Revolution (Replica) by Jenna Black

small improvised imitation of a party. Or at least sing “Happy Birthday.”
    It was too soon to expect Nadia and Kurt back yet, but that didn’t stop him from scanning the growing crowd outside in search of two familiar figures.
    He didn’t see them. But what he did see made him go cold all over.
    “I think we may have a big problem,” he said, gesturing Dante and Agnes over and pointing.
    A group of five uniformed security officers were making their way down the street with purposeful strides. All the laws of Paxco officially applied to the Basement as well as to the rest of society, but there was no such thing as enforcement here, and security officers didn’t set foot in the place unless they were on the hunt for a fugitive.
    “Damn it,” Dante said as he followed Nate’s pointing finger. “What are the chances they’re here for someone else?”
    Nate snorted. “What are the chances something would actually go right for us for once?”
    “They couldn’t possibly know where we are,” Agnes said. “Could they?”
    “Until we all went on the lam,” Dante said, “Bishop wasn’t in hiding. I’m sure there are Basement-dwellers who know where he lives and that security can find a way to convince them to talk.”
    Nate uttered a curse that would have done Bishop proud. The officers did look like they had a specific destination in mind, and that destination did seem to be this apartment building. “We need to get out of here. Fast.” The officers were already too close for comfort, and Nate didn’t think they had much chance of getting out without being seen.
    “And go where?” Agnes asked in a small voice.
    “Angel’s,” Nate responded instantly. “We have to meet up with Bishop and Nadia anyway.”
    He tore himself away from the window and began pawing through his meager pile of belongings to find the gun he’d had hidden on his person when he and Nadia had confronted Dorothy. Dorothy had confiscated their other weapons, but she’d never known about the extra gun. Hardly an expert with guns, Nate had no idea how many bullets were in this one, but he doubted it was enough to get them through a shootout with a security squad. Didn’t mean he was going to leave it behind, though.
    “They’re definitely coming here,” Dante announced, backing away from the window. “Let’s move it.” He saw what Nate was doing and wordlessly reached out his hand.
    Nate swallowed his ego and handed the gun over to someone who knew how to use it. Agnes let go of her evening gown/security blanket with obvious reluctance as the three of them rushed to the door.
    “How are we going to get past the security squad without being seen?” Nate asked, hoping Dante, as a professional spy, might have some clever tactic in mind. But it was Agnes who answered.
    “We walk right past them as if we have nothing to hide.”
    Nate stared at her in astonishment.
    “Our disguises are good,” Agnes said, “and they’re expecting us to be holed up in the apartment. They certainly won’t be expecting us to come right out in the open like that. I’ll bet they barely give us a passing glance if we pass them on the stairs.”
    “She has a point,” Dante agreed as they darted out into the hallway and closed the door behind them. Kurt had the keys, so they weren’t able to lock the door, but the security squad was probably going to bash it down anyway. “They’d expect us to run or sneak away, not walk right by them. Besides, I don’t know if we have any other choice. If there’s a back way out of here, I don’t know about it, and they probably have a couple of men watching it anyway.”
    “For the record,” Nate said as they hurried down the hallway to the stairs, “I hate this plan.” Unfortunately, he didn’t have an alternative suggestion.
    “Just act cool and natural,” Dante said. He put his hand on the door to the stairwell. “Walk at a normal pace, don’t act like you’re trying to hide your face, and