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them there may be some fuckers outside who need an ambulance if I get my hands on them!” He looked around and realized Jerald had been tending bar. “Where is Zowie?”
    “She was upstairs doing bottle service because we were down waitresses. She’s probably still up there!” Jerald hollered back while ushering people out.
    The sprinkler system activated, which started to put out the fires. Maxx ran upstairs and began banging on the VIP room doors. People came out in various states of dress. He told them there was a fire and they needed to get out. Nobody had to be told twice. When he got to the last VIP room on the end, the door was locked. Maxx cursed, as it was his policy that the rooms with bottle service remain unlocked to protect his staff. Bringing his foot back, he kicked the door just under the doorknob hard enough to send it rattling in.
    The room was dark. He immediately turned the light on and was greeted by the image of Zowie handcuffed to the sprinkler system pipes, which were actively pouring water on her. She was unconscious from the looks of it as her head was slumped and all of her body weight was pulling on the cuffs.
    “Fucking hell!” Maxx ran out of the room and rummaged around in the maintenance closet until he found a large pipe wrench. As he ran back into the room, he pulled the leather table over under Zowie’s limp form and pulled her legs up on it before he climbed onto it and held her up. Looking under the curtain of her wet hair and blinking the still streaming water out of his eyes, he called her name.
    A groan emitted from her but nothing else. He noticed there was a large purple spot and swelling directly over her jaw. He frowned and lifted her up more while trying to see if he could slip her wrists out of the handcuffs with his free hand. He cursed when he saw Zowie’s wrists were raw and bloody from hanging for who knows how long.  
    Snagging the large pipe wrench from the table, he used his free hand to slam the wrench into the pipe above their heads. The water continued pouring out. However, after three swings against the pipe it finally broke free, dumping even more water on them both. He didn’t have much time to move himself and Zowie out of the way of the free end of the pipe. Sliding her handcuffed arms down off the pipe, he picked her up and carried her out of the room and down the stairs. Not wanting to have to answer questions amongst the police and fire department that were hitting the building with fire hoses, Maxx walked out the side door into the alleyway and went back to where the cars were parked.
    Unlocking the rear door to his SUV, he laid Zowie down on the backseat before getting into the front. As he started the car, the glass on the front passenger side window shattered. Maxx cursed before turning the ignition and gunning the car into reverse. He then floored it while in drive onto the street. Wincing, he ignored the fire of pain in his right shoulder as he drove out of Vegas and headed to the place he knew no one would be likely to look for them. Hitting a button on his steering wheel, he placed a call through his car.
    “Detective Erickson.” The disembodied voice sounded through the car.
    “It’s Maxx. I’m out safe, but I don’t want anyone to know that yet, and I don’t want anyone but the police getting back in that club. I mean it, not even my staff.” He needed to control the flow of information to find out who the snake in the grass really was once and for all.
    “You got it. Call me if you have any leads. I’ll do likewise.”
    Maxx could tell Erickson was around others by the way the man kept his comments vague. “Will do. Thanks.” Ending the call, he continued driving into the night as though the devil himself was chasing them.
     

Chapter Six
     
    Zowie came to some version of consciousness with a raging headache and a very foggy feeling. Opening her eyes, she was startled by the deep voice speaking softly into her ear.
    “Hey