She wasn’t in a hotel.
Sloan had realized that after the first three corridors she had sprinted through. She turned right into the fourth and too late realized it dead ended into a starch white wall. Damn,if only she had some light she might have a chance.

She pressed against the cold surface struggling to get her bearings. She had to find out which way was the right way.
Quickly.
She had to decide quickly. Sloan didn’t have to be 1.6 to sense that her window of escape was rapidly closing. With a deep breath Sloan pushed back the wave of panic. Moving along the right wall her hands grasped a familiar object.
A door knob.
Sending off a silent prayer Sloan twisted the knob. She heard tumblers click into place,the door swung inward.

Sloan quickly stepped through barely resisting the urge to slam the door behind her. She took several steps forward,no time to relax now. Had to get out. Had to find Tom. Only when her right foot came soildly down on a cloud of air did Sloan realize what room she had ducked into.

A stairwell.
She was on an upper floor,but how far up? The stairwell was as dark as a cave so she couldn’t tell how many flights were above her. Or how many to freedom. Straightening her shoulders Sloan fumbled for the handrail,only one way to find out.

Walter Attwood watched with concern as Ed slowly sank down onto the small couch. “What do the police think about Sloan’s.....”Attwood paused fumbling for the right word,”Situation.”

Ed wearily raised his head wishing that instead of playing with DNA strands he could invent a time machine. A time machine that would allow him to send them all back to last year.
A year where everything had been normal.
When human beings thought they were the only human race on earth.

“Its been almost seventy two hours,Walter,”Ed replied softly,”We haven’t recieved a ransom demand,even Ray’s running out of leads.”

Tom pushed himself away from the wall feeling rage building. He knew for Sloan’s sake he had to control the anger,”So that’s your answer,Tate?! You’re just giving up?!”

Ed rose unsteadily to his feet eyes blazing,”Its all just black and white to you people isn’t it?!”

“I thought Sloan ment more to you then that.”Tom replied.

Two paramedics took that moment to enter the office. Both in their late twenties,one male,one female. One red head,one blonde.

The blonde woman took a tenative step into the room,”We were told there were inuried parties?”

Grateful for the distraction Walter waved them in jesturing to the still fuming Ed Tate,”Yes Doctor Tate here was injured in the explosin. He just recently regained conscienceness.”

The woman nodded as she ushered Ed back over to the sofa,”Sit down, Doctor Tate,let us have a look.”