CHAPTER 269
After cautiously spying out of the roller cabinet, Dianna exited the battered tool box with a stumble. Her brain was still rattling as she tried to plant her feet with some sense of stability. She hugged her gun and took a breath, but her senses jumped back to high alert when a rushing pair of boots hammered up to her.
Dianna poised her gun at the sound with a spring loaded snap. Out of the darkness a hand smacked the barrel aside.
"Whoa!" Daniel's boots squeaked to a stop.
Dr. Johnson squinted past him. "Where's everyone else?"
Daniel was already stepping around her. "Uh, they should be coming directly, but I wouldn't wait up. They're probably bringing company."
Dianna heard a number of footsteps running from across the hanger. Dr. Conners, Seth, and Kyra had emerged from the office. Behind them the crashing and roaring of the carnotaurs was shaking what was left of the office walls.
Dianna heard a clang behind her and spun her head around to find Daniel climbing an access ladder on the wall near the back exit.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from here."
"Did the rear exit door not occur to you?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't if I were you. The whole building is surrounded."
It took Dianna a second to get what he meant, but the realization hit her hard. "Oh God."
"If I were you I'd start climbing."
Seth and Kyra reached Dianna with Dr. Conners limping along between them like they all three were in an awkward three legged race.
Dianna snatched Kyra and Seth and pushed them toward the ladder. "Go follow Daniel!"
She took Dr. Conners by the arm and helped him to the ladder. When they reached it Kyra and Seth were already on their way up.
Dr. Conners shook Dianna off of him and said, "you first."
Dianna was about to protest when Hellfire emerged from the office with a cacophony of rubble smashing footsteps. Shortly thereafter Two Face pushed her way out beside her.
Bryce insisted, "go!"
Dianna grabbed the ladder and started to climb. As soon as she was out of the way Dr. Conners followed.
Sagging over the first few rungs of the ladder he breathed, "this is really going to hurt."
Gritting his jaw he climbed.