The Vatican Secret by David Leadbeater

Author:David Leadbeater [Leadbeater, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2021-12-16T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 35

Quaid started down. Mason tried to block out the grinding, tortured sound of old nuts and bolts, but found it hard to ignore the rickety twisting of metal as first Sally and then Hassell stepped out from the roof onto the top landing. Quaid was already a dozen steps down, his boots clanking on the metal risers.

The fire escape switched back three times on its way to the ground. Roxy stepped out as Mason laid down covering fire back the way they’d come. Even then, one of Gido’s men fired back wildly. Roxy ducked and Mason’s bullets hit only fresh air.

An air conditioning unit to his left clanged as bullets struck its metal grilles.

Roxy slithered down the first few steps. Mason found himself rolling blindly onto the top deck of the staircase, knowing it didn’t have any railings, and desperate not to roll too far.

His judgement was sound. He came to a stop facing the stairs, but realised he was going to have to slide down head-first.

The bare structure was being riddled with bullets, some of them skimming past only inches above. As Roxy slithered to the fifth and then sixth step, Mason heard their pursuers shouting into handheld radios.

Mason didn’t have time to swing his body around, so launched himself down the narrow flight of stairs. Head first, and with gravity lending a hand, he glided down the first few steps but then got stuck, the metal stair edges painful. Just past the halfway point he had to pocket the Glock to grab the structure itself and pivot onto his side to help pull his body down.

He reached the first switchback. Mason used the extra space created by the metal landing to swivel and half stand. The lack of rail protection along the fire escape’s side was head-spinning, the exposed edge leading only to a deadly void and the ill-lit street below, which was intermittently swept by the lurid red-and-blue flashing lights of dozens of police cars.

Roxy tripped on a step, managed to catch herself and kept going.

Both Sally and Hassell were moving well, catching up to Quaid as he approached the second switchback.

Back on his feet, Mason pounded down the steps, forced to keep one eye on the landing above and one hand on the wall to keep his bearings. Just as he passed beneath it, the structure’s open mesh design affording him a perfect view, Gido’s men appeared above. Mason grabbed his gun and leaned out to fire three times, keeping them at bay.

Quaid hit the third switchback and ran for the final flight. Roxy added her own bullets to Mason’s, providing him precious moments in which to speed up. Hassell herded Sally along as safely and rapidly as he could.

Quaid whistled and pulled up, boots skidding across mesh. ‘If I were you,’ he yelled. ‘I’d duck.’

What that meant, Mason didn’t know, but he took the man at his word and fell to his knees. His right shin grazed the edge of a riser, sending a painful jolt to his brain.

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