I lit a cigarette. “Unless the cops move in… it looks like you’ll have to,” I said. “These guys outside mean business.”
She came over to the window and, brushing past me, she looked out. I could smell her scent. She turned round and looked at me. “It’s a long way down,” she said. There was just a faint quaver in her voice.
I told myself that whatever else she was, she’d got plenty of guts. “Don’t you worry about that,” I said. “You just push yourself off… it ain’t anythin’. I’ll be right behind you. I guess you don’t want to face up to the slugs instead, do you?”
She pulled a zip on her dress and stepped out of it. Then she kicked off her shoes. Blondie was the sort of dame that always wears black undies. I could just make out the faint white of her shoulders and that was all.
Three violent reports sounded outside the door and I heard the bullets smack against the wall opposite. Then someone began to heave against the panels. It was time we got going.
“Come on, baby, it’s cooler outside,” I said. “Sit on the sill and hang your legs outside.”
She climbed up and I held her until she was steady, then she sat down, her legs in space. With my hands on each side of her hips, I felt a little shiver run through her. “Keep your nut,” I said softly in her ear. “I’ll be right after you. Just take a deep breath… off you go.”
I shoved her off the sill and leant out to watch her go. Down she went into the darkness and I heard a loud splash. Then I vaulted after her.
Was that water cold? I seemed to go down for hours. Then just when I thought maybe I’d go on for ever, my head broke the surface. I shook the water out of my eyes and looked around for Blondie. I couldn’t see her for several seconds, but then at last I made out a bobbing head several yards to my right.
I turned on my side and swam over to her fast.