The Districts

CHAPTER 19

The moment Kenny and everyone step into the hall and make their way down it, an uneasy tension fills the air around them. The area seems almost eerily quiet as they head for the stairway.

They enter the living room which is empty and quickly move through it. However, there's a sound that catches their attention off down another hall connecting to it and everyone stops. There's a creeping feeling that sneaks up, before Kenny looks down the hall and to the source of the sound, only to find one of the personal staff butlers standing in it.

There's a long pause of staring that happens, everyone unsure of what to do. Then there's another sound as a maid enters the room. A strong unease builds even more when Kenny notices the look in their eyes as they focus on Craig.

"Kenny..." Stan murmurs nervously, awaiting orders with the others.

"Get ready to run," Kenny says quietly. And just as he does, the two staff almost simultaneously, start running for them. "Run!"

And everyone does. They run as fast as their legs can carry them though the remaining rooms and head straight for the stairway.

"Kyle, get ready to lock the door!" Kenny instructs quickly.

They make it to the door only a couple seconds later and Kyle quickly auto-locks the door, just as the two chasing them slam into it. The group quickly makes their way down the set of stairs and hurries to the next floor.

"Stay close to me," Kenny tells Craig as they exit into a hall.

They make their way to the elevators and press the button to call it. The waiting makes everyone anxious as each one them looks around in every which way for anyone that may approach them.

The elevator arrives, just as someone comes around the corner and they all rush inside it as the person stops to stare at them. The doors to it close, just before the person slowly starts to walk towards them and it heads down to the ground floor.

"The hardest part is about to come," Kenny tells them, "be ready to run."

The elevator arrives with a ding to the ground floor and the doors of it open to a hall with three people in it. Soon as they exit out into it, all three of the people look at them and watch as they quickly make their way down the hall. Two of them continue to stare but one of them starts to follow after them. First slow, but soon speeding up pace.

"Shit, go!" Kenny shouts.

The small group runs down the hall and makes a turn down another hall.

"Where's the closest exit?!" Stan asks.

"Not too far off! We should be able to make it there alright, as long as we—" Kyle falls silent as they turn down another hall and come across a group of a dozen or so alphas making their way into a conference room. "Don't run into any more alphas," he adds quietly.

As soon as the group looks over at them, they take off running down another nearby hall. This time, there's a distinct number of footsteps chasing after them. And while not all of the group was following them, there was certainly more than what Kenny and his group could care to handle or deal with.

"This way!" Kyle exclaims and directs them down another hall. They come across a small room and head in. "Over there!" Kyle points to an exit as the rest of the group blocks the door with a file cabinet.

They head for the exit then, and enter outside onto a sidewalk. Quickly they glance around and try to figure out their surroundings on which way to go.

"Great, which side is the truck on?" Clyde asks.

"This way!" Kyle says and they follow him.

Something across the street catches Kenny's attention as they head off. A black car. Or rather, who is standing next to the black vehicle. Damien. Tension rises as his gaze locks with his. And time slows. He isn't sure as to whether or not he can recognize him at first with his disguise, but as Damien's eyes shift down over to Craig next to him, the expression on his face changes instantly and he knows right then and there that he knows who he is.