Escape

You dash down the outside hallway and to the winding concrete staircase that leads to the ground floor. You can already hear the police kicking down the front door of the building, “What the hell? Did they know about this the whole time? I thought they weren’t working together yet!” You point the rifle down while Leah sets about lockpicking the door to your escape route.

“Come on you son of a bitch, open.”

You catch a glimpse of green uniform and let loose a warning shot. The man stumbles back into the arms of his comrades, “Jesus, you nearly made me shit myself!” Leah complains. The door clunks and she pulls it open, “Come on, let’s ditch these fucks.”

You keep watch as Leah and Chun Wei check the passage ahead. None of the men have taken their brave pills this morning and are thinking twice about coming upstairs to face your rifle. You pull away from the metal banister and enter the door, shutting it behind you to sow some small amount of confusion amongst them.

The area behind the door is a room off limits to most people in the building. Let’s just say that Carmine didn’t choose your lodgings for the incredible view. A grand, disused lobby from the building’s days as a hotel. Long since passed now. You hustle down the steps and behind the bar that hides underneath them. Leah and Chun squat over a heavy wooden trapdoor. Chun easily opens it on her own using her enhanced strength.

“Down the hatch!” Chun and Leah hop down into the tunnel. You take a moment to step down the wooden ladder and once again close the route behind you. It’s a tight fit. These tunnels were used for all sorts of shady dealings in the past, and for storing ****.

“Hope they haven’t caught our ride,” Leah whispers, “Or we’re dead as hell.”

“They’ll be there, Carmine said so,” Chun concludes.

The wall on the left has crumbled and given way to the drainage system under the streets of the city. “Ditch the rifle John, we don’t want them spotting us once we’re out of here.”

“What about fingerprints?”

“Have you looked at them recently? Carmine has you covered.”

You drop the rifle to the floor and hold your fingers up to the low light, she’s right! What were once distinct fingerprint patterns have been scrambled over like somebody cut through them with a knife. “When did she do that?”

“In the chamber. Everyone gets it.”

You don’t have time to argue with the erasure of your individuality right now. Chun and Leah pull you through to the other side and lead you through the shin high water until you reach a ladder. A small amount of daylight leaks through a manhole cover above you. Up the ladder and out into the back courtyard of another building. You hop a fence and find yourself on a quiet side road.

Squealing tyres alert you to the arrival of another small van. You jog over and hop into the back with your two comrades and pull off the balaclavas. “Ruined my fucking hair,” Leah gripes as she tries to get it back under control. The driver sets off without a word, weaving through the passing police cars and vans with talent and precision.

“They don’t even know where we went,” Chun smirks.

“It was a fast turnaround; they didn’t have time to find the blueprints for the building. If they get their hands on the owner, they’re going to feel real stupid.”

You finally relax. “A job well done then?”

“I hope so. Now we just need to jack a flight outta’ here.”