She swore. The bathroom overlooked the street, and safety –but the only way out wasa sheer drop down at least three storeys.

‘Kate?’ there was a loud banging on the door. ‘C’mon, who takes five minutes to use the bathroom?’

‘I –I’m nearly through!’ she shouted.

‘Hey, the door’s jammed. What you doing in there?’

‘I …’ She wished she knew. ‘I’ll be two minutes. It’s not like I can get out, right?’

Right.

But Swagger was bored with waiting. And from the way he was beating at the door, he was coming in whether she was ready or not.

Chapter Eight

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CHAPTER EIGHT

Kate ran for the only cubicle that had a working door and locked it behind her; then she stood on the toilet to reach the small window. She began prising off one of the bars with the crowbar –she’d sooner jump, whatever the risk, than let Swagger get his filthy, sweaty hands on her.

Swagger was still banging at the door. She put all her strength into levering off the bar and finally it fell with a clang on to the floor.

‘Hey, what was that? Open up, you bitch!’ Swagger started kicking and smashing at the door with greater force.

Kate knew it wouldn’t hold him long. She ripped and smashed at the wooden board over the window. It was giving, but slowly. Did she have time to break out before Swagger got inside? Maybe she should hide behind the bathroom door, wait for him to get inside then whack him over the head with the crowbar. No, too risky, he could’ve brought Shaun upstairs … the whole lot of them. She imagined them grabbing her, forcing her to this filthy, stinking floor, and then …

Her fear and anger gave her strength. She swiped harder and harder at the wooden barrier, pulverising it, jarring her hands. At last it split and she ripped it clear before smashing her way through the window.

‘Bitch!’ With a scream of fury, Swagger finally broke his way inside. ‘Trying to split on me, huh? Think I’m stupid?’

Kate said nothing, concentrated on scraping the crowbar around the frame to clear the jagged splinters of glass remaining. But she gasped as the door behind her jumped and rattled under some great impact.

‘I’m gonna teach you, girl,’ he bellowed, his voice wild and cracked with rage. ‘You don’t mess with Swagger!’

She pushed herself out of the window, and the ground swam dizzily far below her. The door shuddered as Swagger ran at it again, the bolt nearly snapping clean through. She leaned out through the window to look above her this time –maybe she could climb to the floor above. No, there was nothing, nothing but—

A half-rusted drainpipe ran to the right of the window.