Dammit, she hadn't fallen! He hadn't shot the bitch after all!
Why wouldn't these people die?
Furious, he stumbled back into the room, out of the wind-whipped'snow.
He left the office and followed the corridor to the nearest stairwell.
Connie wished that she could rappel with her eyes closed. Balanced on
the side of the highrise, twenty-three stories above Lexington Avenue,
without a safety tether, she was unnerved by the scene.
Right hand behind.
Left hand in front.
Right hand to brake.
Left hand to guide.
Feet spread and planted firmly on the wall.
Repeating to herself all that Graham had taught her, she pushed away
from the building. And gasped. She felt as if she had taken a suicidal
leap.
As she swung out, she realized that she was clenching the rope too
tightly with her left hand. Left to guide. Right to brake. She
relaxed her grip on the rope in front of her and slid down a few feet
before braking.
She approached the building improperly. Her legs were not straight out
in front of her, and they weren't rigid enough. They buckled. She
twisted to the right, out of control, and struck the granite with her
shoulder. The impact was not great enough to break a bone, but it was
much too hard.
It dazed her, but she didn't let go of the rope. Got her feet against
the stone once more. Got into position. Shook her head to clear it.
Glanced to her left. Saw Graham three yards away on that side. Nodded
so he would know that she was all r. Then pushed outward. Pushed hard.
Slid down. Swung back. She didn't make any mistakes this time.
THEFAmoFFEm Grinning, Graham watched as Connie took a few more steps
down the stone. Her endurance and determination delighted him.
There really was some Nora Charles in her. And a hell of a lot of Nick
too.
When he saw that she had pretty much gotten the knack of rappelling-her
style was crude but adequate-he kicked away from the wall. He descended
farther than she did on each arc and reached the eighteenth floor ahead
of her.
He braced himself on the almost nonexistent window ledge. He smashed in
the two tall panes of glass and fixed a snap link to the metal center
post. When he had attached his safety tether to that carabiner, he
released the main line, pulled it free of the overhead anchor. He
caught the rope, tied it to the carabiner in front of him, and took up a
rappelling position.
Beside him, nine feet away, Connie was also ready to rappel.
He flung himself into space.
He was amazed not only at how well he remembered the skills and
techniques of a climber, but at how quickly the worst of his fear had
vanished. He was still afraid, but not unnaturally so. Necessity and
Connie's love had produced a miracle that no psychiatrist could have
matched.
