Quoted By:
Heeding your own advice, you kindly motivate your ‘<span class="mu-i">chums</span>’ by grabbing them both by the shoulder and turning them in the direction of the exit!
Your good deed for the day completed, you waste no time in scrambling out the front door with your arms flailing behind you like one of those inflatable things at a used car lot!
To his credit, Raj catches up almost immediately! “Yea brah,” he pants as he holds his beanie close to his shaggy head, “Got <span class="mu-i">loads</span> of practice ditchin’ <span class="mu-s">MALL COPS!</span>”
Yea, you bet! Sliding across the hood of a <span class="mu-s">GOLF CART</span> like a <span class="mu-s">DUDES OF HAVOK</span> character, you lead the pack in the direction of the <span class="mu-s">FRONT GATE–</span> a wrought-iron monster you quickly realize is <span class="mu-s">CLOSED!</span> How the hell did you <span class="mu-i">miss</span> that!? RRNGH!
“S’all good, dude!” Replies Raj as you hear your pursuer’s heavy footfalls approaching on the pavement behind you, “We all make mistakes–but only the <span class="mu-i">wisest</span> of us learn from them!”
That would probably make you feel a <span class="mu-i">whole</span> lot better if you weren’t about to become a <span class="mu-s">MACHETE-KABOB.</span> Luckily you’ve had a lifetime’s worth of practice escaping ravenous dogs and meth heads when delivering ‘zza, so it doesn’t take your brain long to plot out an alternate route over a nearby <span class="mu-s">FOUNTAIN!</span>
Depicting an older gentleman carved from marble, it also looks <span class="mu-i">just</span> close enough to the wall for you to leap over! If you can climb it, that is.
Beckoning Raj to follow, you brave the chilly fountain water and clamber up the statue like a squirrel on a sugar high! You’re just about to make the leap when you spot Pepper panting and still struggling to keep up!
We’ll catch up, you mutter to Raj before hopping off the statue and rushing over to the journalist! Snatching her hand in yours, your eyes lock with the glow emanating from beneath the stalker’s hood!
Flipping them the bird, you rush back to the fountain with Pepper in tow and boost her as best as you can to the top of the statue!
The girl eyeballs the distance between her and the wall with a look of uncertainty on her face! No time to think, you huff, and with a tightened grip around her hand you leap off your perch and as far as your legs can take you!
The things you do for <span class="mu-i">favors</span>...
>CONTD.
