make it,” she said jerkily.
I didn't bother to argue, time was pressing. I gave her the fireman's hoist and started up the other flight of stairs. Carrying a dame of Blondie's build up thirty stairs is hard labour. Along with the feeling that some guy is going to open up with a popgun and perforate your pants it's plain hell. By the time I got on to the next landing, I was sweating hard.
Once I got up there, I used my lamp. The landing was similar to the downstairs one. The same number of doors. I entered the back room and dumped Blondie down on the floor. “Try an' snap out of it,” I said. “We ain't home yet.”
I went out on to the landing again, leaving her the lamp. Then I leant over the rail and fired a shot down into the darkness. I thought maybe those guys down there wanted a little scare. I got one myself. A gun exploded out of the darkness and I felt the wind of the bullet close to my face. I jerked back, then shifting my position I fired once more, this time straight down the stairs.
Two guns replied, and if I hadn't been lying flat on my face I should have stopped something. These guys knew too much about shooting to please me. I crawled into the room and shut the door softly.
Maybe they wouldn't try to rush the place for a little while. I wasn't sure how many slugs I'd got left, and I thought I'd better save what I'd got.
Picking up the torch, I examined the room. The first thing the spot-light fell on was a heavy cupboard. I went across and pulled it from the wall.
Blondie climbed to her feet and moved over to me. Although her face was twisted, I'll say she was game.
“Take it easy,” I said to her. “I can manage this... you nurse yourself.”
Her reply was unprintable. That's the advantage of meeting up with a dame like Blondie. You don't have to worry about your manners. She and I got the cupboard across the room and against the door. It would hold it for a little while.
I went to the window and looked out. Below was the black river. I could just make out the oily reflection from the overcast moon. It looked a hell of a way down.
I turned back. “Can you swim, sister?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said, “but I ain't swimming in these clothes.”
That's a woman!
I lit a cigarette. “Unless the cops move in... it looks like you'll have to,” I said. “These guys outside mean business.”
She came over to the window and, brushing past me, she looked out. I could smell her scent. She turned round and looked at me. “It's a long way down,” she said. There was just a faint quaver in her voice.
I told myself that whatever else she was, she'd got plenty of guts. “Don't you worry about that,” I said. “You just push yourself off... it ain't anythin'. I'll be right behind you. I guess you don't want to face up to the slugs instead, do you?”
She pulled a zip on her dress and stepped out of it. Then she kicked off her shoes. Blondie was the sort of dame that always wears black undies. I could just make out the faint white of her shoulders and that was all.
Three violent reports sounded outside the door and I heard the bullets smack against the wall opposite. Then someone began to heave against the panels. It was time we got going.
“Come on, baby, it's cooler outside,” I said. “Sit on the sill and hang your legs outside.”
She climbed up and I held her until she was steady, then she sat down, her legs in space. With my hands on each side of her hips, I felt a little shiver run through her. “Keep your nut,” I said softly in her ear. “I'll be right after you. Just take a deep breath... off you go.”
I shoved her off the sill and leant out to watch her go. Down she went into the darkness and I heard a loud splash. Then I vaulted after her.
Was that water cold? I seemed to go down for hours. Then just when I thought maybe I'd go on for ever, my head broke the surface. I shook the water out of my eyes and looked around for Blondie. I couldn't see her for several seconds, but then at last I made out a bobbing head several yards to my right.
I turned on my side and swam over to her fast.
“H'yah, baby,” I said. “You all right?”
“Some guy's goin' to pay for this,” she said furiously, “you see if he don't.”
I had a little grin to myself in the darkness. This dame's temper couldn't be put out even with water.
“Suppose we go home?” I said, swimming along at her side. “I guess we've done enough for one night.”
Together we swam quietly to the lights on the waterfront.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
IT WAS TRICKY work smuggling Blondie into my apartment. If she didn't mind getting herself talked about, I did.
We certainly had all the luck. After swimming around for a little while, we made the waterfront. A docker nearly had a fit when we climbed up the side of the wharf right at his feet. Once he'd got over the shock of seeing Blondie in her wet undies, he extended a helping hand. He took us along to his place and fitted us out with a couple of worn-out suits. We both looked tramps, but we didn't give a damn.
The docker seemed quite content to accept a phoney story I'd made up for his consumption, and when I
