The nearest exit turned out to be a stairwell with stairs leading both up and down. Lucy stood chewing her bottom lip for a moment and then decided that down was definitely her best bet. Down would lead onto the street, which could lead back to her cozy little apartment if she decided she wanted things to play out that way. Whereas up could lead to being trapped in the same building with Mack for many minutes longer than she wanted.
"Definitely down," she decided and began descending in a clatter of heels and the swish of her skirt.
She made it about three floors when she came upon a woman huddled at the top corner of one the concrete landings. She must have heard Lucy coming with all the noise she was making, yet she made no move to get up. However, when Lucy rounded the corner she did
