Chapter twenty four
Amanda raced up the stairs of the law firm. She felt invigorated, a new lease of life washing over her. The cold forgotten and tired limbs renewed with a strength she hadn't realised she could summon. Harvey looked sluggish as he trailed behind her.
'He's on the top floor,' Amanda said. 'There was some kind of ceremony going on up there last time I was here and that's where Duvalier killed Professor Anderson.' She bounded up three steps at a time, 'I have to get there as soon as possible.'
Amanda reached the first floor and continued up the second flight. She leapt up the stairs, aware that there was a growing energy within her, a crackling tension like the onset of a summer storm building up within her. She should have been scared of this new feeling, or at least nervous. Instead, she embraced the sensation, revelling in the strength, allowing it to flood through her.
She reached the third floor, sprinting along the short hallway to the next level - when she smashed into a figure that stepped from the shadows.
'Geez, girl, you are a hard one to kill,' Finn said.
Amanda recovered quickly, bringing the baseball bat round in a wide arc, aiming for his chest. The man reached out a scar laced hand and, almost lazily, grabbed the bat and ripped it from her grip. He held it in both hands and snapped it in two, the centre splintering in a mass of toothpicks.
'I guess you're the guard dog,' Amanda said, eyeing the scarred man cautiously.
Finn didn't reply. Instead, he grabbed Amanda and swung her round, throwing her twenty yards down the hallway to slam into the far wall.
Amanda twisted in the air, protecting herself as she hit the wall and rolled when she landed on the floor.
'Am I going to have a problem with you?' Finn said, hands on hips, shaking his head in amusement.
Two loud gunshots sounded and Finn crumpled to the floor. Harvey stood at the top of the stairs, panting hard, the pistol shaking in his hand.
'Now that is what I call good timing,' Amanda said, running up to him.
Harvey marvelled at Amanda. He saw the colours ebb and flare within her. Her body glowed and her face shone. His body prickled at the power radiating from her.
'It's about time I did something right,' Harvey shrugged. He tried to keep his breathing steady and glanced up at the next level.
Amanda followed his gaze. 'Be careful,' she said, and sprinted ahead up the stairs to the fourth floor.
Harvey placed a hand on the banister, exhausted but ready to follow the policewoman. He took a step but stumbled forward, lurching as he was dragged downwards. He twisted round to see Finn holding onto his ankle.
'You are going to have to do better than that, boy,' Finn said as he rose to his feet.
Harvey aimed the pistol and fired point blank at the scarred man. There was one blast, then the repeated click click as he pulled the trigger on an empty chamber. He wished he had checked the magazine back at Master Loo's.
Through the flare and cordite smoke Finn glowered at him beneath bald eyebrows.