"All right, but I refuse to be the first to go through the door," Marion insisted. "If there's someone beyond that door, I'm the least able to defend myself from them should they be hostile. Now let's go."
Marion crawled as fast as she could towards the door in the corner, and like Mina had presumed, the handcuffs slowed her down a good bit. When she reached the door, she hung back a bit so that someone else could open it.
Exploring
Phase 1 (0-12 Hours)
Kassandra backed up to reach the door and waved the other girls over, trying to get everyone out of the shooter's path before they could draw a bead on either of them. It was a stressful wait, especially since Marion was slowed to half of a crawl thanks to her inability to move her hands independently. She tapped her hand on the ground impatiently while she waited for the other two to get in position.
Once all three were by the door, Kass decided that she would be the first to check behind the door. In a single motion, she wrenched the doorknob and threw it open, brandishing her pipe threateningly as she looked around the corner.
There wasn't anyone inside, or at least no one who had elected to show themselves. She turned her head around to survey the room. Judging by the boxes lying haphazardly around the floor and occasionally stacked on top of each other, it seemed to be a storage room of some sort. It was only about half the size of the front room, and the less-orderly style of organizing made it look a lot more cramped than it probably was.
There were a couple of windows letting light inside, but it was still significantly darker than the room they were in presently. However Kass was willing to make that sacrifice to get them out of the line of fire. She stepped inside and held the door open for Mina and Marion to follow her.
"Come on, come on, get in!" She practically demanded in a hushed tone, waving them through.
Once all three were by the door, Kass decided that she would be the first to check behind the door. In a single motion, she wrenched the doorknob and threw it open, brandishing her pipe threateningly as she looked around the corner.
There wasn't anyone inside, or at least no one who had elected to show themselves. She turned her head around to survey the room. Judging by the boxes lying haphazardly around the floor and occasionally stacked on top of each other, it seemed to be a storage room of some sort. It was only about half the size of the front room, and the less-orderly style of organizing made it look a lot more cramped than it probably was.
There were a couple of windows letting light inside, but it was still significantly darker than the room they were in presently. However Kass was willing to make that sacrifice to get them out of the line of fire. She stepped inside and held the door open for Mina and Marion to follow her.
"Come on, come on, get in!" She practically demanded in a hushed tone, waving them through.
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MurderWeasel
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Mina made her way through the room in a crouched run, squatting beside the door as Kassandra threw it open and ducked inside. As the girl called the all-clear, Mina followed, though she paused immediately to the side of the door, figuring she'd be in better position than Marion to secure it again. A door wouldn't do too much to slow anyone intent on following them—Mina knew it often just took one kick in the right place, and none of the materials used in the construction of this place seemed particularly sturdy or high quality—but it would at least give them warning before everything went to hell.
The room was full of junk. Mina paid the boxes little heed except as potential hiding places, her gaze trailing over, assessing, and ultimately dismissing each. That made the room's contents more or less a non-factor. Anything truly useful would've been stripped away before their transport to the arena, from what she'd been told. The hook was the sort of environmental hazard/improvised armament that was just slapdash enough to be left lying around, and it'd still taken her some work to liberate it. These boxes would likely be full of paperwork she couldn't read or tools and vestments she couldn't use or dry bulk food she couldn't prepare or eat.
"See if there's another door," Mina said, "or a window that opens wide. There should be some other way out from here. Fire code."
Did Mexico even have fire code? Mina still couldn't quite believe they were actually in Mexico. Yeah, some of the writing on buildings was in Spanish, but you got that in parts of Colorado too. On the rare occasions she'd left the city after her relocation to Denver, she'd sometimes ended up in a medium-sized town called Lafayette where a family sold burritos out of a stainless steel trailer attached to the side of a little grocery store and what you ordered often bore little resemblance to the food you eventually received. That would've looked right at home alongside the market where Mina had awoken, and the architecture of these buildings was only slightly off from what she knew.
She blinked her eyes, trying in vain to speed her acclimation to the darker room. She was, at least, fairly sure they were alone here. There were places to hide, but anyone doing so would have to roll up really small and stay very still.
The room was full of junk. Mina paid the boxes little heed except as potential hiding places, her gaze trailing over, assessing, and ultimately dismissing each. That made the room's contents more or less a non-factor. Anything truly useful would've been stripped away before their transport to the arena, from what she'd been told. The hook was the sort of environmental hazard/improvised armament that was just slapdash enough to be left lying around, and it'd still taken her some work to liberate it. These boxes would likely be full of paperwork she couldn't read or tools and vestments she couldn't use or dry bulk food she couldn't prepare or eat.
"See if there's another door," Mina said, "or a window that opens wide. There should be some other way out from here. Fire code."
Did Mexico even have fire code? Mina still couldn't quite believe they were actually in Mexico. Yeah, some of the writing on buildings was in Spanish, but you got that in parts of Colorado too. On the rare occasions she'd left the city after her relocation to Denver, she'd sometimes ended up in a medium-sized town called Lafayette where a family sold burritos out of a stainless steel trailer attached to the side of a little grocery store and what you ordered often bore little resemblance to the food you eventually received. That would've looked right at home alongside the market where Mina had awoken, and the architecture of these buildings was only slightly off from what she knew.
She blinked her eyes, trying in vain to speed her acclimation to the darker room. She was, at least, fairly sure they were alone here. There were places to hide, but anyone doing so would have to roll up really small and stay very still.
Marion made her way into the room after the other two. The room was full of boxes, and Marion couldn't help but wonder what was in them. However, she doubted she'd be able to open them very easily with her wrists cuffed as they were.
"What the hell even is this building?" Marion asked. A room with nothing but beds next to what appeared to be a storage room didn't make much sense in Marion's mind. She walked over to Kassandra. "You can find us a way out, right? You said you were used to exploring shit like this."
"What the hell even is this building?" Marion asked. A room with nothing but beds next to what appeared to be a storage room didn't make much sense in Marion's mind. She walked over to Kassandra. "You can find us a way out, right? You said you were used to exploring shit like this."
Kassandra waited with the door until Mina and Marion were safely inside. She bit down hard on her teeth and felt a strong sense of dread, like at any moment one of them would bet caught in the back by a sniper's shot and they would have to frantically try to patch up someone who was bleeding to death, if they hadn't been killed outright. In that sense, it was a relief when she was able to close the door.
Once they had another barrier between themselves and the shooter, Kass was able to really let it sink in just how weird her surroundings were. The front room gave her the impression that it was some sort of communal living quarters, yet the back room was some sort of weird storeroom. Sure, they may have been able to find a few clues by looking through the boxes, but screw that, they had other problems right now.
"Dunno what's up with this place. Pretty fuckin' weird layout, though." She mused out loud, leaving one hand on her hip while the other retained a firm grip on her weapon. "You two keep watch of the door, and I'll look for another way out, okay?"
She weaved through the field of boxes, going around and over them as she deemed necessary. Man, she could really punch whoever organized this place. Nothing seemed to have any rhyme or reason for it, and half the time the boxes were arranged in the most inconvenient way possible for navigation. Part of her suspected that the organizers of the Program intentionally set it up this way. And honestly, malice seemed like just as likely a reason for it as incompetence.
The windows looked like they might be pretty decent options if they opened, but they were a little high off the ground, so they would have to arrange some boxes to get to them. And even so, Kass wasn't sure if Marion would be able to get through the window in her current state.
It was when Kass reached the far side of the room that she finally caught sight of another door. Well, part of a door, anyway. She could clearly see the doorknob and the side of the door it was on, but the rest was blocked off by... what else? Another box.
You have gotta be fuckin' kidding me...
Once they had another barrier between themselves and the shooter, Kass was able to really let it sink in just how weird her surroundings were. The front room gave her the impression that it was some sort of communal living quarters, yet the back room was some sort of weird storeroom. Sure, they may have been able to find a few clues by looking through the boxes, but screw that, they had other problems right now.
"Dunno what's up with this place. Pretty fuckin' weird layout, though." She mused out loud, leaving one hand on her hip while the other retained a firm grip on her weapon. "You two keep watch of the door, and I'll look for another way out, okay?"
She weaved through the field of boxes, going around and over them as she deemed necessary. Man, she could really punch whoever organized this place. Nothing seemed to have any rhyme or reason for it, and half the time the boxes were arranged in the most inconvenient way possible for navigation. Part of her suspected that the organizers of the Program intentionally set it up this way. And honestly, malice seemed like just as likely a reason for it as incompetence.
The windows looked like they might be pretty decent options if they opened, but they were a little high off the ground, so they would have to arrange some boxes to get to them. And even so, Kass wasn't sure if Marion would be able to get through the window in her current state.
It was when Kass reached the far side of the room that she finally caught sight of another door. Well, part of a door, anyway. She could clearly see the doorknob and the side of the door it was on, but the rest was blocked off by... what else? Another box.
You have gotta be fuckin' kidding me...
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MurderWeasel
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As Kassandra delved deeper into the room, Mina fiddled with the door the girl had shut. It did in fact have a latch, and better still it was the old heavy-duty sort that couldn't be sprung in five seconds with a paperclip. It wasn't a deadbolt, but the next best thing wasn't bad. She engaged it, then turned to Marion.
"I'd guess maybe sailors or dockworkers lived here," Mina said. That made some measure of sense; the main room was for sleeping, this one for storage of belongings, probably there was a bathroom with a shower somewhere in here. It could just as easily have belonged to a family with a serious hoarding problem, though, with this room for storing collected junk and all the inhabitants forced into the main area. It didn't make too much difference. Mina considered shoving some of the boxes against the door to further their barricade, but just as quickly discarded the idea. They weren't fortifying to stay here unless no other option presented itself, and in all likelihood they'd be able to break out a window if nothing else. Mina did not relish the prospect of trying to boost someone who couldn't use her hands through a portal toothed with shattered glass, but it beat leaving her to die.
"Wait," she said, a related thought floating in, "they gave you handcuffs but no key?"
Mina was a little incredulous at that thought. She'd gotten batteries for her recorder. Whoever had shot at her pretty clearly had bullets for their gun. Of course, Marion could've lost the keys, or she could be lying about whose handcuffs they were or how she'd ended up in them. Mina had to remind herself that she really did not know these girls well at all. They'd run in similar circles to an extent, and she'd liked both of them from what she knew about them—Marion's motorcycle and attitude were cool as ice and Mina was sort of impressed by how the girl owned being a massive slut, and Kassandra was willing to hit back even though (as Mina knew firsthand) the consequences for doing so could be severe, especially for people like her. But here, Mina was trusting them mostly in the face of a greater, unknown danger. That they were sticking together spoke well for them, but that sort of thing could only last so long in a situation like this. And Mina was a third wheel, an outsider to their dynamic, so she'd likely be the first left in the dust if they got into a pinch.
She'd have to keep on guard, that was all, manage her expectations and stay grounded. This was the opposite of the KeKe problem, and while still a problem, Mina found she actually had an easier time wrapping her head around it.
"I'd guess maybe sailors or dockworkers lived here," Mina said. That made some measure of sense; the main room was for sleeping, this one for storage of belongings, probably there was a bathroom with a shower somewhere in here. It could just as easily have belonged to a family with a serious hoarding problem, though, with this room for storing collected junk and all the inhabitants forced into the main area. It didn't make too much difference. Mina considered shoving some of the boxes against the door to further their barricade, but just as quickly discarded the idea. They weren't fortifying to stay here unless no other option presented itself, and in all likelihood they'd be able to break out a window if nothing else. Mina did not relish the prospect of trying to boost someone who couldn't use her hands through a portal toothed with shattered glass, but it beat leaving her to die.
"Wait," she said, a related thought floating in, "they gave you handcuffs but no key?"
Mina was a little incredulous at that thought. She'd gotten batteries for her recorder. Whoever had shot at her pretty clearly had bullets for their gun. Of course, Marion could've lost the keys, or she could be lying about whose handcuffs they were or how she'd ended up in them. Mina had to remind herself that she really did not know these girls well at all. They'd run in similar circles to an extent, and she'd liked both of them from what she knew about them—Marion's motorcycle and attitude were cool as ice and Mina was sort of impressed by how the girl owned being a massive slut, and Kassandra was willing to hit back even though (as Mina knew firsthand) the consequences for doing so could be severe, especially for people like her. But here, Mina was trusting them mostly in the face of a greater, unknown danger. That they were sticking together spoke well for them, but that sort of thing could only last so long in a situation like this. And Mina was a third wheel, an outsider to their dynamic, so she'd likely be the first left in the dust if they got into a pinch.
She'd have to keep on guard, that was all, manage her expectations and stay grounded. This was the opposite of the KeKe problem, and while still a problem, Mina found she actually had an easier time wrapping her head around it.
Marion did as Kassandra instructed and kept watch of the door with Mina. Not like she could do much else anyway. She felt so goddamned useless with her hands cuffed as they were. Oh, the things she would do to Brittany when she finally got her hands on her...
"Oh, they did give me a key," Marion told Mina. "But someone stole it. I'm hoping to find her and get it back."
"Oh, they did give me a key," Marion told Mina. "But someone stole it. I'm hoping to find her and get it back."
Getting the door unblocked looked to be quite a bit more trouble than Kassandra would have liked to hope. Not only was there a big wooden box in front of the door, but there were two stacked on top of each other directly on one side, and there wasn't enough room on the other side of the door before it reached the wall for her to push in that direction.
Shit, so much for fire code.
She moved the first stacked box, and it was so unexpectedly light that she had to quickly shift get a stronger grip on it before it toppled to the floor. Whatever was inside rattled around a fair amount, and from the noises coming from inside the box they sounded metallic. Tools? Screws? Hard to tell from noises alone, and she didn't consider it important enough to look inside. She wasn't even sure if she could open them, to be honest. It looked like she would probably need a crowbar or something similar to pry the lids off, and she didn't think that her pipe would do the job.
Box number two didn't feel too different. She dragged it across the floor to make room for the one in front of the door once she pushed it away. Same metallic sounds coming from inside, although this one sounded like it may have held a little more. But still, she only had to push this one instead of picking it up, so it might have actually been a little easier to move aside. She wondered it all of the boxes were like this, only partially filled with unknown metal objects.
With a space clear, Kass positioned herself between the wall and the box, pressed her hands against it, and pushed.
... A problem arose very quickly. This box in particular just didn't want to move. She couldn't shake it to see what was inside, and she couldn't open it, so she was stuck with this one stubborn, heavy box. She tried harder, applying more force to her push. She might have felt it move, but she was more certain that she was feeling the strain that she felt in her biceps after trying to impart force on what felt like a solid wall.
But still, she had to get that door unblocked somehow. She either needed to figure out how to do it herself, or get Mina to help out. Granted, getting a second person was probably the smarter thing, but screw that, this was a pride thing. She already removed two hurdles, and she didn't want to let the third one beat her. She braced one foot against the wall and both hands against the box, and pushed with all of her energy in both directions.
This time around, she got some movement. The box slowly slid along the ground, and the cramped space she had slotted herself into began to widen. More of the door started coming into view. It was wooden, just like the others, and the light shining from under it indicated that it was probably a second way outside. She kept pushing, feeling the burn in every muscle involved as she forced the behemoth of a box away with everything she had.
The unintentional barricade came to a rest when Kassandra had no more room to push. She couldn't use the wall to get leverage anymore, so she didn't have the power to keep it moving. She couldn't completely uncover the door, but from a glance it looked like it was about 90% of the way there. Maybe it wouldn't open all the way, but probably enough for all of them to get through. She removed her hands from the box and almost immediately transitioned them to cradling one of her sore muscles, having once again worked them beyond expectations.
My arms better be fuckin' rock-hard by the end of this.
There was another route open to them now, so the only thing to do was head back to the front and report her findings.
Shit, so much for fire code.
She moved the first stacked box, and it was so unexpectedly light that she had to quickly shift get a stronger grip on it before it toppled to the floor. Whatever was inside rattled around a fair amount, and from the noises coming from inside the box they sounded metallic. Tools? Screws? Hard to tell from noises alone, and she didn't consider it important enough to look inside. She wasn't even sure if she could open them, to be honest. It looked like she would probably need a crowbar or something similar to pry the lids off, and she didn't think that her pipe would do the job.
Box number two didn't feel too different. She dragged it across the floor to make room for the one in front of the door once she pushed it away. Same metallic sounds coming from inside, although this one sounded like it may have held a little more. But still, she only had to push this one instead of picking it up, so it might have actually been a little easier to move aside. She wondered it all of the boxes were like this, only partially filled with unknown metal objects.
With a space clear, Kass positioned herself between the wall and the box, pressed her hands against it, and pushed.
... A problem arose very quickly. This box in particular just didn't want to move. She couldn't shake it to see what was inside, and she couldn't open it, so she was stuck with this one stubborn, heavy box. She tried harder, applying more force to her push. She might have felt it move, but she was more certain that she was feeling the strain that she felt in her biceps after trying to impart force on what felt like a solid wall.
But still, she had to get that door unblocked somehow. She either needed to figure out how to do it herself, or get Mina to help out. Granted, getting a second person was probably the smarter thing, but screw that, this was a pride thing. She already removed two hurdles, and she didn't want to let the third one beat her. She braced one foot against the wall and both hands against the box, and pushed with all of her energy in both directions.
This time around, she got some movement. The box slowly slid along the ground, and the cramped space she had slotted herself into began to widen. More of the door started coming into view. It was wooden, just like the others, and the light shining from under it indicated that it was probably a second way outside. She kept pushing, feeling the burn in every muscle involved as she forced the behemoth of a box away with everything she had.
The unintentional barricade came to a rest when Kassandra had no more room to push. She couldn't use the wall to get leverage anymore, so she didn't have the power to keep it moving. She couldn't completely uncover the door, but from a glance it looked like it was about 90% of the way there. Maybe it wouldn't open all the way, but probably enough for all of them to get through. She removed her hands from the box and almost immediately transitioned them to cradling one of her sore muscles, having once again worked them beyond expectations.
My arms better be fuckin' rock-hard by the end of this.
There was another route open to them now, so the only thing to do was head back to the front and report her findings.
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MurderWeasel
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"I could try to pick it if you want," Mina said. "I mean, if we get out of this."
She'd been in handcuffs herself a few times more than she should've probably easily admitted and sort of knew her way around them, and she'd read a little bit about picking locks. You needed to apply some pressure, catch the tumblers, and then it was a snap, right? Characters in old movies did it with hairpins all the time, so how hard could it really be? True, she'd just been thinking about the better security of the door at her back due to its actual lock, but that was in comparison to busting through in seconds. Raise that time frame to a couple minutes and all bets were off, not that she thought most of her classmates would have enough of an understanding to do it.
There was some major noise coming from the back of the room, which made Mina scowl a little. If there was anyone lurking nearby, it would be obvious that the three of them were doing some reorganizing in here. She almost set out to go check on Kassandra, but ultimately didn't, figuring the girl would call if she needed help and that it was more important to be there to keep watch over the door and Marion. She was pretty sure nobody was immediately coming in, but pretty sure wasn't worth betting their lives on. Come to think of it, it was probably not smart to be right next to the door, in case their hypothetical pursuer decided to fire through it, either in an effort to flush them or to blow off the lock. Mina took a couple steps further to the side.
At least the sounds of activity suggested that headway was being made towards their release. Mina could stay, well, not calm but at least somewhat rational as long as she had options. Or at least rational enough to leave crawling through broken glass for Plan B.
She'd been in handcuffs herself a few times more than she should've probably easily admitted and sort of knew her way around them, and she'd read a little bit about picking locks. You needed to apply some pressure, catch the tumblers, and then it was a snap, right? Characters in old movies did it with hairpins all the time, so how hard could it really be? True, she'd just been thinking about the better security of the door at her back due to its actual lock, but that was in comparison to busting through in seconds. Raise that time frame to a couple minutes and all bets were off, not that she thought most of her classmates would have enough of an understanding to do it.
There was some major noise coming from the back of the room, which made Mina scowl a little. If there was anyone lurking nearby, it would be obvious that the three of them were doing some reorganizing in here. She almost set out to go check on Kassandra, but ultimately didn't, figuring the girl would call if she needed help and that it was more important to be there to keep watch over the door and Marion. She was pretty sure nobody was immediately coming in, but pretty sure wasn't worth betting their lives on. Come to think of it, it was probably not smart to be right next to the door, in case their hypothetical pursuer decided to fire through it, either in an effort to flush them or to blow off the lock. Mina took a couple steps further to the side.
At least the sounds of activity suggested that headway was being made towards their release. Mina could stay, well, not calm but at least somewhat rational as long as she had options. Or at least rational enough to leave crawling through broken glass for Plan B.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt to try," Marion said. "But even if you do successfully pick them, I'm still gonna hunt down Brittany and get my revenge."
She heard some noise from the other side of the room, and figured Kass must be making headway towards their escape. ''You find something, babe?"
She heard some noise from the other side of the room, and figured Kass must be making headway towards their escape. ''You find something, babe?"
Kass vaulted over a few boxes to save time on running back to the other entrance. Her arms still hurt from pushing, so she focused primarily on using her legs to get over the boxes, only using her hands for getting up and steadying her balance. So in that case, it was really less vaulting and more just trying to run right over the things. Either way, it worked.
She hopped over one more obstruction and landed back where they had entered, with Marion and Mina still standing by. She pointed off to the corner where she found the exit, although they couldn't see it through all the boxes quite yet. "I found a door in the far corner of the room. Looks like it might lead outside, so I think we've got some options now."
Well, it was good that they had an escape route now, but there was still a shooter outside, and they had no way of telling where they had gone since the first shot was fired. For all they knew, they could be standing right outside the door, or still back wherever they were shooting from and waiting for them to stick their heads out. They weren't really safe either way, but they had to commit to a plan.
"So what's the plan? We holing up in here or getting out?"
She hopped over one more obstruction and landed back where they had entered, with Marion and Mina still standing by. She pointed off to the corner where she found the exit, although they couldn't see it through all the boxes quite yet. "I found a door in the far corner of the room. Looks like it might lead outside, so I think we've got some options now."
Well, it was good that they had an escape route now, but there was still a shooter outside, and they had no way of telling where they had gone since the first shot was fired. For all they knew, they could be standing right outside the door, or still back wherever they were shooting from and waiting for them to stick their heads out. They weren't really safe either way, but they had to commit to a plan.
"So what's the plan? We holing up in here or getting out?"
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MurderWeasel
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With every brief exchange, a little more information filtered through to Mina. The one who cuffed Marion was apparently Brittany—probably Chesteron, who was a stuck-up bitch, but maybe there was some other Brittany in the class that Mina was drawing a blank on. Marion also referred to Kassandra as "babe," and did so in this manner that Mina couldn't confidently place. Was it casual, offhand, like she might call anyone in her flirty way, or was it something more? That Marion was into girls (and basically anything that moved) was no real secret, but Mina hadn't heard anything to that effect about Kassandra and didn't want to assume just because the girl was kind of macho. In any event, a term of endearment was a term of endearment and it said that whatever was between these two was more than just the alliance of convenience they shared with Mina.
Kassandra, speak of the devil, was on her rather reckless way back to them, hopping over some of the boxes strewn about. Her report was everything Mina could've hoped for: a door on the far side of the room, most likely leading outside. That there was even discussion about their next move once again suggested to Mina that she was the one here with the greatest tactical inclination.
"We move," she said. "It'll take longer to go around the house than through it, and they can't know which way we're leaving. If we stay, they can fuck us up just by coming in."
It had taken them more time than ideal to find an alternate exit, true, but they'd still proven decently quick. Whoever had fired had done so from some distance away. In fact, for all Mina knew, the shooter hadn't even been aware of anyone else in the building, which did raise the possibility of lying in ambush and overpowering their foe with superior numbers, but that would be gambling their lives that nobody took a shot in the process. Mina didn't want to fight someone, certainly not yet. They could find somewhere else, gather themselves, reset. It was early. Not everyone would be doing this. There would be more KeKes than shooters, at least, that was Mina's hope. The slamming of her heart, the tightening of her chest, the burning of her lungs, this didn't have to be everything for the rest of her life.
Without waiting for further confirmation, she began to move through the room herself. She wove between the boxes, not mirroring Kassandra's hurried pace or her own leap back at the market. Things were different now that bullets were flying, and Mina wasn't about to get left behind because she sprained her ankle.
"We'll all run at once," she said over her shoulder. "Stick together, don't stop if someone goes down. Try to get a corner between us and here as fast as we can."
Kassandra, speak of the devil, was on her rather reckless way back to them, hopping over some of the boxes strewn about. Her report was everything Mina could've hoped for: a door on the far side of the room, most likely leading outside. That there was even discussion about their next move once again suggested to Mina that she was the one here with the greatest tactical inclination.
"We move," she said. "It'll take longer to go around the house than through it, and they can't know which way we're leaving. If we stay, they can fuck us up just by coming in."
It had taken them more time than ideal to find an alternate exit, true, but they'd still proven decently quick. Whoever had fired had done so from some distance away. In fact, for all Mina knew, the shooter hadn't even been aware of anyone else in the building, which did raise the possibility of lying in ambush and overpowering their foe with superior numbers, but that would be gambling their lives that nobody took a shot in the process. Mina didn't want to fight someone, certainly not yet. They could find somewhere else, gather themselves, reset. It was early. Not everyone would be doing this. There would be more KeKes than shooters, at least, that was Mina's hope. The slamming of her heart, the tightening of her chest, the burning of her lungs, this didn't have to be everything for the rest of her life.
Without waiting for further confirmation, she began to move through the room herself. She wove between the boxes, not mirroring Kassandra's hurried pace or her own leap back at the market. Things were different now that bullets were flying, and Mina wasn't about to get left behind because she sprained her ankle.
"We'll all run at once," she said over her shoulder. "Stick together, don't stop if someone goes down. Try to get a corner between us and here as fast as we can."
"All right, that works for me," Marion said. She then quickly moved over to Kassandra, and fluttered her eyes at her. "Would you mind carrying me, babe?"
Mina made a pretty good point. Someone already knew they were in there, so it was probably only a matter of time before they came looking. If they got out now, they had a better shot at putting enough distance between themselves and whoever was targeting them to make a clean getaway. There wasn't a guarantee that whatever was lying outside the back door was any better, but at least this way they were trying something.
"Yeah, as soon as we're out the door, we gotta fuckin' bolt. Sooner we're out of this place, sooner we can worry about things other than some sniper trying to pick us off."
In response to Marion's request, Kass walked up to her, brought one arm around her shoulders and the other just under her thighs, and swept her off her feet into a bridal carry. She wasn't totally sure why Marion wanted this. After all, her hands might have been bound, but her feet were still in good condition. Maybe she just wanted to be carried? In any case, Kass wasn't going to complain about any situation that put the two of them into close contact. And besides, at least Marion was lighter than that damned box.
"Okay, there's a path through the boxes that should lead you straight to the door. Let's move." She gave orders to Mina then started bringing Marion through the labyrinth of waist-high wooden containers. She took extra care to keep the biker girl in her arms from bumping into anything along the way.
"Yeah, as soon as we're out the door, we gotta fuckin' bolt. Sooner we're out of this place, sooner we can worry about things other than some sniper trying to pick us off."
In response to Marion's request, Kass walked up to her, brought one arm around her shoulders and the other just under her thighs, and swept her off her feet into a bridal carry. She wasn't totally sure why Marion wanted this. After all, her hands might have been bound, but her feet were still in good condition. Maybe she just wanted to be carried? In any case, Kass wasn't going to complain about any situation that put the two of them into close contact. And besides, at least Marion was lighter than that damned box.
"Okay, there's a path through the boxes that should lead you straight to the door. Let's move." She gave orders to Mina then started bringing Marion through the labyrinth of waist-high wooden containers. She took extra care to keep the biker girl in her arms from bumping into anything along the way.
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MurderWeasel
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Marion had explicitly okayed Mina's plan so if the other two wiped out doing the carrying thing they were doing for whatever reason, Mina planned on not only leaving them for dead but also doing her damnedest not to feel a single shred of guilt over it. It might even be to her benefit, if there actually was danger waiting for them. She knew what they said about running faster than the bear.
But no, no, that wasn't how she should be thinking of Marion and Kassandra. They'd let her in and had trusted her easily, and they were good people, or at least sort of alright people. Marion had stated her intent to kill or torture or attain some other unspecified revenge upon Brittany, but forcing someone into cuffs here was one step shy of a death sentence, so Mina couldn't really judge her too hard for holding some spite over that. In her shoes? Well, Mina had embarked upon her fair share of vindictive, self-destructive errands in her time.
She'd soon reached the door, which was mostly clear but didn't look likely to open completely due to the distribution of the boxes nearby. That presented another issue with the carrying plan: the other two would have to wriggle their way through a tighter space than Mina thought would be comfortable. If they took a spill right there, it'd leave her to trample them or abort her own escape.
"It might be best to be under our own power," she said. "Line up Kassandra, Marion, me. It's your call, though. Just give the word."
There. She'd given advice anyways, maybe saved the other girls trouble. Conscience vaguely assuaged, she turned her attention to readying herself. She unzipped her duffel bag—and that was a real complicating factor, something that could throw her off balance or drag her down or get her caught in the door frame herself, bulky and awkwardly-shaped as it was—and deposited the hook, then closed it again. No running-with-blades accidents for her, not today. After that, it was a matter of mental preparation. She knew how it was making a break for it when shit hit the fan, but the consequences now were so much more dire that she was getting the jitters. This wasn't another suspension and another court hearing and another three months never to be served. If she messed up, it could be a hail of gunfire and shattered bones and perforated organs. It could be bleeding out in a dusty alley, nothing to see but the dirty boots of her murderer coming ever closer. She couldn't have that. Not yet.
Mina took deep breaths, closed her eyes just for a moment, and waited for the others' mark.
But no, no, that wasn't how she should be thinking of Marion and Kassandra. They'd let her in and had trusted her easily, and they were good people, or at least sort of alright people. Marion had stated her intent to kill or torture or attain some other unspecified revenge upon Brittany, but forcing someone into cuffs here was one step shy of a death sentence, so Mina couldn't really judge her too hard for holding some spite over that. In her shoes? Well, Mina had embarked upon her fair share of vindictive, self-destructive errands in her time.
She'd soon reached the door, which was mostly clear but didn't look likely to open completely due to the distribution of the boxes nearby. That presented another issue with the carrying plan: the other two would have to wriggle their way through a tighter space than Mina thought would be comfortable. If they took a spill right there, it'd leave her to trample them or abort her own escape.
"It might be best to be under our own power," she said. "Line up Kassandra, Marion, me. It's your call, though. Just give the word."
There. She'd given advice anyways, maybe saved the other girls trouble. Conscience vaguely assuaged, she turned her attention to readying herself. She unzipped her duffel bag—and that was a real complicating factor, something that could throw her off balance or drag her down or get her caught in the door frame herself, bulky and awkwardly-shaped as it was—and deposited the hook, then closed it again. No running-with-blades accidents for her, not today. After that, it was a matter of mental preparation. She knew how it was making a break for it when shit hit the fan, but the consequences now were so much more dire that she was getting the jitters. This wasn't another suspension and another court hearing and another three months never to be served. If she messed up, it could be a hail of gunfire and shattered bones and perforated organs. It could be bleeding out in a dusty alley, nothing to see but the dirty boots of her murderer coming ever closer. She couldn't have that. Not yet.
Mina took deep breaths, closed her eyes just for a moment, and waited for the others' mark.