The first ambulance drove in and attendants tumbled out, armed with all manner of equipment. Maddy saw how one of them went straight to the big man, now lying silent in a pool of blood, looking up and shaking her head to indicate there was nothing to be done for him. And then they moved on to Jack, who was crumpled against the far wall.

Maddy got to Alice first. “Alice… it’s me, Maddy.” Tenderly holding her hand, she looked down on that dear, still face and her heart broke. “You’ll be all right,” she promised brokenly. “They’re here to help you.”

Turning, she shouted over the chaos, “OVER HERE – please hurry!” But her cries fell away in the wake of all the confusion. Through the hordes of people being herded back to the club, she could see ambulancemen tending to Jack, and others bringing out more equipment and stretchers.

Terrified that assistance might come too late, Maddy sobbed, “Alice, please don’t leave me,” devastated when it seemed that the injured woman was beyond hearing her. “We need you,” she pleaded. “Me and the baby.” Giving the limp hand a little shake, she said, “Alice, wake up. Please! You can’t leave us now. What will we do without you?”

When Alice grabbed her hand in reply, Maddy thought her heart would stop. For a moment she couldn’t speak. Then she quietly thanked the Almighty for sparing her friend, and carried on gently patting her hand, like a mother soothes her child; and now she was telling her softly, “You’ll be all right… you’ll see. Help is on its way… you’ll be all right my darling.” Turning her head she gave another frantic shout, “OVER HERE… SHE’S HURT… HURRY… PLEASE HURRY!!”

“Go from here.” Alice’s voice was almost inaudible, gasping. “No more contact with him…” Slipping fast away, she could hardly make herself heard. “Promise me.” When she now took a breath, it was a rasping, frightening thing for Maddy to hear.

“Be still,” the younger woman pleaded. “Be still, be still.”

But Alice would not be still. With a huge surge of strength, she had slightly raised her head and was looking the girl straight in the eye.

“Promise,” she said, then fell back again.

Desperate, Maddy shouted again, this time her voice charged with anger. “Hurry! For God’s sake, hurry!”

In that moment, one of the ambulancemen looked up from treating Jack and spoke to his colleague before making his way over to them.

With Alice’s flickering gaze trained on her, Maddy gave her her word. “I promise,” she whispered, holding her close. “I’ll never come back… I swear it. Just hold on, please, Alice. Help is on its way. Don’t die, please don’t leave me all on my own. I can’t bear it.”

As the medics took over, Maddy clambered up on shaky legs, and looked straight into the face of the devil himself.

Two policemen had arrested Drayton. Handcuffed, he was being marched toward the waiting squad car. Before they managed to get him inside, however, he turned and spat a message at Maddy, the words of which would haunt her for the rest of her days. “Your card is marked, you bitch. Keep looking over your shoulder. Day and night, wherever you try to hide, I’ll find you.”

When the officer yanked him forward to stuff him into the vehicle, the dark and sinister smile he gave Maddy was a testament to his evil – and it flooded her bruised and battered heart with fear.

While Alice was being tended to, Maddy stated to walk over to the place where Jack was being cared for.

Her heart sank when the medic there prevented her approaching, and informed her that his patient was beyond help.

Maddy began to sob again, but then Ellen appeared out of nowhere, swooped on her and stole her away. “There’s nothing you or anyone can do for him now,” she said. “As for your other friend, she’s in good hands. They said they are taking her to UCH,” she told Maddy.

University College Hospital, where she had been only last night. Maddy was stunned – she could barely take it all in.

Eager to get herself and Maddy as far away as possible, Ellen took charge, sneaking them through the kitchens of the Chinese restaurant next door. “Luckily, the police are all so busy dealing with everyone else, they haven’t had time to catch up with us,” she said.”

And so, the two of them made their escape from this nightmare scene, their ears ringing with the sounds of gunshots, screams, sirens and loudhailers, their minds grappling with the dreadful sights they had witnessed.

Seven

Ellen hustled Maddy along the pavement. “Let’s get a cab and go back to my place.”

“What did you say your name was?” Maddy had taken a liking to this young woman. She seemed strong and sensible.

“Ellen Drew.”

“All right then, Ellen – where are you taking me?” Maddy limped along beside her, cold, bedraggled and bleeding.

“I live in Bethnal Green – in the East End. It’s not too far.” The younger girl flagged down a taxi. “Once we get home, we’ll have a cup of tea, fix you up, and sort out what to do.” As the cab drew to a halt, she helped Maddy in before climbing in beside her. “Bethnal Green please, mate,” she instructed the cabbie. “Drop us off at the corner of Wilmot Street.”

Safely installed in the cab, Maddy took a sideways glance at her companion. She had been wrong about her, she thought. When she overheard her and Drayton talking in the alley, Maddy had believed the girl to be naïve and innocent. Now, having seen how she took charge of the situation, she realized that there was more to the girl than she had previously thought.

A few minutes later, on arriving at their destination, the cabbie stopped exactly where Ellen had instructed. “That’ll be three pounds, if you please.”

“I’ll have to give you an IOU,” Ellen admitted. “Neither of us have got a penny to our names. You see, we had to leave in a hurry and all our stuff is back in Soho.”

Realizing the awkward situation they were in, Maddy slipped off her watch, and handed it to the driver. “This will more than cover the fare,” she said.

“Look, lady, the fare is three pounds – hard cash and no messing.” From the tone of his voice, the man was ready for trouble. “I don’t work for trinkets.”

Leaning forward so as to see his face, Ellen put on her sweetest smile. “Like I said, we got caught up in a brawl, and left our purses behind. It happens, as I’m sure you understand.”

Straining his neck, he looked from her to Maddy. “Working girls, are you?” He winked.

“If you like,” Ellen enticed him.

Maddy was shocked. “NO!” Tugging at Ellen to come away, she told the cabbie, “We’re not prostitutes! It’s just like she said – we got caught up in a fight, and now we just want to get home.”

He glared at them through the mirror. “You must think I was born yesterday,” he said, and gave a snort. “You’ve only got to look at the state of you to know you’re lying.” Gesturing at Maddy’s torn dress, and Ellen’s tousled hair, he sneered, “Picked up a dodgy punter, did you, girls?”

Maddy touched him on the shoulder. “Please, just look at the watch. It’s worth a lot more than three pounds.”

Something in the timbre of her voice made him examine the watch under the light. He was pleasantly surprised. With a gold and silver plaited strap, it boasted the prettiest diamond in the center of the dial. “Stolen, is it?” He knew enough to realize that the watch was good.

“No way! It’s my own watch.” In a softer voice, Maddy entreated him to look on the back.

He scanned the engraving. To Maddy. Happy sixteenth birthday from Daddy.

The driver chuckled nastily. “Sugar daddy, was it?”

“If you don’t want it,” Maddy said angrily, “just give it back!”

“Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy.” He began to believe her story. “What’s your name?

“Maddy… Maddy for short.”