The sense of déjà vu from the cathedral in Denver was almost overwhelming. Though he knew it wouldn’t do any good with Raziel in his human form, Alex took his arm from around Seb and shot anyway. It didn’t even slow Raziel down this time. With a sneer, he levelled the gun at Alex’s head and pulled the trigger. There was an empty click.

The angel stared down at the gun in furious disbelief...and then shifted to his ethereal form and soared from the room.

Alex cursed, but couldn’t get him now. Clutching Willow to him, he grabbed hold of the drooping Seb again, hauling him into the back hallway. The shouts sounded louder out here – part of the mob must be coming around from the other direction. “Come on,” he ground out to Seb, half-carrying him down the corridor. “I am not going to die because of you. You don’t get to die either – I promised to kill you, remember? Move.”

Seb seemed to rouse himself by sheer force of will. “Yes, I remember,” he murmured. He pulled from Alex’s grip, managing to break into an exhausted run.

Willow had her arms weakly around Alex’s neck; her hair smelled just like it always had. I’m getting you out of here, babe; I won’t let anything else hurt you, thought Alex as they ran down the corridor. Frenzied shouts sounded behind him; doors banging open as people searched for them.

Sam and Liz came rushing back from the other direction. “They’ve cut us off; the stairwell’s blocked,” gasped Liz. “There’s a whole crowd there, waiting for us.”

“Where are Kara and Brendan?” demanded Alex.

“I don’t know; they were ahead of us! They must have gotten through.” Sam scraped a nervous hand over his blond spikes. “The elevators are blocked, too. Oh, man, what now? Do we try to shoot our way through?”

There was a door directly to his left; Alex cast frantically through his mind, but couldn’t remember where it led. Just then there was another rumble – overhead, the light fixtures swayed. It decided him, somehow.

“In here,” he said, throwing the door open. Stairs, leading up. Up? thought Alex as they barrelled up them. We’re already on the highest floor.

A locked door waited at the top of the stairs. “Stand back,” said Sam, taking aim. He shot; there was the whine of bullet hitting metal as the bolt gave way. He threw the door open and they poured through.

Open sky. Wind, whipping at their clothes. “Oh, Christ,” whispered Alex, still clutching Willow to his chest.

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” said Sam tightly. Liz stared around them helplessly; her mouth opened and then closed again. Seb let out a curse in Spanish, glancing back at the stairs – where Alex could now hear the sound of shouts coming up. The crowd had found them.