‘I told you, don’t call me pal!’ The man’s physical demeanour changed into pure fury, and the PCs watched as Tilly slipped beneath his grasp, making herself into a tight ball at his feet, and elbowed his crotch. The man yelped and the officers sprang into action. One grabbed Tilly and dragged her away; the other took the full force of the intruder, who swung the knife into the air and brought it down hard. The PC groaned and cried out.

‘He got me, Steve.’

‘You bastard!’ The PC who was unharmed lifted his truncheon and brought it down with full force on the head of the man who’d stabbed his friend and colleague. The man slumped and fell to his knees, then face first onto the carpet. They were taught where to hit someone on the head without causing permanent damage, but it was a risky manoeuvre and only used in emergencies. The officer cuffed the guy, then rushed to his friend. Tilly was cowering in the corner of the room.

‘Did it go into your stab vest?’

‘No, it missed and went through my jacket.’

‘Fuck, let’s see… Patrol 357, officer down! Repeat, officer down!’ In the distance, they could hear sirens.

The injured officer clutched his side. Blood was seeping into the carpet beneath him, and both men realised it must be a deep wound.

‘Get a medic!’ Steve screeched into his radio. ‘Mate, I’ll be back in two seconds. I’m going for the first aid kit.’

He ran down the stairs and out to his patrol car, grabbing the kit they all carried. It was more sophisticated than the ones you could buy in a chemist’s, but it wasn’t designed to save a life if an artery had been punctured. All he could do was his best. He ran back up the stairs to where his colleague was slumped on his side. The floor was sticky with blood, and the PC was pale and drowsy.

‘Stay with me, mate! Look at me! MEDIC! MEDIC!’ he screamed into his radio.

The sirens grew ear-splitting and stopped outside. Steve had no idea who to thank: God, or the skill of the driver, or the forethought of the desk operator who had sent a patrol car with a medic. He almost sank to his knees when he saw the green overall rush past him with a huge case. All he could do now was watch as the medic stripped his friend’s clothes and examined the wound.

‘Hold here, now!’ the medic commanded. Steve knelt and did as he was told. The medic got out what looked like a sewing kit and gave the wounded officer a shot of something before setting to work.

Steve looked away.

He swore he could hear a chopper.

Chapter 56