door as Julie struggled to keep up. As he pushed the door open, the alarm sounded, naturally drawing the unwanted attention Paul feared. The team leader immediately signaled to his men.
"Move out!" he shouted from under his gas mask.
They scurried to the dining area like hawks. As they cleared the room, the emergency exit slowly shut. It didn't take a brilliant tactician to figure out that the person or persons they were looking for had just fled the building.
"Why are we running from them? We haven't done anything," Julie said.
She had grown tired of fleeing. Paul slowed to a fast-walking pace and beckoned her to keep up.
"We can't let anything get in the way of finding your mother. If they catch us, they're going to prevent that from happening. Understand?"
Before Julie could answer, the police team stormed outside and took instant notice of them.
"Stop right there!" one of the officers said, from only twenty feet away. The surrounding streets were nearly empty due to the new off-limits zones. Paul and Julie found themselves directly in the middle of a restricted area. There was no crowd they could blend into. No open store they could hide in. From both sides, empty shops remained closed and the bars on their windows, impenetrable. Their only option was to run. Julie gripped onto Paul's sweaty hand as they ran down the street. The police were close on their heels. She had always been a fast runner, but fear had taken over and she could barely keep up.
"I said stop!" the lead officer shouted. No time for the Taser gun, he was prepared to make a tackle.
Paul looked around for anywhere they could evade the authorities. The best he could see was an alleyway ahead past a store on their left. The curvature of their path allowed them a few seconds where they could not be seen by the officers chasing them. Paul took quick notice of this brief advantage.
"This way," he panted.
He pulled Julie down the alleyway with him and was instantly filled with dread upon noticing that their path would soon reach a dead end. Brick walls surrounded them. Two large green dumpsters on one side, one on the other. If they could make it behind one of the dumpsters before the police noticed, they would effectively be out of their range. It was exactly what Paul hoped for. One more mad dash and they would be safe. He could hear galloping boots not far from them. They were gaining and there wasn't much time.
"We're going to hide by the dumpsters," he informed Julie.
Her silence meant agreement as far as he was concerned. Just as they made it to the first dumpster on the right, a familiar voice shouted from underneath a gas mask.
"They're moving down the alleyway!"
Paul looked around in panic. The buildings they had found themselves between both had doors resembling exit doors for nightclubs. If they weren't bolted shut, it would be their ticket to escape.
"I seen 'em," one of the masked officers said. "They're hiding down there."
Paul crept along the brick wall, kneeling as Julie crawled. He pushed on the first door and was met with resistance in return. Footsteps marched carefully towards them, though Paul and Julie still remained concealed. Paul pushed on the other door. It was locked, but he could hear voices talking inside. He pounded on the door, not considering the fact that he sounded like he was the police. A slot opened on the lower part of the door. As Paul peeked inside, all he could see was darkness.
"Who the fuck is it?" the voice asked.
"Please help us. My name's Paul. I'm with my daughter Julie, the police are after us."
Several bolts were unlocked systematically. A moment later, the door creaked open.
"Hurry up, and come in," the unseen voice said.
Paul and Julie slipped in, finding themselves in a dark, stuffy hall. A man behind them slammed the door shut and reapplied the bolt locks.
"Move, move," he said, scurrying Paul and Julie forward.
Outside the door the police ran past, then reached the end of
"Move out!" he shouted from under his gas mask.
They scurried to the dining area like hawks. As they cleared the room, the emergency exit slowly shut. It didn't take a brilliant tactician to figure out that the person or persons they were looking for had just fled the building.
"Why are we running from them? We haven't done anything," Julie said.
She had grown tired of fleeing. Paul slowed to a fast-walking pace and beckoned her to keep up.
"We can't let anything get in the way of finding your mother. If they catch us, they're going to prevent that from happening. Understand?"
Before Julie could answer, the police team stormed outside and took instant notice of them.
"Stop right there!" one of the officers said, from only twenty feet away. The surrounding streets were nearly empty due to the new off-limits zones. Paul and Julie found themselves directly in the middle of a restricted area. There was no crowd they could blend into. No open store they could hide in. From both sides, empty shops remained closed and the bars on their windows, impenetrable. Their only option was to run. Julie gripped onto Paul's sweaty hand as they ran down the street. The police were close on their heels. She had always been a fast runner, but fear had taken over and she could barely keep up.
"I said stop!" the lead officer shouted. No time for the Taser gun, he was prepared to make a tackle.
Paul looked around for anywhere they could evade the authorities. The best he could see was an alleyway ahead past a store on their left. The curvature of their path allowed them a few seconds where they could not be seen by the officers chasing them. Paul took quick notice of this brief advantage.
"This way," he panted.
He pulled Julie down the alleyway with him and was instantly filled with dread upon noticing that their path would soon reach a dead end. Brick walls surrounded them. Two large green dumpsters on one side, one on the other. If they could make it behind one of the dumpsters before the police noticed, they would effectively be out of their range. It was exactly what Paul hoped for. One more mad dash and they would be safe. He could hear galloping boots not far from them. They were gaining and there wasn't much time.
"We're going to hide by the dumpsters," he informed Julie.
Her silence meant agreement as far as he was concerned. Just as they made it to the first dumpster on the right, a familiar voice shouted from underneath a gas mask.
"They're moving down the alleyway!"
Paul looked around in panic. The buildings they had found themselves between both had doors resembling exit doors for nightclubs. If they weren't bolted shut, it would be their ticket to escape.
"I seen 'em," one of the masked officers said. "They're hiding down there."
Paul crept along the brick wall, kneeling as Julie crawled. He pushed on the first door and was met with resistance in return. Footsteps marched carefully towards them, though Paul and Julie still remained concealed. Paul pushed on the other door. It was locked, but he could hear voices talking inside. He pounded on the door, not considering the fact that he sounded like he was the police. A slot opened on the lower part of the door. As Paul peeked inside, all he could see was darkness.
"Who the fuck is it?" the voice asked.
"Please help us. My name's Paul. I'm with my daughter Julie, the police are after us."
Several bolts were unlocked systematically. A moment later, the door creaked open.
"Hurry up, and come in," the unseen voice said.
Paul and Julie slipped in, finding themselves in a dark, stuffy hall. A man behind them slammed the door shut and reapplied the bolt locks.
"Move, move," he said, scurrying Paul and Julie forward.
Outside the door the police ran past, then reached the end of
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