Crossbow--am I correct in assuming that the fire escapes are on the other side of the building, and so, if Sam wants to give chase that way, he'd need to go through one of the rooms? Are there any obvious open doors nearby?
...or, following up on Sam's thrill seeker quality...what sort of test would he have to pass to climb over the rail next to him & swing down to the next floor? (I'm guessing gymnastics, which he'd have to use Edge on...)