The toad man said something. Imani didn’t wait to hear what it was, just kept running. She heard Khan clattering up the stairs behind her.
The T-shirted man reached the doorway of the cinema and, knocking over a couple of prospective punters, turned left, ran up Hurst Street.
‘Come on!’ she shouted, and followed. She knew the words were meaningless, just something to key her up.
The man ran towards the Hippodrome. Evening theatregoers were just emerging. Imani knew that if they got caught up in that crowd they would lose him. She ran all the harder.
The T-shirted man saw the crowds ahead of him, risked a glance behind. Saw Imani and Khan were still after him, turned left and ran down a side street, away from the crowds, past the stage door. Imani gave chase. She heard Khan shouting something behind her, turned. He was making a call, giving their location, explaining the situation, requesting backup. Good. She ran all the harder to make up for his lack of pace while he was doing it.
Down past the snooker hall, pavement smokers jumping out of the way. The man reached the end of the cut-through, looked round, turned right. Imani kept chasing.
He ran along the pavement, dodging pedestrians, upsetting a few, towards the Holloway Circus roundabout. Looked round again. Imani felt her chest burning, her heart pumping. She was getting tired and wanted to stop, but she knew if she did that he would be gone. She pushed herself all the harder.
Found herself gaining on him. Pushed herself more…
He reached the corner, turned right. Down Smallbrook, past the all-night cafés, kebab shops and Turkish minimarts.
He’s heading back to Hurst Street, she thought.
She willed her feet to run faster. Chest burning, legs aching. Each breath tore her throat red raw. Faster…
And there he was, an arm’s length away from her.
She reached out, hand ready to grab him, pull him to the ground.
He sensed what she was doing, turned. Stopped.
And punched her square in the face.
Imani, shocked as well as hurt, went down. He didn’t wait around, just ran on.
She put her hand to her face. It came away dark and wet with something more than rain.
‘Bastard…’
She became aware of Khan running past her, not stopping. Groaning from the pain in her legs, her chest, her face, she pulled herself to her feet. Gave chase once more.
She knew from the direction Khan was heading where their target had gone. Down Hurst Street once more.
She ran past the Ming Moon restaurant and casino, left on to Ladywell Walk, past the cheap hotels and the even cheaper Chinese restaurants. Their quarry hesitated at the corner of Wrottesley Street, decided against running down there. He knows the area, thought Imani, still running. He knows that’s a dead end.
Khan was running as fast as he could, calling for help – or rather shouting – at the same time. Imani gave chase behind him.
The man ran on to Pershore Street. It was darker here, away from the bars and theatregoers. The market and the corner of the Bullring shopping centre towered above them on one side. Below was an occasional oasis of sodium street light against a huge stretch of darkness.
He ran towards the city centre. He showed no sign of slowing down.
Bastard’s fit, thought Imani.
Queensway went over the top of them. Underneath were arches and alleyways. A car park.
He ran into that.
Khan followed. Imani, a few seconds later, did likewise.
The smell of exhaust fumes hit as soon as she entered. She was lightheaded enough from running and the punch; she didn’t need that too. Cars were dotted about. The lighting was sporadic, episodic. Fluorescent tubes guttered and spat overhead. Slow-motion strobes.
Khan was standing just inside the doorway. Out of breath, hands on knees. Doubled over, but his eyes were roving.
‘Came in here and I lost him,’ he said through gasps of air.
‘Is this the only way out?’
He pointed along to his right. ‘Exit’s there.’
‘I’ll get over there.’
Khan looked at her. His eyes widened in shock. ‘Jesus Christ…’
‘What?’
‘He’s done a number on your face.’
‘Thanks.’ She didn’t know if Khan was going to apologise for his words or laugh at her. She didn’t wait to find out. ‘I’ll go to the exit.’
She moved as quickly as she could. Got there. Waited. She looked along at where Khan was, saw him start to edge his way in further. Head moving from side to side, eyes scanning the whole time.
‘Here!’ he shouted, and was off.
Imani looked towards the exit, then back the way Khan had gone. Gave chase. She saw him run into the depths of the garage. Saw a shadow detach itself from the wall behind a parked Nissan, come at him. One dark arm bigger than the other. Khan didn’t have time to see that their assailant had found a weapon. He only had time to feel it connect, take him down.
‘Nadish!’ Imani ran towards them.
The figure saw her, turned. She saw that the weapon was a heavy metal car jack. She ran towards him, trying to remember her training. She wasn’t going to get caught the same way again.
Reason with him, she thought. Stall him, play for time.
She opened her mouth to speak. He ran at her, the jack held above his head. She managed to get most of her body out of the way, but the jack connected with her forearm. She screamed, went down on her side.
He ran.
She pulled herself up to her knees, her body almost singing in pain. She saw her quarry reach the main door. Her heart sank as she realised he had got away.
Then…
A quick burst of light and he fell to the ground.
She got to her feet, made her way to the door. Mike Pierce was there, out of breath, with a handful of uniforms. One of them holding a Taser.
‘Response team turned up,’ said Pierce. ‘Just in time, too.’
Imani looked down at the man lying there. Knelt down, checked his forearm. That was the tattoo, all right. And something else. His penis, deflated now, was still sticking out of the front of his jeans. She stood up again.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘No problem,’ said the officer with the Taser. He noticed the front of the man’s jeans. Shook his head. ‘Didn’t even have time to tuck himself in.’
‘My God,’ said Pierce, looking away from the prone man and properly at Imani for the first time. ‘Let’s get you an ambulance.’
Imani nodded. ‘You should see the other fella,’ she said.
Then sank to the ground.