Molly runs out of the hotel

Without thinking, Molly ran toward the back of the hotel. She pulled open the glass door that led outside and ran through, pushing it shut behind her.

She was standing on a narrow driveway that ran behind the hotel. Beyond the driveway was a chain-link fence, beyond that was a pair of railroad tracks, and beyond that was a large warehouse or factory. Windows patterned the hotel wall behind her. To her right, an elevated freeway rose on pylons, curving away from the hotel. To her left was apparently an open space, probably part of the parking lot.

Molly waited a minute or so, long enough that anyone who saw her would have had plenty of time to come after her. She saw and heard no one. She turned and grabbed the door handle, pushed it.

It didn't move. The door was locked.

"Crap," Molly said. She pounded on the door, hammering on it in frustration, before coming to her senses. She closed her eyes then and focused on her breathing, consciously trying to bring it under control. As she did, she had a sudden mental image of a large dark place full of people and flashing lights. Molly put this image out of her mind and tried to decide what to do.

She looked around her. She was going to have to get back into the hotel. She was either going to have to go around to the front, and risk being seen from the road as she went to the front desk, or look for a way in around back.

That was an appealing idea. Maybe there was a service entrance. If there was, and she found it, she might be able to sneak in and make it to the front desk without being seen. She might even find something to cover herself up with.