She looked up. Her cheeks were flushed, tear stains streaking her make-up.

‘Too soon?’ He tested the weight of the rope. She was at a bad angle. She’d be too heavy for him to pull her up. ‘I’m going to get you off this thing, but you’ll need to help me. OK?’

Sarah nodded. Her knuckles were white.

‘I want you to give me one of your hands. Can you do that?’

She slowly unfurled her right hand from the rope and took his outstretched palm.

‘Can you reach the wall with your feet?’

She looked down at her legs dangling below, then back up. She shook her head.

‘I’ve got you, OK? And the harness won’t let you fall any further than this. These nutters wanted to scare you, but they weren’t interested in hurting you. Trust me. Find the wall with your feet and walk them up to meet me. I’ll pull you over.’

‘Marcus …’ Her eyes were panicked; her face said, I can’t do it.

‘Listen to me, Sarah. Take a couple of deep breaths.’ Nothing eased panic better than a good hit of oxygen. ‘You’ve climbed plenty of walls in the past, I’m sure. This is no different. Look at the wall. It’s three or four steps up, tops. I’ll count them with you.’

Sarah lifted her left leg and placed her foot flat against the wall.

‘Lean back against the rope. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.’ He squeezed her hand.

Her right foot slipped against the wall and she jerked backwards. Jameson locked his elbow and held her in place.

‘See, I’ve got you. You’ll be fine. Again,’ he instructed.

This time Sarah placed her right foot firmly against the wall and quickly took three steps towards him with her body perfectly angled against the rope. As soon as her left foot reached the top, Jameson pulled her over. She fell into him and he lifted her down to safety. She grabbed him in a tight hug, her arms firmly around his neck.

‘Let’s get this thing off you,’ he said, when she eventually released him. He undid the waist belt and the buckles on both her leg loops. The harness slid to the floor and Sarah stepped away from it. He placed both his hands on her shoulders and kept his voice low and calm. ‘You’re probably in shock. Just take a deep breath. You’re safe now, Sarah. It’s over. Take a few more deep breaths.’ She did as requested. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Who are these people?’

‘They’re psychopaths.’

He expected Sarah to look shocked, but she just stared at him blankly. ‘Psychopaths?’ she repeated.

‘Not the serial-killing crazies you hear about in the media …’

‘Just the sort that throw people off buildings.’

‘Yep,’ he said. ‘Just those ones.’