The crowd had only grown larger inside the main area of the nightclub as the DJ mixed in a new song. Sam immediately recognized the singer’s voice, however, triggering an onslaught of memories she shared with Sebastian from her extended stay in Bogota. That… that’s the same singer as the one in “our” song. Has to be… I wonder if… She then realized she wouldn’t have her mobile on hand, unable to check the artist nor satiate her sudden, profound, and untimely curiosity.

“My live stopped casting! What the fuck?!” a woman in her immediate vicinity fussed aloud in disgust, which initially didn’t bring about much of a reaction. But the next voice she heard added directly onto it: “Hey, send it to me again?! I think my phone quit working!”

And it only took that quick moment for alcohol-influenced regret to kick her in the stomach, causing her to back out of the crowd and head for her table. What?! The phone towers are down!? Why didn’t I at least see what Sebastian was trying to tell me?! Halfway through her series of near-collisions and stumbles, the voices of similar discontent piled on, causing her to realize even through her clouded thought processes: I’ve never heard of internet just… dying.

She hurried to unlock the small storage cubby that held her mobile as her mind continued to race. This isn’t Bogota all over again, is it?! Speaking of that damned Two Empires singer! She finally got it open and snatched up her mobile, seeing her reception was dead. Come on, what were one of you guys trying to say?! she thought as she pulled down her contact history, seeing one message from her father read: “Sam, I know you’re on leave for now, but don’t do anything stupid. Just go directly to base and lay low.”

That was sent this afternoon…

She moved to the next message from him, seeing something that made her eyes widen doubly. It was from only two minutes ago.

“Damn it, Sam, this is an emergency! Pick up the fucking phone! There is jamming going on and I need to confirm you’ve been alright!”

She dropped her mobile on the table as the kicked feeling in her stomach instantly grew to a full-fledged, gaping black hole. So, it IS jamming?!

“Sam!” Kerry shouted from behind as she tried to catch up. “Did you hear everyone?! Are you thinking what I’m thinking!?” But before she could make way for the table, cut off by a pack of younger girls crossing her path, something caught her attention just out of the corner of her eye. She stopped to give a pair of security officers making a bee line for their table some attention, making her take an even more concentrated look. Both had their right hands over their left hips, triggering a different reaction from her as her eyes narrowed and leg muscles pushed off in an even quicker paced approach. Of course! What a coincidence!

She quickly worked her way around several tables and the people crowded around them, trying not to fall or accidentally tackle anyone in the process. Finally, their table was in sight, hoping to catch Sam there but instead saw it empty, bag drawer opened. Shit! She hurried over to now see the security officers now darting for the nearest exit. Good! That means Sam knew what was up and took off! her mind raced as she whisked her bag out from the drawer, removing a small handheld device, clasping it in her palm tightly as she sped off in pursuit.

Sam was gasping for air as she continued her full-speed sprint, barefoot through one of the main hallways that led to and from the main area of the nightclub. She turned for what she figured should be the right exit way for the parking tunnel. I hope to God Kerry caught on and will be there at the car! If not- She ran straight into a larger man walking with his date, both of whom had just emerged from the connecting hallway, knocking Sam to her bottom with a shriek.

“Woah! Lady- what are you doing!?” he angrily fussed back, regaining his balance as he too had almost fallen.

“Sorry! Can’t explain!” she shouted back apologetically, wincing but hurriedly attempting to stand back up. She could hear the sound of running feet rapidly approaching, sending another adrenaline-fueled spark light underneath her.

“Are you OK?! Why-” the woman next to him spoke up in concern, seeing the terror in her eyes as she clutched her bag, starting off another full speed dash, awkwardly balanced as it was. “Hey,” she now said to her date who was still straightening his shirt. “I really think we should call the police for her.”

“Hold on, back up,” he responded as he heard more coming around the corner, bracing himself as put an arm in front of her.

“You two go straight! I’m going right!” the man heard men’s voices shouting as they approached. “No telling which exit she took!”

He watched two of the officers run by as one turned right for him, stopping just inches away from another collision. “Woah woah! What gives?!” he scolded by pure reflex.

“Did you see a girl in a black and silver dress head this way!?” Revenant asked, catching his breath, calmly removing his hand from his holster.

“A who? Sorry, sir, but we just got here.”

Paying no more attention to the man of no help, Revenant dashed off again and down the hall.

Kerry had been closing in on the pursuing officers at a much better rate, having had an extensive history running track in grade school. She had also worked hard on maintaining her conditioning ever since leaving the national guard, and it was evident how she still had a good bit in the tank as she turned a corner to see the backs of two officers. “Well, shit, one disappeared, but that’s OK. One of these two will have to speak!”

Sam saw the exit door rapidly approaching, struggling to keep her focus up through the exhaustion, the building up of muscle cramps in her calves and sides, and the fought-off desire to pay any mind to the dozens of eyes that followed her in aggravation or concern. She knew it wasn’t far from that door to where they parked, but she also noted there was a restroom coming up in a hurry as well. Decision time was up just dawned on her that she not only had no key but had no idea how far behind Kerry was, and that was dependent on whether or not she caught on in the first place.

With a split second’s hesitation, she took a rapid glance behind her to make sure there wasn’t an officer behind her,

– good –

… ducked into the women’s bathroom cutaway hall and into the nearest stall she could find, feet off the floor and onto the toilet of the now-closed stall. Just as she slid the lock closed, she could hear tires peeling out around the parking garage just on the other side of the wall from her. Please tell me that’s for us! Please don’t let that be their reinforcements or some shit! Wouldn’t that be my luck!?

The noise from the approaching vehicle had now attracted the bystanders’ attention away from Sam’s commotion just as Revenant turned down that same hallway. He caught everyone looking out through the door, signaling him that his target had headed that way. Without hesitation, he slammed the door open, regaining his balance from a near-stumble, taking pause to survey the area. Through his attempt to catch his breath, he didn’t spot a single running soul, now assuming his target was in hiding. Damn it, maybe we should’ve snagged her first before putting up the veil. But then again, anyone could’ve intervened- shit… He unbuckled his holster, removing his pistol as he reached for and fished out a silencer from his pocket that he would screw on.

Gotta find her the hard way. Backup won’t be here for a minute.

The revving of the same vehicle’s engine from earlier revved up once more from around the other side of the garage, now fully catching Revenant’s attention as well. He gripped the pistol with both hands, backing up against the wall, focus on the ramp leading up to his location. Upon hearing the cutting off of the engine, he felt his cue to make the first move, quickly headed for the opposite side, hanging close to the wall. I bet that’s Melancon or Nguyen. Never a bad idea to expect the worst from those resourceful little shits. He occasionally checked behind him, not only staying aware of the civilian activity, which was fortunately minimal as the scene caused had scared away most, but he remained concerned for his two accomplices who were yet to be seen since the split.

The parking garage entrance door clicked as it closed, drawing a quick turn of his head once more to it. Hmm…

Sam hadn’t heard a single crack of the door since the last sounds of running feet passed by earlier, counting the minutes that would pass. Her heart never slowed, the sick feeling in the back of her throat continued to suffocate her, and she had absolutely no idea where Kerry was. She habitually checked her mobile in vain once more to see that there was still no signal. Closing her eyes, she regretted never having taken her up on the offer to receive self-defense equipment for carrying on her while off-duty. And to think I could’ve spent my time on boring but safe patrol with Andre instead of running for my fucking life yet again.

“Hey, lady!” a hushed female voice whispered loudly with the creak of the opened bathroom entrance.

Sam shut her lips tight, tightening her body and holding her breath in reaction, feeling once more like her heart jumped out of her chest.

“Lady!” she quietly but stubbornly persisted as the voice grew closer. “Hey! Whoever was chasing you is gone!”

Huh? Can I trust her?!

“It’s me, the one you almost ran into just now!”

No way! I bet she has a gun to her head! Shit!! She started to tremble, fighting the urge to cry out in terror.

“You might want to get out while you still can! I don’t know if he’s coming back or not! Hey!” the voice continued whispering out loud.

Something in Sam’s mind made her pause, finding the strength to focus on that single realization that she only heard one set of feet slowly shuffling in. She quietly pulled her hair back with one hand and reached for the toilet paper cover with her other hand, firmly taking grip. She slowly and carefully lowered her upper body just enough to peer under the bottom edge of the stall wall, spotting that one pair of heels approaching with no other feet in sight. I’ll be damned! She pulled herself back up, placing her feet on the floor as she opened the door quietly. Peeping around the edge of the stall, she saw the woman was in fact the one she stumbled across earlier, white with fear.

“Hey! Those weren’t real police, were they!?” she continued in the same voice, pointing toward the hall. “You need to hurry out!”

Sam decided she must be a local, judging by her face the best she could even though she had not yet been adjusted to the average face of the nation. “Why are you helping me?” she asked without going through any semblance of a thought. Shit! That’s not what I meant to say! Her mind scurried to come up with something else to say while the woman looked back in a loss of words. “I’m here to work with the P4C.” Yes, that was it! That was the group! Whatever the hell it even meant?!

“That’s what I thought!” she now responded in sudden relief, running up to take her by the arm. “There’s been lots of cracking down on foreign helpers for the P4C! You need to get out, now!”

Wait, huh!? What?! That doesn’t make any damned sense! The only crazies out on violent walk-down errands ARE the P4C, right?!

Sam then forced out an attempted casual “OK” in response, masking her confusion so that she could slip out during perhaps her only chance available. “Thanks!” I guess?!

“Go!” the woman insisted with her arms out in similar expression. “Hurry while you can!”

Sam now looked at the exit door to the parking lot, dress straightened out, heels back in her left hand and her right hand clutching her bag’s shoulder strap. Taking in a deep, slow breath, she calculated her timing for walking out that door either casually to not attract any more attention, or to tear off running to get a head start in case they were out there waiting for her. Kerry’s car is… shit… no, it’s close but she can’t be there yet. She then noted there were now a few walking toward the glass doors in full party attire, seemingly unaffected by the calamity. OK, they really must be gone.

But before she could take a careful step forward, a male voice’s painful shriek echoed down the hall as two gunshots followed a mere few seconds after. Instincts told Sam to run away from the noise, leading her as she had planned, out into the garage and towards Kerry’s car.

Revenant heard the ruckus as well, pulling back from his slow progress towards the same entrance doors and back into the darkness of the concrete pillar next to him, taking the safety off of his pistol.