The fear written on Elly Chen's face as she fled the Lindt cafe summed up the seven hours she had just been through.
Ms Chen sprinted out of the central Sydney cafe and into the arms of heavily armed police late on Monday afternoon, as a lone gunman kept around 20 other terrified hostages in the shop.
She was one of five hostages to flee the gunman who took over the cafe in busy Martin Place just before 10am.
At 3.37pm, two male customers ran through the glass front door, around the corner and huddled behind a wall of specialist police with weapons drawn. Seconds later, a member of staff in his Lindt apron burst out of a fire door into Martin Place and joined the other pair behind their police shield.
Some 90 minutes later, Ms Chen and a female cafe workmate, both also in their brown Lindt aprons, ran for their lives with fear and terror etched all over their faces.
"Im so glad youre safe!" her sister Nicole Chen posted on Elly's Facebook page.
NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn would not confirm whether the hostages were released or escaped.
Earlier in the day, a cafe staff member who was still at home when the drama began, saw a young workmate on live television holding an Islamic flag against the window with her eyes closed.
She had "a look of sheer horror on her face and the longing that it would end. She'd be beside herself", Kathryn Chee said.
"Her arms seemed like they were getting so heavy. I saw her crying and wiping away tears."
One of the escaped hostages was taken to hospital with a pre-existing condition but was given the all clear, while all are talking to police.
"They will be working with us to assist in making sure we get a peaceful outcome in this particular event," NSW police commissioner Andrew Scipione said.
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