It seemed to Becky that she was woken only minutes later. Brighteyes was on his feet and growling. Somewhere in the car park there was the sound of footsteps. Whoever it was, was coming closer. The light of a torch danced on the ceiling, then on the walls, then it was shining straight at her. Dazzled now, Becky put up her hands to protect her eyes.

“That’s my place you’re sleeping in. What the bleeding heck do you think you’re doing here?”

The man’s voice was rasping and angry, his words slurred with drink. Becky couldn’t see his face. But suddenly out of the glare of the light came a dog, charging at her, his barking angry and loud, a terrifying war cry that echoed through the building. Before Becky could move, Brighteyes leaped at the dog, and then both were at each other yelping and snapping. Rough hands grabbed Becky and yanked her to her feet. “What’ve we got here then? A little girlie?” Becky could smell the stink of his breath. She kicked at him, and heard him cry out. Then she shook herself free of him and ran, calling for Brighteyes, screaming for him. She could hear the two dogs still fighting somewhere ahead of her in the darkness, and ran towards them. She could see them now rolling on the ground, locked together in ferocious combat, snarling and tearing at one another.

Becky didn’t hestitate. She rushed forward and tried to pull them apart. She managed to get hold of Brighteyes round his neck and drag him away. But the other dog came after her, and that was when she was bitten. She felt the teeth sink into her wrist and shake it, tugging at it, twisting it. She tried to break free, but the dog would not let her go. She could hear the man stumbling towards her, dropping his torch as he came, cursing loudly and roaring at her like a wild animal. Terrified, Becky lashed out at the dog, punching him hard on his nose again and again till he let her go. Suddenly free, she and Brighteyes ran for it, out of the basement, the whole car park resonating with angry shouting and barking. Then they were out in the open, back through the gap in the fence and away.

They kept running down the dark and empty street until Becky could run no more. Her head was swimming. Her wrist throbbed and her legs were so weak she could scarcely walk. She felt the blood dripping from her hand, knew that she’d been badly hurt, that she needed help; but all she could think of now was to keep going, to find somewhere to hide in case the man came after them.

Then she was aware of lights all about her. She found herself wandering aimlessly through a deserted shopping centre, which was where she came across some large recycling bins under an arcade. She was staggering by now, and knew her legs could not carry her much further. This was as good a place as any to hide. She crawled in behind the bins with Brighteyes and they huddled there silently, Becky rocking herself, trying to forget the agony in her wrist, trying to calm her panic. She could see now that Brighteyes too was wounded, that one of his ears was badly torn. She tried to reach out to him, but found she could not lift her arm. She tried to talk to him, and found her voice echoing strangely in her head. When she found herself lying on the ground, she couldn’t work out how she’d got there, because she’d been sitting up a moment before. She tried to sit up again and couldn’t find the strength. Brighteyes was swimming in and out of her vision. She tried to stop herself from fainting, but there was nothing she could do.