Exit 23

[Jarval]

The donut shop:

John opens his cell phone, only to find the words "No Signal" flashing on the screen.

Ben edges out of the donut shop, across the lobby, and tries to push open the door to the hallway leading to the washroom. There's a dead weight on the other side, but after a couple of moments the park ranger manages to shove the door back. There's a heavy thud from the other side of the door, and a body flops into Ben's torchlight. It's the student, and you're pretty certain he's dead. Most people can't survive having several four foot long icicles stabbed through their chest...


The washroom:

BJ kneels down and feels around the floor blindly. After a few moments he touches something soft, and warmer than the rest room floor. The object groans in pain and shifts slightly. Moving closer, BJ sees that it's the business executive, who's bleeding heavily from several slashed wounds to his right leg, and has what appears to be an... icicle... lodged through his lower abdomen.

 

[ErichDragon]

After viewing the grizzly scene before him, Ben jerks his pistol out of it's holster and sweeps the lobby, looking for God only knows what.

~Dear Lord. What happened to him!~

Ben calls back over his shoulder. "Everyone please stay put. No one leave the donut shop."

Ben takes a few cautious steps into the lobby, kneeling to check the man on the ground, just in case.

~Which way, towards the restaurant or the bathrooms. This is definitely a two man job. Let me check the restrooms first, that's where at least one other patron went.~

Ben will make his way along the west wall, keeping his eyes on as many doorways as possible.

 

[tmart]

BJ loses the scared expression on his face and suddenly appears very purposeful and calm. He tries to examine the man's wounds to determine the extent and gravity of his injuries, hoping that he won't have to fetch his medical kit from his SUV. Maybe I should call for help. ... No, the maniac that did this could still be around somewhere, he thinks. God, I hope this guy's alright.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

John closes the cell phone with a shrug. He wasn't really expecting anything anyway. He really wishes, though, that he didn't feel so isolated. There was nothing like being trapped in a snowed-in building to make you feel cut off from the rest of the world.

He wishes, though, that the park ranger would come back with the light. All of his old children's fears of the dark really came in to play after that scream....

"Uh, excuse me, ma'am? Any word on those flashlights?" he says out loud.

 

[loxmyth]

Duante adds his voice to the other man's. "Yeah, flashlights would really be useful, especially if there's been a mishap. Ahmed, right?" he asks, addressing the asian man. "Maybe a couple of us could go over to the store and get some flashlights? What do you say, man? It's better than just standing around here in the dark, right?"

OOC: Daunte's going to turn on the diplomancy (+9) to persuade Ahmed to take him and whoever else wants to into the store for flashlights.

 

[Jarval]

The donut shop:

(Diplomacy check: 9 + 19 = 28.) "Sure, sure, lights are good." Ahmed pulls a keyring out of his pocket, less nervous at the prospect of light. "Master key. I can open any door in this place."


The washroom:

BJ examines the man's wounds. The poor lighting doesn't help, but you're certain that unless the bleeding is stopped in the next few minutes, he'll not see the morning. Just at that moment a beam of torchlight sweeps across the room, coming to rest on you and the business man.


The hallway:

Ben kneels and checks for a pulse. The body is cold, still, and definitely dead.

You edge your way along the wall, pistol and torch at the ready. The door to the women's rest room is closed, but the door the men's lies broken on the floor.

Looking cautiously around the door frame, you sweep the torch beam across the room. Your light comes to rest on the executive, who has another of the icicles lodged in his stomach, and kneeing beside him another man from the donut shop. Blood stains the floor and the kneeling figure's hands.

 

[tmart]

The kneeling figure quickly pulls some keys from his pocket and tosses them at the man with the light. "I need the medical kit -- you know, red cross on it -- from the black Chevy Suburban outside the lobby entrance. Go." He rips off a piece of the executive's shirt, and while he attempts to apply it as a makeshift tourniquet, he adds, "and bring someone to help move the body out of the cold!"

 

[ErichDragon]

Ben raises his pistol to cover the two men, not sure what is going on.

~Hmmm. I wonder if the doctor did this? I suppose not, icicle through the chest is hardly the easiest way to kill someone, if he could even do it.~

"Right Doc. I have to check the restaurant quick to make sure whoever, or...whatever, did this isn't still around. Then I'll have you kit in the donut shop. Don't worry, I ran track in college." Ben finishes with a wry grin.

Ben yells into the donut shop. "I need two strong men with flashlights out here, someone is injured." Ben will then make a cursory sweep of the last restaurant. After that he will run as fast as he can outside, locate the doc's car and retreive the Medical Kit. While out there Ben will also retreive his backpack and Winchester from his Jeep.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

John follows, for lack of anything better to do, Ahmed and the other man towards the flashlights. You never know how much seeing means to you until you can't anymore. Then he hears the call from the restroom.

"I need two strong men with flashlights out here, someone is injured."

"Holy S***, I hope they're allright," mutters John, and then aloud to the others "you two go, I'll get the flashlights, if that's allright with you...?" he trails off.

 

[loxmyth]

Daunte smiles disarmingly at the man with the keys. "Well then, let's get a move on." Following Ahmed, he reaches the door before he hears the ranger's plea and then the other man's suggestion.

In the dark, he shakes his head. "We need to get the flashlights first," he reasons. "It's pitch black in here and the ranger took our only source of light. We can't even make it back to the washroom without groping through the darkness - not to mention the fact that we wouldn't be able to see whatever caused the man's injuries in the first place." He shook his head again, his voice firmer this time. "No, we go get the flashlights first. Just means we have to be fast about it. Which is okay, because I run track. So all we got to do is hustle. Ahmed, after you."

And with that he makes double time for the store.

OOC: Daunte will move as fast as he can for the store. He can run up to 150 feet in a round, but I'm guessing he won't be able to go full out in the darkness.