Crashing through the open front door, he slammed it behind him and bolted immediately into the nearest room, crouching in a shadow and closing his eyes, rocking back and forth. The pain was subsiding with the darkness, but not quickly enough. He had to find that boy, and fast.
He needed to help Emily.
Rising to his feet, he dashed through the connecting doorway between the rooms and slid behind the open door just in time. Two young men, about her age, walked by silently, one with a gun and the other with a big ass sword.
So there were two of them. Oh joy.
Well, it looked like he wouldn't be negotiating anything.
Now he would have to be quiet.
Peering through the doorjamb, he waited until the two men rounded the corner into a room across the lobby, and he took his chance, bounding silently out of the room and grabbing the banister above him, swinging himself up onto the next floor. He knew where the room was, and he crept towards it silently.
Reaching the same opening Emily had come flying through, he listened down the hall for a moment before climbing into the room.
Two girls stood in the room, baffled, gawking at him. He looked at them and figured, at least these ones didn't have weapons. One of the girls opened her mouth to scream, and he swept across the room, clamping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes grew wide, and she froze in terror, staring at his eyes.
Behind his hand he heard her mumble, "Corpse..."
The other girl stood frozen, and he looked at her. He lifted a finger to his lips, telling her to shush. She stared back, unmoving, in shock from the sight of him.
Her eyes flicked to his shoulder and he could feel the rage bubble up inside of her. "That's...Emily's shirt..." she whispered furiously to the other girl.
He looked her in the eyes and nodded.
"Don't worry, she's fine. I promise."
Both girls jumped at the sound of his voice, and stared in amazement at him.
Then a bullet blasted through his bandaged shoulder.