Book 3 Chapter 26-4

“Move! Move!”

Keith’s words forced her back to reality. They were still in danger. The engines of the assassins’ motorcycles hummed a not distant enough tune. The cop grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out towards his door. She had to awkwardly climb over the cluttered middle console of the police cruiser, but within seconds, she was free of the car.

Keith pulled her towards the finished frame of Wainwright Center, which looked like a massive concrete block carved into the land. Framed by marble columns spanning four stories, the entrance would be majestic if not for the killers after them. He ran her to the front entrance, which was still uncovered by any door. She found herself plunged into darkness. Only the dim lights from the street outside and a single fixture across the room provided any illumination to the massive unfinished lobby.

“Come on. The elevator.”

Keith pulled her towards the light on the far side of the room, which he clearly knew to be the elevator. But he barely reached the halfway point of the room. Still in mid-run, his feet suddenly slipped from beneath him. Melinoe stumbled at his sudden movement. He released his grip on her just a second before he was yanked backward, even as she regained proper footing. Melinoe glanced back to see the female assassin. She held a long whip which seemed to undulate in the darkness like a living thing. Though the assassin didn’t move her arm, the whip tightly wrapped around Keith’s leg and pulled him back towards her.

“Run!” Keith yelled. “Get as high as you can, then disable the elevator. You’ll be safe until the rest of the force arrives!”

Melinoe had her doubts, but his plan was sound enough. More space would give her time to think.

She watched as Keith drew his gun and turned away from her. She heard the first shot as she reached the elevator. As soon as she hit the button, it opened.

She hit the higher buttons on the console wildly. She got the top floors, but she also struck buttons on the panels below. Seventy-two was the low number on the list. It would do as well as any other floor for her to escape their grasp. Even with parts of the building still open to air high above, she needed the space to think.