Bab 98: Freedom?

My feet pound against the last flight of stairs. Each step sends a burst of pain through my legs, but I can't slow down. Not with the building threatening to crush us both.

Princess Paws lets out another pitiful cry from her box. My arms ache from clutching her so tightly, but I won't risk dropping her again.

The exit sign glows like a beacon, and I burst through the stairwell door into what must be the main lobby. Tall windows stretch from floor to ceiling, revealing a gray morning beyond. Freedom lies just yards away.

A deep groan reverberates through the walls, like the death rattle of some massive beast.

"Almost there, baby." My voice is reedy with panic, even as I try to soothe my kitten.

I sprint toward the glass doors. Twenty feet. Fifteen. Ten.

The ceiling gives a horrendous crack. My stomach drops as I look up. Spiderwebs of fissures race across the concrete above, spreading faster than I can run.