A quick glance around the door. The accomplice had his back to her in the kitchen as he continued his search for utensils.

It was now or never. With a deep breath, she dodged down the hallway and slipped open the front door. In an instant she was through with it closed quietly behind her.

The muffled sound of Tim's voice culminating in an anguished scream was the last sound she heard as she made for the outside entrance.

Shaking violently, she put a street between herself and the flat and then from the safety of an all night pizza bar called the police.

The questions they asked seemed over detailed and agonisingly slow. She made up a name, told them a murder was in progress with somebody being tortured, gave them the address and begged them to be quick, warning them that the thugs were probably armed and dangerous.

It took them twelve minutes. The first she knew of their presence was that Bayswater Road went quiet. Cars no longer streamed past Tim's flat. Then dark clothed figures began to flit from cover to cover in an encircling motion around the flat. They had come mob handed. She counted at least 20 that she could see and she was certain that there were more on nearby roofs from the moving shadows. As soon as there were enough of them to make her feel safe, she went down and handed over the keys to the flat and the downstairs entrance.

"You're the one that called are you madam", a fit looking flak jacketed figure asked.

She nodded her head in confirmation. "Please be quick", she said, "he sounded in terrible agony, and watch out, they are extremely dangerous".

"And how would you know that madam", came the sharp response.

"Just get him out of there fast please", begged Sarah. One of the men slipped away moving fast but seemingly without effort with the keys. One of the men stayed with her. He was probably there to protect her or at least prevent her from getting involved in any of the action. Either way she didn't care, he made her feel safe and she was grateful for that.

The road outside the flat was now totally empty of pedestrians or cars. A strange silence came over the area. Sarah felt her nerves tighten almost to breaking point as the waiting went on and on. She could almost feel the boiling water being slowly poured over Tim, see the gloating on the thugs face as they watched Tim in agony.

In reality it could only have been a few brief minutes but to Sarah as she relived the pain that Ferret Face had inflicted on her over a much shorter length of time than Tim had endured, it seemed an eternity.

Then it was over very quickly. A yelled warning. A short burst of gun fire, the crash of broken glass. A body falling through the window of the front of the flat to drape itself over the parapet. Then another burst of automatic fire and another warning call followed by a scream. Then it was over and minutes later, she was inside.

Tim lay in a crumpled heap on the floor in the corner. His hands tied in front of him, ankles taped together with more tape over his mouth. His lounge which had been so elegant the day before had been totally ransacked. A hurricane of violence had wreaked havoc everywhere.

Paramedics entered and started to remove Tim's bindings. He seemed unconscious but groaned when they took the tape from his face.

Sarah went over to him, tears streamed down her face. She wiped them away and then as his eyes opened and he gave her a weak smile, they flooded again. His face was puffed up, his eyes almost closed. His shirt had ridden up at the back as he had fallen. The marks of bruising on his back and chest were as savage as she had predicted.