Henley looked up at the open door of the fire escape as a police car drove into the car park. ‘Stay with Copeland until the ambulance gets here. I’m going in,’ she said, taking the steps two at a time.
Henley entered the corridor, looked left and saw nothing but a blank wall. She tripped over a fire extinguisher on the floor as she walked forward, the smell of smoke growing stronger. As she reached to pick up the extinguisher, she heard a blood curdling scream. She removed her baton and sprinted along the corridor.
‘I’m on the first floor. Suspect at large,’ Henley shouted into her radio as she turned the corner. She stopped momentarily when she saw the glow of flames but another scream from Paige propelled her to run faster.
‘Police! Get the hell away from her,’ Henley screamed when she ran into the studio and saw Mika kneeling behind Paige with a large knife at her scalp. She could feel the heat of the flamesas they licked the walls and ate away at the carpet. There was a toxic scent of burnt rubber from the melting cables in the air. Henley raised her baton and swung it at Mika’s hand. Mika cried out as the knife flew out of her hand and clattered against the wall. Henley gasped as Mika lunged and fell against her. Henley held onto Mika, and they fell into a heap into the floor as Paige swivelled herself around the column, trying to avoid the flames inching towards her. Henley could hear Ramouter’s voice over the radio as she pushed Mika off her.
Mika jumped up and screamed, ‘You’re ruining everything.’
Henley grabbed the side of the table and pulled herself up as Mika ran out of the room.
‘Help me,’ Paige shouted, trying in vain to loosen the ropes around her wrist.
‘Ramouter, she’s on the run,’ Henley screamed into her radio as the flames suddenly hit the ceiling, a panel crashed onto the floor and a window exploded.
Ramouter stepped away from Copeland who was being attended to by paramedics. The car park was aglow with the flashing lights of the emergency services as police officers ushered away the people who’d left the gym to observe the chaotic activity. Ramouter looked up as the fire door flung open and Mika stepped out. She looked wild eyed at the scene below and ran back in.
‘Stop,’ Ramouter shouted as he ran around the paramedics and up the stairs into the smoke-filled hallway. He gave chase after Mika, who was surprisingly quick. She turned right and ran down the stairs. He thought that she would try to escape through the front door but instead she ran ahead. At the end of the corridor, Ramouter could see a green, fluorescent fire escape sign on the wall. He heard Mika scream out as she pushed the bar down and opened the door. Ramouter was a few feet behind and grabbed the door to stop it from slamming shut in his face.
‘Mika Fonseka. Stop. Police!’ Ramouter shouted as Mika turned left and found her route blocked by a wall. ‘You have nowhere else to go,’ Ramouter said, reaching for his CS gas canister. ‘The only way you’re leaving here is with me, in handcuffs. Now, let’s do this calmly.’
‘Get out of my way,’ Mika said, moving to the side and looking beyond Ramouter at her exit. She looked down, picked up a beer bottle and threw it at him.
‘Stop,’ Ramouter said, moving swiftly to his right as the bottle smashed against the door, far too close to his head. Mika screamed at him like a wild animal, ran to the corner and picked up a broken brick that had fallen from the crumbling wall behind her.
‘For fuck’s sake,’ Ramouter said as Mika threw the brick and he ducked out of the way. ‘Stay exactly where you are or I will be forced to use the CS spray and believe me you do not want that,’ he said.
Mika picked up another brick. ‘Move,’ she screamed.
Ramouter removed the CS spray and held it at arm’s length. ‘Put the brick down, Mika. I’m counting to three. I’m giving you a chance … shit,’ Ramouter said as Mika screamed wildly, threw the brick and ran towards him. He pressed the button and Mika screamed again as the full canister of CS gas hit her face. She fell blindly against the wall, her eyes streaming as the skin on her face flushed scarlet.
‘I can’t breathe,’ Mika spluttered before collapsing onto the ground.
‘I don’t really care. You’re under arrest,’ Ramouter said, the CS gas burning his throat as he turned Mika onto her front, grabbed her arms and cuffed her.
Henley removed the oxygen mask and jumped out of the ambulance when she saw Ramouter and a second police officer escorting Mika to a waiting police van.
‘You’re OK,’ Ramouter said with relief once the doors were slammed shut on Mika.
Henley coughed deeply and worryingly. ‘A bit of smoke inhalation, but I’m fine,’ she said. ‘How are you doing?’
Ramouter splashed the remainder of the water that the paramedics had given him onto his face to relieve the burning sensation of the CS gas. ‘I forgot how irritating that stuff is, but I’ll live. How’s Paige?’ he asked.
‘The shock has got her. She hasn’t said a word since the firefighters rescued us. Physically, she’s got cuts and bruises but she’s lucky. If we’d been just five minutes later, Mika would have killed her.’
‘What about Copeland? I left her with the paramedics. She was breathing but … fuck, Henley. Why didn’t she listen? Why didn’t she wait?’
‘Don’t,’ Henley said, gently taking hold of Ramouter’s arm. ‘We can’t focus on that right now. The most important thing is that she’s alive. They’re taking her to Guy’s and she’s going to be in the best hands.’
‘When are we going to deal with her?’ Ramouter said as the van containing Mika Fonseka headed towards the exit.
‘First thing in the morning,’ said Henley as a cough rattled her chest.
‘Mika’s in that van screaming her bloody innocence, saying she’s been framed. That I attacked her.’
‘She’s desperate, Ramouter,’ said Henley. ‘Donovan and Elliot. We’ve got them and Mika knows there’s no way out. So let her scream.’
59
