The Overlook

headed down the hill toward their destination. They were three blocks away.
    The Million Dollar Theater was built in a time when the movie business showed itself off in magnificent theater palaces that lined Broadway downtown. But it had been decades since a first-run film had been projected on a screen there. Its ornate façade had been covered by a lighted marquee that for a time announced religious revivals instead of movies. Now the theater waited unused for renovation and redemption while above it a once-grand office building was twelve stories of midgrade office space and residential lofts.
    “Good place for a secret unit to have a secret office,” Bosch said as the building came into sight. “Nobody would’ve guessed.”
    Walling didn’t respond. She was trying to make another call. She then slapped the phone closed in frustration.
    “I can’t even get our secretary. She always takes lunch after one so there will be somebody in the office when the agents go to lunch earlier.”
    “Where exactly is the squad and where would Alicia Kent be in there?”
    “We have the whole seventh floor. There’s a lounge room with a couch and a TV. They put her in there so she could watch TV.”
    “How many in the squad?”
    “Eight agents, the secretary and an office manager. The office manager just went out on maternity leave and the secretary must be at lunch. I hope. But they wouldn’t have left Alicia Kent alone. It’s against policy. Somebody had to have stayed there with her.”
    Bosch turned right on Third and immediately pulled to the curb. Ignacio Ferras was already there, leaning casually against his Volvo station wagon. In front of it was another parked car. A federal cruiser. Bosch and Walling got out. Bosch approached Ferras, and Walling went to look inside the fed car.
    “Have you seen Maxwell?” Bosch asked.
    “Who?”
    “Agent Maxwell. The guy we put on the floor at the Kent house this morning.”
    “No, I haven’t seen anybody. What-”
    “It’s his car,” Walling said as she joined them.
    “Ignacio, this is Agent Walling.”
    “Call me Iggy.”
    “Rachel.”
    They shook hands.
    “Okay, then he’s gotta be up there,” Bosch said. “How many stairwells?”
    “Three,” Walling said. “But he’ll use the one that comes out by his car.”
    She pointed to a pair of double steel doors near the corner of the building. Bosch headed over that way to see if they were locked. Ferras and Walling followed.
    “What is going on?” Ferras asked.
    “Maxwell is our shooter,” Bosch said. “He is up-”
    “What?”
    Bosch checked the exit doors. There was no outside handle or knob. He turned to Ferras.
    “Look, there’s not a lot of time. Trust me, Maxwell is our guy and he’s in this building to take out Alicia Kent. We’re-”
    “What is she doing here?”
    “The FBI has a location here. She’s here. No more questions, okay? Just listen. Agent Walling and I are going up in the elevator. I want you out here by this door. If Maxwell comes out, you take him down. You understand? You take him down.”
    “Got it.”
    “Good. Call for backup. We’re going up.”
    Bosch reached over and tapped Ferras on the cheek.
    “And stay frosty.”
    They left Ferras there and headed through the building’s main entrance. There was no lobby to speak of, just an elevator. It opened at the push of the button and Walling used a key card to engage the seven button. They started going up.
    “Something tells me you’re never going to call him Iggy,” Walling said.
    Bosch ignored the comment but thought of something to ask.
    “Does this thing have a bell or a tone that sounds when it reaches the floor?”
    “I can’t remem-I think it does… yes, definitely.”
    “Great. We’ll be sitting ducks.”
    Bosch pulled his Kimber out of its holster and chambered a round. Walling did the same with her weapon. Bosch pushed Walling to one side of the elevator while he took the other. He raised his gun. The elevator finally reached seven and there was a soft bell tone from outside. The door began to slide open, exposing Bosch first.
    No one was there.
    Rachel pointed to the left, signaling that the offices were to the left after they exited the elevator. Bosch lowered himself into a combat crouch and stepped out, his gun up and ready.
    Again, no one was there.
    He started moving to his left. Rachel came out and moved with him on his right flank. They came to a loft-style office with two rows of