The town was cloaked in a grim, gray drizzle appropriate to Halloween night. The big car moved through increasingly meaner streets as the small groups of trick or treaters dwindled. Finally, the driver stopped in front of perhaps an older apartment house. He said to Anika, “This is the address. I don’t like the looks of it.”
Anika said, “That makes two of us. However, the client is paying double rate. For double rate, I take a chance. I have my emergency transmitter on a 10-minute cycle. If it goes off, I am in trouble; come and get me!”
The big man shifted slightly and checked the deadly .357 magnum he carried. “OK, Miss Anika, if they want trouble, I got trouble. However, watch yourself.”
Anika braced herself and got out of the car and dashed through the drizzle into the little lobby. The lobby was as crummy as one would have suspected from the street view. However, there was a buzzer panel and the button on Suite 13 seemed to work.
A rather strange voice with a trace of some sort of accent Anika could not place asked, “Who is there?”
Anika replied, “I am Anika, your appointment.”
The voice said, “Ah yes, Anika. Please do come up. The lift is at the end of the little hall. Just press the number 13 button and I will await you.”
Anika walked to the end of the hall and, as promised there was a charming little lift. It was complete, except for missing the CONDEMNED sign. It was apparently operational. Oh well, double pay, double risk. Anika slid the cage aside, stepped into the elevator and punched the 13 button.
The elevator went up quite a ways. It was slow moving and Anika counted the floors as she passed them. It appeared that number 13 was on the fourth floor. The elevator ground to a halt, after a few nasty little judders and then, after a considerable wait, the door opened. A tall form waited in a lit doorway down the hall. Anika took a deep breath and reset her trouble transmitter for another 10-minute interval. She then started down the hall.
As Anika walked down the hall, she noted that there appeared to be only the one door off the hall. Presumably there were four units per floor except that number 13 occupied the entire fourth floor. Anika walked up to the tall form in the doorway.
“Welcome Anika, enter my abode!”