Storm of Lightning by Richard Paul Evans

it. Do ghosts get scared?
    Around two thirty in the morning the radiator began making astrange knocking sound in a distinct pattern, almost like someone was tapping out a code on it. I wished that Ostin were awake to decipher it. I was intrigued, but it didn’t frighten me. I was more afraid of what I knew existed in the world than something that I couldn’t see. Why hadn’t Scott called? What could have happened to them?
    I must have fallen asleep a little after that, because I woke with a start. I was lying with my face next to the door, and I could hear slow, heavy footsteps in the hallway. I heard them go up and down the corridor, finally stopping near us. I quietly stood and looked out the peephole. There was a man dressed in black standing two doors down on the other side of the hallway in front of Ostin’s and my room.
    I watched him for a moment, then carefully woke Taylor, holding my hand over her mouth to keep her from making a sound. She looked at me with a confused expression. “Someone’s out there,” I whispered. “Wake Jack.”
    Taylor crawled over to the bed and gently shook Jack.
    â€œWha . . .”
    She put her hand over his mouth. “Shhh. There’s someone outside.”
    The man tried the door handle again; then he took something out of his pocket, slid it into the door lock, turned the handle, and went inside.
    â€œHe picked the lock,” I whispered. “He’s inside my room.”
    While Taylor woke everyone else, Jack went into the bathroom. He came out wielding the towel bar like a club in one hand. Everyone else gathered around the door.
    â€œNow he’s going into the room across from us,” I said.
    â€œMy room,” Jack said.
    â€œIs he Elgen?” Ostin asked.
    â€œI can’t tell. He’s wearing all black and a face mask. I think he has a gun.”
    â€œYou can see a gun?” Jack asked.
    â€œNo, he’s wearing a vest. But it has a bulge.”
    â€œI wish Ian were here,” Taylor said.
    â€œI wish they were all here,” I said.
    â€œHow many are there?” Jack asked.
    â€œJust one,” I said. “That I can see. But if he’s Elgen, you know he has backup.”
    â€œThis is like Taiwan all over again,” McKenna said.
    â€œExcept this time we’re only on the fourth floor,” Ostin said. He walked over to the window and looked out. “There’s a roof about fifteen feet down, then another about the same. We can tie bedsheets together and climb down.”
    â€œGood idea,” I said.
    â€œWhat’s the plan?” Jack asked.
    â€œWhen he touches the doorknob, Michael can shock him,” Taylor said. “Then we escape.”
    â€œBad idea,” Ostin said. “If he has backup, they’ll know we’re here and storm our room.”
    I thought for a moment. “He’s going into the rooms alone,” I said softly. “I say we let him in. If it’s just him, we can take him. If he’s here with backup, we need to make them think everything’s okay until we have time to escape.” I turned back. “Ostin, Abi, McKenna, and Nichelle, you guys take the sheets into the bathroom and tie them into a rope.
    â€œWhen he gets to this room, we’ll let him enter. Then, once he’s inside, Taylor reboots him, Jack tackles him to the ground, and I’ll shock him unconscious. Then I’ll lock the door while Jack disarms him and ties him up.
    â€œThen we’ll lock him in the bathroom and climb out the window.” I looked at Jack. “What do you think?”
    â€œI think it’s a good plan,” Jack said. “As long as they’re not waiting for us outside.”
    â€œCan you take him down with your broken ribs?” I asked.
    â€œWhat ribs?” he replied.
    â€œAll right,” I said. “Let’s do this.”
    Ostin and the three girls pulled the sheets from the beds, then