I crept through the darkness --

--a harsh yellow light shone upon a brick wall and I saw his feet run up a steel staircase --

-- a fire exit door swung shut --

-- I tore up the stairs like a lithe cat after some cod that's been lightly dunked in cream --

--suddenly--

--I tore open the door and ran in, intending to lunge upon whatever was there with extreme brute force...and then put a donk on it--

--then--

--a gun shot from within--

--was I too late to catch him?