"That won't be necessary," Alsconi said. "You can stay where you are." He chuckled, a sound that made Felix stiffen.
"You'll probably have to anyway," and the line went dead.
Felix replaced the receiver. There was a look in his eyes that brought Lorelli to her feet.
"Wait here," he said curtly and went quickly out of the room.
Lorelli ran to the door and looked out into the corridor, then she turned and came back into the room. Watching her, Don saw terror was turning to hysteria. If they were to make a move, he had to do it now.
"Lorelli!" he said sharply.
Lorelli screamed and jerked around, her eyes wildly searching the room.
"I'm here," Don said, pushing the slot back as far as it would go. "It's Micklem."
She located the opening in the wall through which he was looking and she backed away.
"Pull yourself together," he said. "You want the money to get away. I have it. We must help each other. Give me the gun!"
"No!" Lorelli said. "I'm not going to help you. I'm getting out of here."
"How far do you think you'll get?" Don said. "Don't be a fool. Give me the gun. If you get in his way, he'll wipe you out as he wiped Willie out. You can't trust him. I can take care of you. Give me the gun!"
He was counting on her terror. The snap in his voice seemed to hypnotize her. She picked up the gun.
"And the cartridges - hurry!" he said.
She brought the gun and the cartridges over to the opening.
"Quick!" Don said as he saw her hesitate. "Give it to me before he gets back!"
She slid the gun through the opening, then she handed in the seven bullets.
"Don't lose your nerve," Don said. "I'll take care of you." She then seemed to realize what she had done; she had given him her only protection not only from Felix, but worse still, from Englemann.
"No! Give it to me back!" she cried. "I didn't mean to let you have it. I must have it back!" She made as if to thrust her hand
through the opening, but Don slid the plate across just as Felix came into the room.
Lorelli spun around. One look at Felix's white, sweating face sent her hands to her mouth.
"I can't open the door at the end of the passage," Felix said, the edge of panic in his voice. "The current seems to be cut off."
Lorelli shut her eyes and sagged against the wall. He went over to the telephone and lifted the receiver.
Carlos said, "Yes?"
His negroid voice was as thick and as smooth as black treacle.
"Something seems to have gone wrong with the door at the end of the passage," Felix said. He had to make a tremendous effort to keep his voice steady. "I can't open it."
"That's right, Mr Felix," Carlos said cheerfully. "Boss's orders. He told me to cut the current off."
Felix suddenly felt he wanted to be sick.
"Okay. I'll have a word with him," he said. "He can't know I'm down here."
"He knows all right." There was ajeering note in Carlos's voice. "He asked who was down here before he told me to cut off the current."
"Put me through to him!" Felix snarled.
"Right away, Mr Felix." Carlos pulled out the plug, then rang Alsconi's room.
"Yes?" Alsconi asked.
"Mr Felix wants you, boss."
"Does he? Tell him I'm busy," Alsconi said. "I'll talk to him tomoiTow morning and not before."
"Yes, boss," Carlos said, his thick lips coming off his teeth in a delighted grin. He got back to Felix. "Sorry, Mr Felix, but the boss says he's busy. He'll talk to you tomorrow morning."
Felix slammed down the receiver. Sweat ran down his face as he turned to look at Lorelli.
"You clever little..." The word he used made Lorelli flinch. "We're trapped down here. Alsconi's on to us. He's cut the current off, and there's no way out. I hope you're pleased with yourself and your bright ideas."
Lorelli collapsed into a chair. She held her head between her hands.
Felix went out of the room at a run and into his room. He flung back the door and entered, not looking at Willie's body that lay half under the toilet basin. His .45 automatic lay on the top of his chest of drawers. He snatched it up, and as he was about to push it into the shoulder holster he wore under his coat, he paused. The weight of the gun in his hand told him it wasn't loaded, and yet he knew an hour or so ago, before he had killed Willie, he had checked the gun, making sure it was loaded.
With shaking hands, he pulled out the clip and found it empty. He turned swiftly, jerked open a drawer in the chest for the box of cartridges he always kept by him. It usually rested in the right-hand comer under a pile of shirts. When he moved the shirts, he saw the empty hollow where the box had been, but the box itself was no longer there.
He had used Willie's gun when he had hit him over the head. He had dropped the gun beside Willie's dead body. Now he looked for it, but couldn't see it. He kicked Willie's body aside, but the gun wasn't there.
He stood still, his heart pounding, his hands clenched at his sides. Someone - probably Carlos - had been in his room while he had been wasting time talking to Lorelli and had unloaded his gun, taken his slugs and also Willie's gun.
Well, at least he had Lorelli's gun, he thought. It was only a toy, but it was better than nothing. He could guess what would happen. When Alsconi was ready he would tell Carlos to move in and take him. Felix knew he wouldn't stand a chance against Carlos unless he had the .25 which would slow Carlos down if it didn't stop him.
He went back to Lorelli's room.
She was still holding her head in her hands. He scarcely looked at her. He went to the dressing table for the .25. He had left it there with the seven bullets arranged in a neat row beside it and he could scarcely believe his eyes when he saw it was no longer there.
"Where's your gun?" he said, his voice off-key.
Lorelli started and looked up.
"Where's the gun?" he repeated.
"Why? What do you...?"
She jumped to her feet when she saw his vicious expression.
"Where's the gun?" he snarled, moving towards her.
"Don't look like that at me!" She backed against the wall. "Keep away from me!"
Felix came up to her. He grabbed hold of the front of her dress with his left hand and pulled her against him.
"Where is it?"
"I gave it to Micklem."
"You-what!"
"He asked for it. I wasn't thinking. I - - He..."
"Micklem? Are you crazy? What are you yammering about?" Felix shook her. "I want the gun! Where is it?"
"There was an opening in the wall. Micklem was..."
She broke off and screamed as Felix's open hand struck her on the side of her face, jolting her head back.
"Where's the gun?" he shouted. "You little fool! Someone has unloaded my gun. Carlos can move in now and take us.
How do you think either of us can stop that black ape without a gun? Where is it? Do you hear? Where is it?"
Lorelli's eyes rolled back and she sagged against him in a faint.
Don had seen and listened to this scene. He now quietly closed the slot. He had the gun, and he was now on equal terms with anyone who tried to stop him. Lorelli would have to look after herself for the moment. He told himself he would do something about her later. He paused only long enough to load the gun, then he set off down the tunnel to the ramp, climbed it and when he reached the steel door, he pressed the rubber-headed button. The door moved inwards, and holding the .25 in his hand, the safety catch back and his finger on the trigger, he stepped into the lighted corridor.
He looked to right and left, then he shut the door, having first made sure he could open it by another rubber-headed button on the corridor side of the door.
Opposite to where he was standing was the door leading to the bathroom; the door further up led to Englemann's surgery. The door opposite must be the control room door. At the far end of the corridor was the steel door that led to Alsconi's room. Moving quickly and silently, Don made his way down the passage to this door, pressed on the rubber-headed button, but nothing happened. He tried once more, then gave up. He returned to the control-room door and paused to examine it. The door was of solid steel. There was no handle nor bolt to it. Don decided not to rush his fences.