Sad Wind From the Sea - Jack Higgins [22]
The roof was flat but sloped slightly down to a gutter. It didn't look very safe but by jumping he decided he would be able to grip the guttering with his hands. He ducked back into the room and taking the automatic from his pocket gave it to Rose. 'There's a chance we might get on to the roof if the guttering holds. If it doesn't, I suggest you either blow your brains out or jump after me.'
She squeezed his hand once and then he was outside balanced precariously on the windowsill. For a moment he paused and then he jumped and gripped the edge of the gutter. It creaked ominously and sagged a little but didn't give way. He hung there for a moment and then heaved himself up until he could get his elbows above the edge. A moment later he was lying full length in the gutter, offering up a prayer to the carpenter responsible for the job.
He leaned over and extending his arm, shouted: 'Now, Rose! Now!'
There was a tremendous crash as the door burst open in the room and then a long, reverberating roll as she loosed off the entire magazine of the automatic. There was a confused shouting and screaming and a cry of agony and then she stepped lightly out on to the windowsill and reached up and caught hold of his hand. She was as light as a feather. Before he realized it she was lying beside him in the gutter. She handed him the automatic. 'It was a good thing you gave it to me. I'm afraid I used all the rounds.'
He grinned. 'Good girl. I hope every one of them did its job well.' There was only the sound of men in pain from the room below. He scrambled on to the flat part of the roof and pulled her up beside him. 'The rest of them will be up here any minute,' he said. 'We've got to get moving.'
They began to run along the roof and had progressed only a few yards when there was a shout from the rear. Hagen turned and saw Kossoff and three men clambering out of a trap-door. He grabbed the girl's hand and they began to run. Occasionally they had to clamber over low roofs that divided one warehouse from another, for this part of the waterfront was lined with buildings. Finally they came to a low parapet and a narrow alley barred them from the next building. Hagen ran to the other side of the roof and looked straight down into the harbour. He recognized the place. They were on the roof of one of the granaries that loaded directly on to the ships. Behind them the hounds closed in. At that moment the moon came out from behind a cloud and glinted on the silver head of Kossoff's cane as he urged his men on. Hagen smiled at the girl. 'It's all of sixty feet down but the water is plenty deep enough. Are you game?'
'Have we any choice?' she said, simply.
Hagen stripped off his jacket and slipped the pistol into his trousers pocket. He gripped the girl's hand tightly and they clambered up on to the parapet. Behind him he heard Kossoff cry out and then they jumped.
The air rushed past his ears with a mighty roar and a thousand coloured lights seemed to dance through the sky like a stream of tracer bullets. He hit the water with a solid, forceful smack and seemed to go down and down into a black night that had no ending. A thousand years later he drifted lazily upwards out of the darkness and his head broke surface. He gazed up past the dark bulk of the warehouse at the stars and was aware of Rose floating beside him and realized that he was gripping her hand - had gripped it since the moment they jumped. 'Are you all right?' he said with difficulty, his lungs still gasping for air.
She nodded and gulped: 'I think so. But what now?'
He managed a grin. 'Can you swim a quarter of a mile?'
'I don't know,' was the reply.
'Well, now's the time to find out. We're going to swim across the harbour. That will put our friend up there off the scent. Just take it easy. A nice steady breast-stroke is the thing. If you get into difficulties don't worry, I'm here.'
They began to swim, steadily and slowly. The water was warm and the moon had gone behind a cloud again. There was only the two of them and the darkness.