Chapter 3 - The Dark Stairwell
Elena stared at the dead body on her perfectly clean hospital floor, her mind spiraling into sheer panic.
Julian did not give her a single moment to process the horrific violence she had just witnessed.
He grabbed her hand, his skin burning with a sudden, feverish heat, and pulled her toward the doorway.
"I can barely walk, so you are going to have to be my eyes and ears," Julian whispered, leaning heavily against her small frame.
They crept out into the silent, sterile hallway, avoiding the bright lights of the main nurse's station.
Elena guided him toward the emergency fire exit, praying the heavy metal door would not squeak.
Every step Julian took seemed to cost him an immense amount of physical pain, but his face remained a mask of pure stone.
They slipped into the concrete stairwell just as the second guard stepped around the corner.
"We need to get to the basement parking garage," Julian instructed, gripping the cold iron railing to support his weight.
They descended three flights of stairs in agonizingly slow, tense silence.
Suddenly, the heavy metal door above them burst open, echoing violently through the narrow shaft.
"They are in the stairwell!" the second guard shouted into a radio transmitter.
Heavy, rapid footsteps began pounding down the concrete stairs directly above their heads.
Julian cursed under his breath and pushed Elena behind him, shielding her with his weakened body.
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He reached into the dead assassin's stolen jacket and pulled out a sleek, black handgun.
"Cover your ears, sweetheart, because this is going to be incredibly loud."
