Free Wanted: A Leopold Blake Thriller by Nick Stephenson Page B

along one of the corridors.
    “Sounds like we’ve got company,” said Jerome. “You ready to move?”
    They both nodded.
    “Then go. I’ll hold them off as long as I can.”
    “You’ll what?” said Leopold.
    “The only way you’re walking away from this is if I can buy you some time. I can hold them off while you make it onto the roof. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stay on my feet long enough for you to find a way out of here.”
    “You’ll be outnumbered.”
    “Won’t be the first time.”
    “You’ve never had to deal with a building full of pissed-off cops before.”
    “I’ll be waiting for them in the stairwell. Their numbers won’t count for much if they’ve got to come at me one by one.” He fixed his gaze on Leopold. “You have to go. Now. It’s the only way.”
    Somewhere ahead, the sound of footsteps grew louder.
    “You have to come with us.”
    “This isn’t a negotiation. You need to figure out what’s going on, otherwise, we’re both going down. Permanently.”
    Leopold saw the intensity in Jerome’s eyes and realized the futility of arguing. “Whoever’s behind this will have people waiting at the prison, you know that.”
    “Let me worry about that. I can look after myself.”
    “I know. Just make sure you don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
    “Too late for that.” Jerome smiled. “I agreed to take this trip, didn’t I?”
    Leopold managed a weak grin in reply. He grabbed hold of Sophie’s wrist once again and shoved the door open, setting off another alarm just as a stream of uniformed police officers charged around the corner.
    “Go, I’ll hold them off,” said Jerome, backing through the door.
    Leopold headed for the stairs and dragged Sophie behind. The narrow staircase was poorly lit and steep, zigzagging its way up to the roof. Glancing behind, he saw Jerome take up his position at the foot of the stairs, blocking the way.
    “What are you waiting for?” Sophie hissed, tugging at his wrist. “We need to get out of here.”
    Leopold held his ground. Despite his old friend’s orders, he couldn’t just leave without making sure Jerome knew what he was doing. Fortunately, he needn’t have worried.
    As the first officer bounded through the doorway, Jerome thrust out a giant palm and struck the man in the nose, snapping his head back and throwing him into the wall. Another cop followed and a jab to the throat put him out of commission before he could take another step. A third officer pushed through, followed by a fourth, then a fifth, clambering over the bodies of their comrades. Their shouts were drowned out by the noise of the alarms.
    Leopold could barely see Jerome any more, his view blocked by the rabble of policeman attempting to drive the bodyguard back. It was only a matter of time before they broke through and Leopold knew their freedom depended on making it to the roof before that happened. He felt Sophie pulling at his arm again and he turned to look at her, catching the fear and panic in her eyes.
    “Okay, you win. Let’s go.” He bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time, with Sophie not far behind. The climb to the top felt like an eternity, adrenaline making him feel as though he were moving in slow motion.
    His heartbeat thumping in his ears, Leopold finally reached the summit and threw all his weight against the metal door blocking their path. It held fast.
    “It’s locked,” said Sophie, catching her breath. “We’re stuck. We should give ourselves up before someone gets hurt.”
    He lowered his shoulders and tried again. “No. It’s not locked, just stiff. We keep moving.” He grunted with the effort, slamming his body into the metal. The door began to give way as a barrage of shouts echoed up the stairwell.
    “It’s working! Let me help.” She squeezed in next to him and pushed.
    The door let out a metallic screech as the warped hinges began to give way. Leopold felt fresh air on his face as a crack of light appeared, their