“No,” replied Ben. “We used smoke canisters, but it will have a similar effect. We’ll give you a mask, if you come with us.”
Faith coughed again and nodded. “Okay.”
When Amanda removed her own mask and held it out to her, Faith snatched it off her and took a few deep breaths, the ache in her lungs starting to ease.
“That’s better,” she said, handing it back. “Thank you.”
As Amanda took the mask off her, Faith slashed her arm with the shard of glass, making her screech and kicked her in the stomach, knocking her back onto the couch. Ben lunged for her, attempting to disarm her. Faith leapt back, avoiding his arms, pulled the extendable baton from the back of her jeans, snapped it out and smashed it into his left knee. With a cry he dropped and Faith darted around him.
As she reached the door she was kicked in the back and she fell to the floor, the baton falling from her hands. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Amanda, who was so angry she looked demented. Faith kicked out, catching her in the right thigh but it wasn’t enough to fend her off.
“You fucking bitch,” hissed Amanda in her ear, twisting her arms up her back and dragging her to her feet.
Faith put one foot against the wall and pushed, sending Amanda tottering backwards. She threw back her head, catching Amanda on the nose and she groaned, slackening her grip. Faith threw her off, turned and punched her in the face, knocking her sideways.
“You’re the fucking bitch,” she hissed.
When she tried to run for the door again, Ben’s hand fisted in her hair and dragged her back inside. She was thrown against the wall, hitting it so hard she was stunned and she slid to the floor.
Before she could rise, a cloth was pressed over her mouth and the chemical stink made her gag. She forced herself not to inhale but the fumes were so powerful her head spun. In one hand she still clutched the shard of glass, which cut into the skin of her palm, the pain keeping her conscious. She lashed out with it, felt it slice through something and she heard Ben gasp with pain but the pressure on her face didn’t let up and the blackness started to close in on her.
Vance burst through the door at the top of the stairs on the fourth floor, followed by Caleb. The smoke was thicker here as it rose through the building. They tore down the corridor towards Faith’s flat. When they were halfway there, they saw the door open and a large figure stride out with an unconscious Faith over their shoulder.
“No,” cried Vance.
“Stall them,” Ben told Amanda. Their plan had been to take all three but he realised that wouldn’t be possible now.
She nodded and ran at them.
“I’ll deal with her,” Caleb told Vance, shrugging off the oxygen tank and handing both it and the mask to him. “You get Faith.”
Vance nodded, pulled on the breathing apparatus and ran down the corridor. Amanda tried to intercept him but Caleb grabbed her by the throat and pinned her up against the wall, allowing his brother to run by.
Caleb groaned when she kicked him between the legs, causing him to release her and she dropped to the floor. When she tried to chase after Vance, he fought through his pain to kick her legs out from under her and she fell back down. Amanda rolled, leapt to her feet with astonishing speed and swept his legs out from under him. It was Caleb’s turn to drop and before he could rise she was on him, punching him in the face. He grabbed her mask and pulled, releasing it with a snap. She squealed with pain as the force of it knocked her sideways.
“You bastard,” she screeched, rolling out of his way when he tried to grab her.
She jumped to her feet and the pair circled each other again, Caleb coughing from the smoke. He needed that breathing apparatus.
Vance tore down the stairs after Ben. He couldn’t see him in the dark and smoke but he could hear his footsteps below.
As they reached the second floor, Vance gained on Ben who not only had all his equipment to carry but Faith too. He could see her slung over Ben’s shoulder, unconscious.
“Faith wake up,” he yelled but she didn’t respond.
Ben charged through the door leading to the first floor and as Vance went through it something hard slammed into him. He gasped as all the air was pushed out of his body and he was thrown back against the wall. Before him was a large male firefighter. Beyond him Vance could make out Ben rushing down the corridor with Faith. He punched the firefighter in the stomach but it wasn’t enough to stop him from kicking him in the right leg. It was then Vance spotted something red in the darkness. A fire extinguisher. He picked it up and swung it into the firefighter’s face, who went flying sideways, crashing into the wall, his breathing apparatus broken.
Vance leapt over his prone form and continued the chase but Ben had vanished from view. He raced down the stairs to the ground floor and into the deserted lobby. He paused to listen and heard footsteps not ahead but behind. Ben was taking Faith out the back way.
He ran towards the fire exit at the rear of lobby and burst through the doors into the cool night air. He tore the breathing apparatus off his face and shrugged the tank off his back, dumping the lot on the ground.
“Faith,” he yelled.
There was the scream of a siren and the fire engine tore around the corner into the rear car park. It was only then he spotted Ben standing
