1958 - The World in My Pocket (28 page)

It swished out of the sun, flying just above them and, looking up, he could see the pilot peering down at him. The pilot waggled the wings of the aircraft, as if to tell Kitson he had seen him, then the aircraft banked, and Kitson could imagine the pilot yelling excitedly into his mike, telling those down on the road what he had seen.

‘Ginny! Listen to me,’ Kitson said, lifting her face and looking into her terrified eyes. ‘Bleck was right. I’m not going into any death cell. You could beat this rap. The most they would give you if you were unlucky would be ten years. You’re only a kid. The jury would be kind to you. Ten years is nothing. You could make a new start in life when you come out. You stay here and let them bring you down.’

‘And you?’ Ginny said, her fingers gripping his arm.

Kitson forced a grin.

‘I’m taking a dive. It’s quick and it’s my way out. I’m not going into the death cell.’

Ginny drew in a deep breath.

‘We’ll go together, Alex. I’m not scared, but I would be, to be shut away for ten years. That’s something I couldn’t take. We’ll go together.’

A voice over a loudspeaker system suddenly bawled, ‘Hey, you two up there! Come on down! We know you’re up there. We don’t want any shooting. Come on down!’

‘You stay, Ginny.’

‘No. I mean it.’

Kitson bent and kissed her, holding her close.

‘Remember what Frank said? The world in our pockets? Well, maybe this could be it, but not this world; some other world. Let’s go and find out.’

He put his hand in hers and they both stood up.

They looked directly down onto the road where the soldiers and police had spread out, ready to dive for cover, their rifles pointing up at the two figures on the ledge.

‘Okay,’ Kitson shouted. His voice sounded thin and weak to the listening men below. ‘We’re coming.’

He looked at Ginny.

‘Are you ready?’

She tightened her hold on his hand.

‘Try not to let go of me, Alex,’ she said. ‘Yes, I’m ready.’

The watching men saw them suddenly step off the ledge and come hurtling down towards them.