CHAPTER FOUR

Patrolman Jim Mooney stopped in mid-sentence and looked across the street. "Someone's in that alley."

Moving at a fast trot, he and his partner went to the alley, the other two officers staying behind to keep an eye on the car and street.

The alley was empty. Mooney shrugged, then his partner nudged him and pointed upward. He looked up just in time to see a shadowy figure disappear onto the roof.

OOOOOOOOOO

At the back of the building, Sam slid down the last rungs of the ladder.

"Don't move!"

Sam froze, hands still gripping the ladder.

The officer, a dark young man with hard eyes, held his gun on Sam and spoke into his shoulder mike. "Bill, I've got the suspect on the south side of the building."

"I'm on my way!" the radio chattered back.

Desperate, not waiting for reinforcements to arrive, Sam spun and knocked the gun to the side. In the same swift motion he felled the officer with a brutal blow to the jaw. Not waiting to see if the man would stay down, he pounded for the head of the alley and sprinted down the street.

"Hold it! Freeze! Freeze!"

A shot rang out.