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“We need to get out of here,” Kurt said

“You said we needed to take the high ground”

“That was before the high ground became a barbeque”

Kurt urged her forward and the two of them ran down the stairs only to find the door stuck Kurt put a shoulder to it but it wouldn’t budge

“There’s soh a smallat the top

Kurt stepped back, preparing to charge forward and hit it like a battering ram But before he could move, a salvo of bullets punctured the wooden door from the other side

Kurt plastered hi hit, but Akiko took two shots to the chest and fell backward

Kurt rushed forward, shoved the crossbow through the smallat the top of the door and aier

A shout of pain came frolass and erupting flaht visible through thetold him the room outside was on fire, all the beautiful tapestries and old furniture

Staying low in case another wave of bullets carabbing herand Kurt noticed a web of Kevlar beneath the ancient

“I ondering why you bothered to put that on,” he said “Apparently, not all technology is bad”

She forced a painful grin “We have to get out This won’t protect us from the smoke”

“Can you stand?”

“I think so,” she said, getting to her feet and then doubling over almost as quickly

She began to cough and Kurt could feel the irritation building in his own lungs He needed to find another way out and he needed to find it fast He glanced back up the stairs, took a deep breath and ran into the thickening smoke