She couldn't move very fast with 'as much money as she could carry'. It had pained her to leave both bags behind and fill a rucksack with as much money as she could...carry. Where did she get said rucksack? She stole it, of course. She has getting close to the elevator that she had come here in, when she heard a voice and footsteps coming up from the stairwell. She recognized the voice. It was the bastard from before. The one she just ripped off, and was wearing clothes that she stole from!

SHIT!

She hid in a crevice in the wall, and looked out. There were more of them, ten or twelve of them at a glance, and they were all armed with very large guns, but they weren't going back to their flat. They were going in the other direction, towards the courtyard. She watched them until they were all out of view, and then heard gunfire. Lots of gunfire. She didn't know what was worse, that people were dying, or that it was people she wanted to die. How could she have wished such a thing on people.?Tears were forming in her eyes.

[b]"Hey, you! What's going on?!"[/b]

Taleste turned round. There was a woman in her late fourties behind her with the body of a thirty year old male athlete. a lot of other people had come from their rooms, armed with the first thing they grabbed, it seemed. Taleste was still visibly upset. She cleared her throat and tried to look strong.

"Gunfire. There's gunfire!"

Another voice from the rapidly growing crowd yelled out. [b]"Those bastards are attacking our floor now too?! Let's get them!"[/b] The rest of the crowd yelled out in agreement, and before she knew it, she was being pushed forward, swept into the gunfire that she could hear but not see. She was scared. She was terrified for her life. What had she gotten involved in by coming here on this day of all days? Her eyes were tightly shut. The gunfire was slowing now, the residents who had guns of their own now silences, and those remaining without a chance but fighting anyway. When she started feeling warm blood spray on her skin, she knew she was getting too close to the 'front line'. She dropped down to the ground, and hoped that the trampling didn't kill her. It really hurt, she gave it that...But it stopped after what seemed like hours to her, and she was aching all over, but alive. The money in her backpack had probably helped a lot. She got steadily to her feet, using the wall for support. The fighting had moved towards the courtyard. She looked back. She couldn't see the lift. What should she do?

The ringing in her ears subsided and the fighting had stopped. She looked ahead. The mob were trying to get through a braced door. Taleste, out of sight of them, walked discreetly through a side corridor. She needed to get her bearings. If she could get to the courtyard, she could cross it and use the stairwell behind that, as long as the authority didn't spot her. Even if they asked questions first, she's still a thief. No, she had to avoid them at all costs. She reached an entrance into the courtyard, and peered out, making sure the cost was clear, but at the same time highly visible to anyone who was watching the entrance.