Stratton stared at Jason across the small space, unsure how to handle the man. The scientist’s game plan could only continue if Stratton and Rowena were silenced. Jason was a dangerous man and could not be given another opportunity.
But Stratton wasn’t the only person in the lift with a grievance against Jason. In fact Rowena arguably had a greater one. Mansfield had duped her, used her, lied to her and tried to kill her. Worse still, as far as she was concerned, he had taken her as his lover purely to further his traitorous ambitions.
Staring at him, face to face for the first time since discovering how evil and low he was, she could not contain herself. ‘You piece of shit!’ she screamed, throwing herself at him.
But Jason was fully prepared for an attack from either of them, and he was far too strong and skilful for her. He sidestepped her punch and struck her savagely on the side of her neck, a blow that sent her near unconscious as she dropped to the floor.
Stratton was quick to follow through on her effort, deciding that his best strategy was to get hold of the man in order to counter his superior martial-arts skills. But it was never going to be easy. As Stratton dived at him, Jason blocked the move and delivered a vicious kick. Yet Stratton was nothing if not determined and after absorbing several blows he countered a punch and slammed a fist into Jason’s face.
Binning let out a scream each time one of them stepped on his fingers. His grip began to weaken, his legs swinging beneath him in a desperate effort to find a purchase.
Rowena knelt on the floor, looking down through the grille. She saw the green mist in the darkness of the shaft rising silently towards them. The sight was enough to bring her fully out of her daze and on to her feet.
Jason and Stratton had drawn apart briefly but were ready to go at it once more.
‘It’s coming,’ Rowena said.
All thought of conflict paused as they realised they might not have the time to worry about anything else.
The mist reached Binning’s feet and he screamed insanely as he felt his flesh bubbling. The pain was intense and his grip weakened.
The gas reached above his knees and Binning trembled violently, his face a pathetic mask as he stared up at them. His fingers suddenly lost their hold on the grille and he screamed for less than a second before he disappeared.
Stratton looked up through the grille of the lift’s ceiling to see light coming from the square opening at the top of the shaft. Their exit.
Rowena kept her stare fixed on the gas, trying to calculate if they would make it.
Then the lift jerked to a stop.
As one they ripped open the cage as the gas came up through the floor and then they were running for their lives down a broad whitewashed corridor. At the end of it a huge steel security door had begun to close slowly, to seal the exit, to shut out the daylight.
Jason grabbed at Stratton to pull him back. Stratton lashed out and struck him. Jason staggered back a little with the blow but managed to clip one of Stratton’s feet with an aimed kick and trip him up. The operative went sprawling but as he fell he reached out a hand and grabbed Jason’s ankle.
It was Mansfield’s turn to go sprawling on the floor and as Stratton got to his feet and sprinted on he planted a powerful kick into the scientist’s lower back to keep him down a second longer.
Rowena ran through the ever-decreasing gap as the massive hydraulic arm pushed relentlessly to close the heavy door.
Jason got up quickly and, fleeter than Stratton, was soon right behind him. But Stratton was first into the gap and flung himself through it. With Rowena’s help he sprang free. As Jason pushed his way through behind him, Stratton turned and grabbed the man by the throat, holding him firmly in the closing gap.
Jason grasped Stratton’s hand in a desperate effort to force himself free but the operative held him fast.
‘Not this time, Jason,’ Stratton said, his arm and body shaking with concentrated effort.
The door closed on one of Jason’s feet. He screamed as it broke the bones inside his boot. The hydraulics struggled to seal the door completely but eventually the closing process ground to a halt. The security door was