When the stairwell became a trap and a stranger became my only escape

making a noise that might give us away. The man, whose name tag read Miller, sat perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the door with a focus that made him look less like a handyman and more like a soldier waiting for a signal in enemy territory.

A few minutes later, the radio on one of the officers’ belts crackled with the news that they had two suspects continue reading …