The firefighter scoffed. “Not worth my pension, pal. If the kid jumped, that’d be lights out for my lump sum.”
Leaning across Taylor, Amil tutted and said, “If he ran into one of the air vents, why didn’t you just go up there and pull him out? It doesn’t sound like he has any intention of jumping.”
The firefighter tipped his head back and gave Amil a long look. “Mornin’, beautiful.”
Taylor’s lips peeled back and he gripped the steering wheel. “Who are you calling beautiful,darlin’?”
The firefighter laughed and pointed to his ring finger. “Been married eight years, pal. Doesn’t mean I can’t window shop.”
Amil lurched in his seat, and it very much seemed like he was about to launch himself out of the window. Taylor pumped the accelerator and took off down the drive, grinning to himself as he watched the firefighter stumble back in the rearview mirror.
“Prick,” Amil muttered.
“Massive prick,” Taylor confirmed.
“Don’t touch the lift until we say so!” the firefighter called after them.
Taylor ran his tongue over his teeth. “Psh. Can’t be that difficult.”
“Pull around the back,” Amil said, pointing towards a fork in the driveway. “If the residents catch sight of the car it’s game over.” He shivered and hunkered down in his seat.
Taylor chuckled. “Did Wendy make you wear the baddie costume too?”
Amil closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
The fancy gravel driveway fell away into a dirt track, and Taylor had to swerve the car to avoid a wandering wheelie bin.
“Not so nice round the back,” he said, spotting the hydraulic lift. It was on some kind of flatbed truck, with shiny red stickers and a sign that read ‘No unauthorised personnel.’
Amil nodded. “They keep it nice so the families don’t feel bad about never visiting. Doesn’t matter that they dump their relatives here, so long as it’s got a fancy paint job and someone to keep the rose bushes in check.”
Humming, Taylor turned off the car and squinted up at the roof. It was pretty high—three storeys with a mess of tangled pipework. It looked as though someone had been up there and tried to nick the lead flashing, because pieces of it were hanging off in strips.
“Let’s just get the kid and get out of here,” Amil said, opening the door. “This place gives me the heebie-jeebies.”
They did a lap of the care home, careful to keep out of sight of the residents, before meeting back up back at the lift. Taylor eyed it again. It really didn’t look all that difficult, and in fact he was pretty sure he could?—
“Don’t even think about it,” Amil said, throwing his arms across the entrance hatch. “I repeat. Do. Not. Think. About it.”
Taylor scoffed. “Well, how else are we supposed to get up there? Scale a fucking drainpipe? Did you see a ladder, because I sure as hell didn’t.”
Amil grumbled, dipping his head. “I’ll radio for that guy to come up.”
“No way,” Taylor replied, moving around Amil and placing a foot on the tyre of the flatbed. He kicked it a few times before hopping onto the back.
“Taylor, get the fuck down!” Amil said through gritted teeth.
Taylor ignored him and gave the control panel a once-over. There really wasn’t a lot to it, just a big green button with an up arrow, and a red button with a down arrow, not unlike one of those grabby games at the arcade. There were a few other buttons like ‘emergency stop’ and something about ‘pressure release,’ but he reasoned they probably weren’t important.
He glanced over his shoulder at Amil, who was pacing back and forth, kicking gravel up against the wall. “Be my guest,” Taylor said, unclipping the metal gate. “Call that creep over, let him strap you in and tell you to ‘hold on tight, Rose, don’t look down!’”
Amil’s fists pumped at his sides as he gave Taylor an absolutely foul look. “This is nothing likeTitanic, you giant ball of fucking?—”
“You coming?” Taylor said, holding a hand out over the railing. “Promise I won’t push you into the ocean.”
Amil scowled at his hand, then scowled some more before scrubbing his fingers through his dark hair. “We need safety helmets,” he said, pouting as he looked away.
“Hm? What was that?” Taylor asked, a wide grin spreading across his face.
