She threw her weight against the door in an endeavour to shut it, jut it jammed.
Leaning against the door, she groped down into the darkness. Cold fingers suddenly closed over her wrist; fingers that gripped into her flesh like a vice.
She screamed wildly, tried to wrench free, but the grip didn’t slacken.
Hearing her scream, Johnny crawled up on hands and knees. He remained crouched in the darkness, cold sweat on his face.
Rose felt the door moving against her, and opening. She struck downwards with her free hand, and her fist encountered a face.
She heard a man curse, then she was jerked savagely forward and she fell across a body that lay on the floor.
Terrified and desperate, Rose struck out while she screamed wildly.
Tux let go of her wrist and hooked her close to him. He had only one hand, but that was enough. He scarcely felt her fists beating against his face; his hand reached for her throat. He held her while she scratched at his face. Her finger-nails cut one of his eyes and he cursed. Then he tightened his grip on her savagely. Her hands scratched and tore at his fingers; then he felt the girl go suddenly limp against him. He threw her off, reached inside his coat for his gun and lay panting while he tried to locate where Johnny was.
Johnny had remained still, listening in terror to the sounds coming out of the darkness.
Now he could hear Tux’s heavy breathing. He knew Tux was no more than a few feet from him, but he was too frightened to fire, knowing if he missed the gunflash would give away his position.