He dug his thumb into the bell push and kept it there. Somewhere behind the door, he could hear the bell ringing. He waited, breathing quickly, his thumb increasing pressure, his ears c.o.c.ked for any sound of feet on the stairs. Nothing happened; no one answered the door.

He changed from the bell to the knocker and banged four times as hard as he could, sending a violent wave of sound down the shaft of the staircase. He began to wonder if the girl had gone out, and had left the light burning.

Leaving the door, he stepped to the banister rail and looked down into the dimly lit well. Far below him, he could see the lobby. It was deserted. Then as he hung over the rail, he heard the sound of quick footsteps on the stairs below - they sounded unpleasantly close.

aWhattaas matter?a a voice said behind him.

He jumped around, his nerves tw.a.n.ging like banjo strings. A girl stood in the open doorway, facing him - a girl with platinum blond hair that reached to her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of black nylon pyjamas that were as transparent as a sheet of gla.s.s. She was around twenty-three or four, and she had big blue eyes, a retrouss nose and high cheekbones.

The sight of her slim, young curves made Leonas hair stand on end.

aWhattaas matter?a she repeated, leaning against the doorpost, seemingly unaware of her transparent nakedness. aIs the joint on fire or is it only you, handsome?a The sound of footsteps were distinct now. The two men were mounting to the fifth floor. There was no time to explain. The thought of taking this girl into the street dressed as she was dismayed Leon, but only for a split second. He had to get her into the elevator and get the elevator moving before the two men came into view. He reckoned he didnat have much more than five seconds to do it.

aI want you,a he said and grabbed at the girl.

He caught her by the wrist and jerked her forward, but she grabbed hold of the doorway, braced her feet and leaned back.

aWho do you think I am - one of the Sabines?a she said and giggled.

He realized then that she was as drunk as she could ever be, and he was so startled he allowed her to wrench her wrist free.

aCool down, handsome,a she said. aWeare in the twentieth century now - remember?a aFor the love of Mike, two guys are coming up and theyare after you. Your only chance is to come with me,a Leon blurted out.

aTwo more guys? Let them all come! Bring them in and come in yourself. Weall have a party.a Leon reached forward to grab her again, but she jumped back.

aIf the other two are anything like you Iam going to have a lot of fun,a she said, swaying unsteadily on her feet. aCome on in and stake the first claim.a Leon stepped to the door, sweat was running down his face.

aHey, you!a He had been waiting for that. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man with the scar appear at the head of the stairs. Behind him Leon caught a glimpse of the other man, shorter and fatter.

Leon stepped into the apartment, slammed the door and turned the key. He shot the bolts at the foot and head of the door.

aYouare kidding yourself if you think youare going to have me all to yourself,a the girl said. aYou may not think it to look at me, but Iam not that sort of a girl. Open up, and let those two guys in.a aNow, listen to me . . .a Leon began.

aWell, if youare not going to let them in, then I will!a the girl declared and staggered over to the door.

aDonat be a fool!a Leon said, shoving her back. aThose two . . .a aWho are you calling a fool?a the girl said shrilly. aGet out of my way!a aWill you listen to me?a She swerved around him and pulled back the top bolt before he could grab her.

There came a loud knocking on the door.

aDonat start pawing me!a the girl exclaimed, pulling away from Leon.

aThose two guys are going to murder you, you little fool!a Leon snarled, and blocked her rush to the door again. He took her by the shoulders and shook her. aTheyare the fellas.a He broke off with a grunt of anguish as she slapped him across the eyes. For a second or so he was blinded. She had pulled the bottom bolt back and her hand was on the key when he dragged her away and threw her into an armchair. He jumped to the door and slammed back the bolts again as a shoulder was driven against the door.

The door bulged under the impact, but held. Leon didnat think it would withstand much more of that treatment.

The girl scrambled out of the chair and threw herself at him, pounding his chest and face with clenched fists. For a moment he had all he could do to control her flying fists. Finally, he caught her wrists and, holding them against his chest, he shouted to her to stop fighting.

aWill you listen to me, G.o.dd.a.m.n it! Those are the guys youare paying blackmail to!a She seemed too drunk to understand what he was saying, and pus.h.i.+ng forward, she b.u.t.ted him under his chin and kicked his s.h.i.+n. Swearing under his breath, he swept her off her feet and rushed her into the far room.

It was a small room with a narrow bed standing under the window. There was a heavy wardrobe along one side of the wall, and a dressing table along the opposite wall.

He tossed her on the bed, turned, shut the door, twisting the key and taking it out of the lock. The girl bounced off the bed and came at him again, her eyes furious and face white.

He caught hold of her, smothered her flying arms, carried her back to the bed and slammed her down so hard she would have bounced onto the floor if he hadnat held her.

She lay gasping for breath, too stunned for the moment to move, and he took the opportunity to run over to the wardrobe and he began to manoeuvre it to the door. It was a solid piece of furniture, and it was as much as he could do to move it. He struggled with it, panting, moving it inch by inch.

aDonat you dare touch my things!a the girl wailed from the bed. aStop it, do you hear?a Leon ignored her. He got his shoulder against the wardrobe and heaved it across the door. As he was s.h.i.+fting the far end into position, he heard a sharp splintering of wood in the next room. The front door had been forced open. Well, they wouldnat force this door open so quickly, he thought. He opened the wardrobe, s.n.a.t.c.hed out a fur coat and threw it at the girl.

aPut that on, and snap it up!a aYou get out of here!a she stormed and threw the coat on the floor.

He went over to her and jerked her to her feet.

aPut it on!a She swung at him, her fingers like claws, but he caught her wrist, spun her around and slammed her face down on the bed. He drove his knees in her back to hold her, caught up the coat and tried to get her arms into the sleeves, but she struggled so violently he had to give up.

He was angry now. Every second counted, and he knew those two would get into the room before long. He released her and stood back, setting himself. She bounced off the bed, her eyes blazing, and came at him with flying fists. He swept aside her arms and hit her solidly, turning his wrist as his fist cracked against her jaw.

Her eyes rolled back, her knees buckled and she collapsed into his arms.

He swung her onto the bed and bundled her into the fur coat, then leaving her, he jumped to the window and threw it up. He gave a gasp of relief when he saw the fire escape platform a few feet below him.

aHeas going out by the window!a he heard the man with the scar growl. aIam going down. You get this door open.a Leon didnat hesitate. The man with the scar had the elevator, but it travelled at a crawl. He would then have to come around to the back of the building. It would be a close race, but it would be better than being trapped in this room. He caught up the unconscious girl and bundled her out of the window onto the platform. He scrambled out himself as the door creaked ominously.

He paused to look down into the dark alley, trying to see where it led to, but he could see only the dim outline of a high wall fading into darkness. He looked up, but the roof was well out of his reach. He had to go down.

He swung the girl over his shoulder and started down the iron stairs. Holding on to the rusty rail, he went down as fast as his legs could take him. The girl was no light weight, and by the time he reached the third-floor platform he was gasping for breath, but he kept on, nearly falling, grabbing at the rail, slithering down the steps, intent only on reaching the alley before the man with the scar showed up.

He reached the last platform, his breath rasping at the back of his throat and his knees buckling. But he kept on, feeling the end of the escape swing down as he put his weight on it.

He reached the alley and leaned against the wall for a second or so while he struggled to get his breath back. He looked to the right and left. The alley went away into the darkness like a tunnel, and he could see no lights at either end. He started off to the right, half running, half staggering. He hadnat gone more than a few yards when a sound behind him made him swing around.

Some distance from him a door had opened and a shaft of light fell into the alley. He could see the broad, tall figure of the man with the scar move swiftly and silently through the open doorway into the alley. Leon began to move forward slowly, making no sound, and holding his breath.

The man with the scar stood listening, looking from right to left, trying to make up his mind which way Leon had gone.

Moving now at a crawl, Leon edged on into the darkness, ready to break into a run if the man with the scar headed his way.

Suddenly and without warning he collided with a wall. He stumbled, recovered his balance and groped feverishly. His hands slid over the face of a brick wall. The alley was a cul-de-sac. He had come the wrong way, and had walked into a trap!

He leaned against the wall, looking down the long length of the dark alley to the patch of light that came through the open doorway. He saw the man with the scar look in his direction, then start toward him. As he pa.s.sed out of the patch of light, Leon saw he had a gun in his hand.

II.

The sound of traffic and the haze of light in the sky told Leon he wasnat all that far from a main street. He reckoned that if he had turned left instead of right he would have come out at the bottom end of Eastern Street.

But now the man with the scar, plus a gun, blocked his exit. He slid the unconscious girl off his shoulder and gently let her down to the ground. He propped her up against the wall. He could see the man with the scar outlined against the patch of light that lit up the alley and wall opposite the open door.

Leon knew he couldnat be seen, and the man with the scar was only guessing that this was the way he had come, nor could he know that the alley ended in a cul-de-sac.

Moving silently, Leon crept forward, bent double to meet the man with the scar as he came down the alley. The man moved slowly, not quite sure where he was heading, his ears p.r.i.c.ked for any sound that would tell him he was moving in the right direction.

When Leon got about twenty yards from where he had left the girl, he stopped and went down on hands and knees, pressing himself against the wall. The man with the scar was about fifteen yards from him, moving forward, his gun thrust out, his left hand touching the wall opposite to the one by which Leon was crouching. As he came nearer, Leon held his breath, ducking his chin down to hide his white collar.

The man with the scar was within a few feet of him now, Leon could hear him breathing softly, and smelt a faint and sickly perfume of hair oil. The looming shadow pa.s.sed within a foot of him, not seeing him, moving forward with the same slow, steady pace, and Leon had to admire the nerve of the man to walk into such pitch blackness not knowing if a trap was being laid for him. Leon twisted round on his heels, half stood up, braced himself and threw himself on the broad back as it moved away from him.

The man with the scar gave a startled grunt, stumbled forward and dropped his gun. Leon got his arm round the manas throat. He caught his own wrist with his right hand, pulling it back into the manas throat with all his strength. The man with the scar arched his back and lifted Leon off his feet. Leon gritted his teeth and tightened his grip. He hung on, knowing that if he could retain his grip for a minute or so, his opponent must black out.

The opposition was alarming. It was like trying to hold a wild cat. The man with the scar slammed Leon against the wall, kicked back, bent, straightened and slammed Leon against the wall again.

Leon felt as if his ribs were being crushed, and his breath was driven out of his body, but he hung on, frantically retaining his grip, and making a desperate effort to tighten it.

The man with the scar reached back and groped for Leonas head. His fingers brushed Leonas eyes, but before he could screw his thumbs into Leonas eyeb.a.l.l.s, Leon, realizing the danger, had buried his face into the otheras shoulder. Fingers closed around his ears and twisted them, sending white-hot pain tearing into Leonas skull. He heaved forward, driving the man with the scar onto his knees, forcing him to let go of Leonas ears to save his own face from hitting concrete.

Leon rammed his knee into the manas back, and with the extra leverage pulled savagely back onto his arm. For a moment the man with the scar heaved convulsively, but Leon had the grip he wanted now, and he kept increasing the pressure. Then suddenly the man with the scar went limp and flattened out on the ground. Leon retained his pressure for another two or three seconds, then he cautiously eased his grip, straightened and stepped back. The man with the scar lay motionless.

Leon glanced down the alley, wondering if the fat man would come this way. He groped around in the darkness until he found the gun the man with the scar had dropped. Then he ran back to where he had left the girl, hoisted her on his shoulder and started off toward the patch of light coming through the open doorway.

He held the girl around the back of her knees with his left hand and the gun in his right.

As he neared the patch of light, he slowed down, keeping close to the wall, and began to edge forward, his ears c.o.c.ked for the slightest suspicious sound. Nothing happened, and he paused by the door, his gun thrust forward, and peered into the dimly lit pa.s.sage.

There was no sign of the fat man, and after listening for a moment or two without hearing anything Leon crossed the patch of light, quickened his stride and went on down the alley.

After he had walked fifty yards or so, he made out a faint light ahead of him. He increased his speed and kept on until he reached the end of the alley. He paused again, keeping in the shadows, and peered out of the mouth of the alley into a dark and deserted side street. He stepped out of the alley and looked to the right and left. At the end of the street he could see the dirty street lights and the iron escapes and balconies of Eastern Street.

What was going to happen, he wondered, when he walked into Eastern Street with this girl slung over his shoulder? Suppose he ran into a cop? He glanced back down the alley, wondering if the man with the scar had come to the surface. There was no time to waste. Somehow he had to reach the waiting taxi and get the h.e.l.l out of this district.

As he began to move forward, he felt the girl stir. She gave a little sigh and her legs moved in his grip. He kept on until he reached the corner of the road leading into Eastern Street. Then he swung her off his shoulder and propped her against the wall. Her knees buckled, and she would have slid to the ground if he hadnat held her up.

He shook her and slapped her face lightly.

aCome on,a he urged. aSnap out of it! Youare all right. Come on. Wake up!a She opened her eyes and looked blankly at him, and then closed them again. He shook her once more.

aCome on! Weare going for a walk. Wake up!a aDonat want to go for a walk,a she mumbled. aWanna go to sleep.a He relaxed his grip on her, and when she felt she was falling she made an effort to stay upright, clutching hold of him.

aWhatas happening? Where am I?a aYou're tight, baby, and far from home. Come on. I want to get you home. You donat want me to carry you, do you?a He put his arm around her and started her moving. She staggered along at his side, leaning heavily against him.

Ahead of them, Leon saw the car the two men had come in. It stood some fifty yards or so from No. 23, and he hurriedly crossed the street away from it.

aI want to lie down,a the girl said suddenly. aI canat go a step further.a aYes, you can. Itas not far,a Leon said encouragingly. aCome on. Youare doing fine.a Before he could stop her, she flopped down on the sidewalk.

aIam going to stay right here,a she said sullenly.

A man stepped out of the shadows, making Leon start. He stared at the girl on the sidewalk, gave Leon a quick suspicious stare, but kept on up the street. Leon took off his hat and fanned himself with it. He was finding this situation a difficult and trying experience.

aUp you get,a he said, bending over the girl. aIf you sit on that cold stone thereas no knowing the damage youall do to yourself.a aThatas not your business,a the girl said coldly. aIam going to stop right here.a aCome on, baby,a Leon pleaded. aYou look silly sitting there.a aDidnat you hit me a while back?a the girl asked, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up her eyes and staring at him.

aHit you? Never,a Leon said. aCome on up. You want to get home, donat you?a He put his hands under her armpits and hauled her to her feet.

aMy homeas over there,a she said, pointing to No. 23. aYouare taking me away from it.a aIam going to buy you a drink,a Leon said hurriedly. aSomething long and cold with a kick in it thatall make you steam at the ears. Youad like that, wouldnat you?a aWhat kind of a drinkas that?a she asked, showing interest.

aTheyave bottled a kick of a mule,a Leon said. aItas not on the market yet. Come on. Letas get going before the bar shuts.a She went with him, leaning on his arm, and he hurried her down the street, looking over his shoulder every now and then, expecting to see either the man with the scar or the fat man coming after them. The girl suddenly tugged at his arm, slowing down.

aWhat now?a he said impatiently. aCanat you keep walking for five minutes?a aI have an idea I donat know who you are,a she said, swaying against him. aOr do I?a aSure, you know who I am,a Leon said briskly. aIam Ed. Remember me? Iam the guy whoas going to buy you a drink.a aOh, yes.a She nodded and smiled. aI remember now. Ed. When am I going to get that drink?a aAs soon as we get to the bar,a he said, taking her arm and hustling her along. aStep out, sweetheart. It wonat be long now.a They reached the corner and Leon drew in a deep breath of relief when he saw the taxi waiting. The driver was walking up and down, munching on a sandwich, which he waved at Leon when he saw him.

aI wasnat going to wait much longer,a he said. aI see youave found company.a The girl stared at the driver.

aWhoas this guy?a she demanded, turning to Leon.

aThatas Sam,a Leon said. aYou remember Sam. Heas the guy whoas going to take you to the drink Iam going to buy you.a aOh. You didnat mention Sam,a the girl said, frowning. aHi, Sam,a she went on to the driver. aWhereas this drink Edas going to buy me?a The driver scowled.

aMy name ainat Sam,a he said. aItas George. Where do you get that Sam stuff from?a aAw, forget it!a Leon said impatiently. aSam or George, what the h.e.l.l does it matter? Come on, letas all go for a ride.a He pulled open the car door and took hold of the girlas arm. aHop in, sweetheart. Just a little ride around the corner.a She pulled away from him and jumped back.

aOh, no! Iam not that dumb!a she said. aIam not going on any rides with you. What is this? A white slave s.n.a.t.c.h?a aIam going to buy you a drink,a Leon said, restraining his temper with a superhuman effort. aCome on, baby. Letas all get in this hack and go find that drink.

aIam going home, the girl said, and the finality in her voice made Leonas heart sink.

aCome on. You donat want to go home yet. Itas too early,a he said.

aIam going home,a the girl repeated and thrust her hands into the pockets of her coat. As she did so the coat opened, and the driver got a good view of the black nylon pyjamas.

He caught his breath sharply.

aHoly mackerel! I wouldnat like my wife to wear an outfit like that! he said in a hushed voice.

aSuppose you two go and jump in a lake,a the girl said coldly, flapping her coat to. aIam going home.a She turned and staggered off the way she had come.

Leon jumped forward and grabbed her by her arm, pulling her back.

aHey, you canat go off like that,a he said. aWeare going to have a drink together.a She tried to break his hold, but he held on.

aItas time I started to scream,a she said, leaning against him. aI knew I should have done something all the time Iave been with you. I should have started screaming minutes ago.a aWhat do you want to scream for?a Leon asked, hurriedly releasing her. He took out his cigarette case, opened it and offered it. aHave a cigarette?a aTheyare not doped, are they?a she asked suspiciously.

aOnly the ones on this side. The others are Camels,a Leon said gravely.

She took a Camel while the driver watched with bulging eyes.

aHey, mister,a he said. aWhatas going on around here?a aKeep out of this,a Leon snarled. aYou look after your cab.a He put his arm round the girlas shoulders and moved her toward the cab. aHow about that drink, baby? The bar will shut if we donat snap it up.a She jerked away from him.

aIam not going. Iam going home.a Regretfully Leon decided he would have to hit her again. Time was running out. Any moment the man with the scar might show up, and then the lid would blow off.

aDonat go yet,a he said, closing his right fist. aLook at the moon up there. Doesnat that make you want to stay out and have a good time?a She looked up. The side of her jaw made a perfect target. His fist swung up, but before it could connect, his wrist was grabbed by the driver who shoved him back so violently he overbalanced and sat on the sidewalk.

aWhat do you think youare doing?a the driver demanded fiercely. aI donat stand for that stuff. What is all this, anyway?a aHe hit me before,a the girl said furiously and running over to Leon she kicked him. aThatall teach you to strike a woman, you big gorilla.a Leon grabbed her legs and brought her down on top of him. He twisted her arms behind her, picked her up and rushed her over to the cab.

The driver blocked the way, his eyes bolting out of his head.

aNot in my cab!a he said. aLet her go or Iall make you!a aSheas crazy,a Leon said, struggling to hold the girl. aIave got to take her home. Let me get her inside before she starts trouble.a The girl threw back her head and let out a scream that set Leonas teeth on edge. He tried to cover her mouth with his hand, but the driver rushed up and hit him on the side of his head, sending him staggering.