn’t locked. The cold air must have swirled into the child’s room because he looked up immediately and smiled.
“Papa!” the child squealed happily.
“Shhh” pressing his finger to his own lips. The window was not open enough so he could get in and get out with the boy if his mother appeared.
As if on queue the woman ran into the room, seeing the boy pointing to the window, she turned in horror to see the face that had plagued her nightmares for too many years. She calmly went to the boy and said something the man outside the window couldn’t hear. The boy smiled happily at his mother, then to the man, got off his chair and went with his mother.
“NO! No, no, no, NO!” he yelled, the sound softened by new snowfall, but still echoing against the brick buildings narrowly separated. He couldn’t see into any other room, he assumed she took the boy to flee, which would mean she was downstairs in moments. Without hesitation he descended the fire escape, not worried about noise or disturbing residents of the building. His sole focus was speed.
His footsteps crunched on the snow as he ran as quick as his footing would allow. He waited at the base of the stairs to the narrow building, looking for signs of his son and his ex-wife. It felt like ages had passed and yet she didn’t appear. Had she doubled back to trick him? Had he missed her? Impossible. He would hear the boy regardless.
A rough tap on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. “Excuse me, sir.” He turned to see the dark blue uniform of NYPD, a short, stout man with a bushy moustache continued to speak, “We have a complaint of someone loitering here. Possibly an attempted kidnapping.” The beat cop eyed him, “Can I see some identification please, sir?” it was a polite demand.
“Oh. Of course, officer.” He started digging in his pocket, appearing to reach for his wallet, “I was just picking up my girl for a late-night supper.” Quickly pulling out a knife from his pocket and slicing the cop’s right cheek then the left, elbowing him in the face, forcing the officer to stumble and fall to the snow, droplets of his blood falling to the new white snow drifts. With all his strength, he kicked the officer in his ribs, turned to run away.
He knew this meant he only had one chance, he had to take his boy by force and disappear. He was ready to kill if needed. He had done it before, even though that bitch never appreciated what he did for her.
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