“I don’t know how though, they have this guarded.”

“True, but I did kinda made a run for it once and I was out in the hall,” AJ
thought out loud. “We just have to figure out an opportunity and you have to
lead me cause I don’t have any clue as to where I am or where anything is as
far as an elevator or stairs or whatever.”

Tiffany nodded as she listened.

AJ gestured towards the window. “And I already know that I’m too high up
to...jump.” The word jump came faintly out of his mouth as he saw an object
falling past the window. AJ rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.
“Anyway, we have to come up with a solid plan.”

Tiffany looked over her shoulder towards the window. “Did you see
something?”

“No, I think my eyes are playing tricks on me. Where exactly is this building
at? Are we close to a city or something?”

As the girl prepared to answer, AJ saw something from the window again.
This time it was part of a pair of legs in jeans and tennis shoes dangling in
the window.

“What the hell!?” As AJ stood up to walk over to the window, the person
that was hanging above the window fell. AJ picked up his pace and rushed
towards the window, flinging it open.

“Nick?”

“I.. ugh.. I think my arm’s broke... god I-I can’t hang on,” Nick wailed.

Instinctively, AJ reached out and grabbed his young friend’s arm that was
bracing his body partially on the ledge. With the adrenaline coursing through
his body, AJ was able to pull Nick up and into the window. Once he was
inside, AJ wrapped Nick in a tight bear hug.

“Oh my god, Nick! I’m so damn glad to see you!”

Nick’s only reply was a cough. “AJ! God, please! You’re choking me! I can’t
breathe!”

AJ quickly pulled back. “Oh, god, sorry there Nick. It’s just that oh god, how
do I tell you this?” AJ took a step back and looked at Nick with tear-filled
eyes. “It’s just that I thought you were dead.”

“Dead? No, AJ it’s the other way around, we thought you were dead.” Nick
paused as he looked at his new surroundings. “Where the hell am I anyways?
This looks like a hospital room.”

“Tiffany, do you want to take that question cause I have no idea where I
am,” AJ replied.

The young girl sighed. “I’m going to get into so much trouble when they find
you in the room with him.”

“No sweetheart, remember? I’m going to protect you from them. You won’t
get in trouble. Nick and I will make sure nothing happens to you, right Nick?”

Holding his hurt arm by the wrist, Nick nodded slightly. “Yeah, what he says,
I’ll do whatever he says we need to do, just tell us where we are and how to
get out of here.”

Tiffany tore at a sheet on the bed and ripped it into a long strip. “Here,
lemme take your arm and make this into a splint. You need to keep it from
moving.”

Once she finished putting Nick’s arm into a sling, she walked over to the
window. “Okay, we are in an abandoned office building. On the ninth floor to
be exact. We are probably three blocks from a busy street.”

“Okay, what city are we in darlin, we need a name of a city,” AJ coaxed.

“Why is that important?” Tiffany asked.

“So we can tell the police where to come,” Nick stated in a tempered tone.

AJ held a hand up and gave Nick a quick glare. “No sweetheart, we just need
to know exactly where we are so I can call Brian to come and pick us up. You
will be safe, don’t worry about it.”

“Okay, we’re in Niceville.... Niceville Florida.”

AJ’s mouth dropped open. “You gotta be kidding.”