"Your boys got in some pretty good target practice on me this afternoon, didn't they, Johnny?" The voice came from just around the corner. Steel felt the sweat trickling down his neck despite the cold. "You wouldn't tell 'em to take it easy, huh—that I was an old chum of yours?"
Steel finally found his voice. "Floyd, you killed two guards in that Radium Bank. I came up here to try to reason with you—because you used to be my best friend. Tell me who The Bear is—and I'll do my best to help you at the trial."
A husky laugh echoed in the dark corridor. "You know I'm no squealer, Johnny." But now there was a faintly preoccupied tone in the voice. Then Steel heard the faintest scrape of a foot on the corridor floor.
"Floyd!" Steel pled. "Listen to reason!" He paused a moment, listening. But only a moment. Then he backed quickly and silently several steps down stairs. He left the right wall and quickly crouched over against the left. The next instant, he saw a hand flick around the corner at the head of the stairs. A volt pistol roared, blasting the spot where he had been standing.
As the building trembled with the explosion, a figure appeared around the corner, looking down the stairs.
"Floyd! For God's sake—!" Steel cried.
Instantly, the pistol in the figure's hand whipped toward Steel's voice. And Steel couldn't take another chance.
He fired.
The figure hung there a moment like a clubbed ox. Then it crumpled to the floor.