[i]The bloody police officer mentioned something about a silencer and having grenades, but he paid no attention to that as he had none.

The holy priest murmured something about helping him, but Nicholas heard his footsteps as the priest eventually ran upstairs to help make the movement safer and faster.

A passing girl watched him before when he killed the others, making mental notes Grayeson suspected about him.

The foreign photographer said something off-hand about his comment to the priest for “securing” the lobby, but Nicholas knew he would understand soon enough.[/i]

Everything started slowing down as Nicholas returned his attention to what was unfolding before him. After those initial bursts of gunfire, he noticed more rampant movement outside and coming towards the apartment building. Knowing the situation was getting dire, he dropped to a knee and steadied his aim before sending some lead down range to appearing creatures. These were slightly faster than the child he recently put down; but he knew the gunfire would draw more of them soon. Watching the bodies of the deceased fall back as they were sailing into the air, he immediately stood up and started back pedaling up the stairs. His rifle still trailed down range to the oncoming onslaught till he bumped into someone; causing him to release the rifle and draw his sidearm to whoever/whatever he bumped into. Seeing it was just a scared, old man who was having trouble going up the stairs; Grayeson turned back to the front and kept an eye on the slow-moving horde.

[b][color=f7941d]“Get the old man upstairs officer, I’ll barricade the stairwell with whatever I can manage to use.”[/color][/b] Nicholas quickly ordered, calmly yet firmly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of two long benches that could slow down the creatures. Returning his sidearm to its holster, he grabbed ahold of the bench and dragged it across the pathway of the stairs. Quickly following up with the other and stacking on top of the other, Nicholas started back pedaling with his rifle back in his hands. When he bumped back into the old man, he made a note to stop for a moment to take another knee. Rifle trailing back down the winding staircase, he started utilizing his situational awareness to what else could be utilized as a barricade. A small statue carved from stone to his right seemed like the next obvious choice. Lowering his rifle, he quickly but carefully lowered the statue to the steps and rolled it into the benches. Watching it roll right into place, securing the benches a bit tighter; he kept his “eyes” searching for anything else of use. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught glimmers of flashes from far off explosions in the city, popping in quick flashbacks of wartime at night. When he finally snapped back into “reality,” since he thought it was all still a dream; he slowly started backing up the stairs. The sounds of screams and a loud crash erupted from above, causing his eyes to raise upwards for a moment then back to the stairs below him.

[color=00aeef]“What the hell is going on up there?”[/color] he asked himself.