Writing Prompt Wednesday: A snippet from Chapter 20 of "The Good Thing", the WIP novel.

So I worked on the novel seriously today for the first time since about the end of February. Wrote about 1100 words in one sitting. I think that’s the most I’ve written at once since the end of NaNoWriMo in November! Yikes. But to celebrate, I present to you a piece of Chapter 20, a chapter I’ve been working on since the end of February as well, and have FINALLY, finally finished! HOORAY! As usual, please keep in mind this is unedited, and names of organizations are merely placeholders and subject to change. 😉 – JRF

***

Pavel opened his mouth for another retort when a soft whirring noise behind them made them both startle and turn, only to see the elevator had been recalled to the ground floor.

“They’re coming,” Vince whispered.

“This way,” Pavel said, and bolted off down the hall.

Vince followed, counting off door after door as they ran, ears pricked for sounds of pursuit behind.

“Here!” Pavel dodged to his right at last, into a shallow alcove housing a bright red door, warnings painted in large white letters across it’s surface. His fingers danced over the keypad as Vince waited, fidgeting, unable to keep his eyes off the elevator door, now far down at the other end of the hall.

A heavy thump brought his gaze back to their escape and Pavel grunted as he pushed against the emergency door. Vince threw his weight into it as well and it finally began to edge open just as the chime of the elevator arriving echoed down the corridor.

Cool night air blasted them in the face as they squeezed out and then struggled to shut it back behind them, sealing off the oncoming shouts and wildly swinging beams of rifle flashlights.

Vince sagged back against the plated door as it locked again. They stood in near pitch blackness, the sirens somewhat muffled and distant now, the rank smell of mildew and vegetative rot pervasive enough to make him cough. He covered his nose with his hand. “Where are we?”

Pavel’s disembodied voice drifted from his left, breathless and strained. “An old viaduct left over from the first city. Beneath Main and 35th. Going down takes us into the waste system, up leads to street level. So? What now? You have a plan? They’re not going to bother entering a code when they get to that door. I’d give us two minutes till they catch up.”

***