He looked in the doorway. The ceiling above had collapsed, the tiles smoking and burning, and Michael was pulling away debris to get to the family. The drapes had caught fire.

The bastard had rigged his room. Which meant he wasn’t there, he was somewhere else in the hotel. Hiding. Waiting for the right moment to escape.

Matt helped Michael get to the family. The mother clutched her infant, and the father had the toddler. “We need to get you out.”

“I got them,” Michael said. “Find Hamilton.”

Matt realized his com had disengaged. He reset it. Ryder was talking, but not to him.

“Ryder.”

“You’re there.”

“Yes.”

“We’ve cleared half the hotel. Hamilton has not exited.”

“He rigged his room. The other explosions sounded like they were coming from below.”

“The second floor—there are people trapped in their rooms next to the north stairwell. SWAT is working on getting them out. Fire is on its way, but they won’t go in until we locate Hamilton.”

“Keep your eyes on the door. He’s betting on distracting us.”

“Quinn asked if you’ve checked the utility closets. There’s one on each floor next to the elevator.”

“I’m on it.”

He rigged his room, and either he went up to the roof, or he went to the second floor, where the second explosions occurred, and planned to slip out with the guests. Matt trusted Ryder and Kara to handle the main doors, but the explosions created havoc among the guests.

“Ryder,” he said, “you still there?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Find out where SWAT is, I’m on the third floor, heading up to four. I need a team. We’ll clear from the top down and the bottom up.”

“Roger. Stand by.”

Matt took the center staircase up to the fourth floor, passing several guests coming down. He looked at each face. No Hamilton. Used the master key the hotel manager gave him to check the utility room. No Hamilton.

The center staircase was the only one that went to the roof. The door should be locked. It wasn’t. It had been broken open, cold air rushing through the crack.

Matt said, “Tell all teams that suspect may be on the roof.”

There would be ladders that could be dropped.

Plus, Hamilton had his own ladder. Dammit, he might have already slipped away!

“Where are the ladders on the roof?” he asked.

“Stand by,” Ryder said.

Matt didn’t want to stand by. Hamilton could have already escaped before SWAT arrived. They could guard the hotel ladders, but Hamilton had his own. He could descend anywhere at any time.

He was about to go through the roof door when Ryder said, “Ladders on both the north and south faces, but they’re locked.”

“So was the damn door.”

“SWAT has teams both north and south, also sending officers your way.”

He wasn’t going to get away. Hamilton had to see that, right? That there was no way out?

Two SWAT officers met Matt in the stairwell. “Did you see the suspect?” one asked. Matt recognized him as the team leader at the raid of Hamilton’s house.