Run
1142 Words
I didn’t rush it.
That was the difference between surviving and getting caught. The first mistake people make in places like this is panic. They look for exits before they understand the structure.
I didn’t do that. Instead, I watched, listened, and counted. Three guards rotated the hallway outside my door. Every twenty minutes. Not exact, but close enough to predict.
Two cameras in the corridor. One blind spot near the corner where the wall curved slightly inward.
Doors locked electronically, but not all of them.
The security in this house wasn’t weak, but it wasn’t perfect. Nothing ever is. I sat on the edge of the bed, still, quiet, waiting for the moment I had already chosen. Timing mattered. Too early, and I’d run into them. Too late, and I’d miss the gap. I heard footsteps pass, low voices in the corridors, then silence.
Now was the right time. I quickly stood up from the bed and moved straight to the door. Fast, but controlled. The door opened easier than it should have. It was unlocked, and that was not a mistake. Raze was f*****g testing me.
I paused just long enough to register that. Then stepped out anyway. If it was a test, I was passing it my way. The hallway stretched empty in both directions. Lights were too dim and the corridors were too quiet.
I walked toward the blind spot, keeping my pace steady, not rushed. Running draws attention. Calm movement blends in. I reached the corner and slipped past the camera’s range. The alarm didn't go off. That was either a good sign... or not.
A staircase sat at the end of the hall. I took it, moving down without hesitation. Every step closer felt heavier. Not because I was afraid, but I was aware... this place was built to keep people in, and I was walking out.
The lower level opened into a wider corridor. There were fewer lights, and there weren't many guards. The exit had to be close. I slowly scanned the corridor and spotted a side door... the exit.
It was reinforced, but not sealed like the others. It was not heavily guarded either. I approached slowly, listening first. There were no voices, no movements either. I slowly reached for the handle, too careful not to make a sound.
“Going somewhere?”
A voice cut in from behind me. My hand stilled.
Damn...
I turned slowly. Kael stood a few feet behind me, arms relaxed, but his stance ready.
“You left your room,” he said.
“You left it unlocked.”
“That doesn’t mean you were free to walk out.”
“I figured I’d test that.”
“And?”
I stared into his cold blue eyes.
“I almost made it,” I replied.
A faint exhale left him, not quite a laugh.
“Yeah,” he said. “Almost.”
Silence stretched between us.
“You going to stop me?” I asked.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“How you handle the next few seconds.”
I shifted my weight slightly. Calculating distance. Waiting for the right time to make a sharp move, but he saw it.
“Don’t,” he said.
“Don’t what?”
“Make this harder than it needs to be.”
I let out a sigh in frustration.
“I don’t like being locked up.”
“No one does.”
“Then you understand why I’m leaving.”
I tried to fake a smile.
“You’re not leaving,” he said firmly, not falling for my tricks.
“Then stop me.”
That was the moment. I lunged fast, closing the distance before he could fully react. My hand caught his wrist, twisting just enough to throw him off balance. Not to overpower, just to create space.
He recovered quickly. Faster than most. His grip caught my arm before I could pull away.
“Wrong move,” he said.
“Not wrong,” I replied, pushing against him. “Just not finished.”
I shifted again, aiming for the door. Then everything changed. The sound of gunfire stopped me. It was loud and so close, but it was coming from outside.
Kael’s grip tightened instantly.
“What the...”
Before he could complete his statement, another gunshot went off. People started shouting. Chaos broke out.
“That’s not ours,” he muttered.
I stilled. There was more gunfire coming in closer and closer.
“They found us,” one voice yelled somewhere down the hall.
“Positions!”
The calm of the house shattered in seconds.
Kael released me immediately, reaching for his weapon.
“Stay here.”
“Not happening.”
He shot me a look.
“You walk out there, you’re dead.”
“I’m already a target,” I said.
Another explosion of sound echoed through the building. Glass shattered somewhere above us.
“They’re inside,” someone shouted.
Kael swore under his breath, I could see the confusion in his face.
Suddenly there were footsteps moving fast, coming straight toward us. We both turned.
Two men rushed around the corner, weapons raised. They weren't Kael's men, I saw it immediately.
They had different stance. Different movement.
Different intent.
One of them fired at us. Kael reacted instantly, pulling me down as the bullet hit the wall behind us.
“Down!”
We hit the ground hard. Gunfire erupted in the hallway, sharp and relentless. Kael returned fire immediately, very precise.
One of the attackers dropped while the other ducked back.
“Stay behind me,” Kael said.
“I don’t take orders from you.”
“Then you die.”
That shut me up, for now.
There were more footsteps, more voices. They were flooding in.
This wasn’t a small hit, this was planned. It was targeted at him, and somehow... I was in the middle of it.
A shadow moved at the far end of the corridor.
Then everything shifted. The energy, the control, the presence. Then he stepped into view.
Raze.
There was a gun in his hand. He walked calmly and focused, like this was just another part of his night.
“Report,” he said.
“Multiple entries,” Kael replied. “They breached the east side.”
Raze’s gaze flicked once to me. It was very brief and sharp. Then back to the situation.
“Secure the lower exits,” he said. “No one leaves.”
His eyes returned to mine.
“You picked a bad time to run.”
I pushed myself up slightly.
“You picked a bad night to get attacked.”
Something flickered in his expression. It was not anger, it was something else. Then another shot rang out. It was closer. Too close, and this time... it was aimed at me.
- Writer
