She caught glimpses. Saw Milo exchange fire with Novak and his officers. Saw Betty, leaning out of the van, firing at the cops as the van fishtailed. Saw Kelly leap into the Charger. Warrick scooped up Two and ran for the trees. Officer Ortmann dived at Ronnie and Ronnie hit him and Ortmann went down, got back up again as a grinning demon. She saw Linda grab Ronnie’s arm and they ran for the trees as well. Saw Milo dive into the dirt behind the Charger. Saw Kirsty coming straight for her.

Amber jerked back. Kirsty’s claws missed, but she kept coming. She took Amber off her feet, screaming into her face the whole time. Amber twisted, threw her off, scrambled up as Novak started firing at her. She ran. Warrick and the others had gone into the trees heading down, towards town. She ran into the trees headed up, into the hills. Bullets struck branches close to her ear. She glanced back, saw Milo behind the wheel of the Charger as it sped away, saw the cops jump in their cruisers to give chase.

And she saw Kirsty, coming up the hill after her.

Amber ran on, reaching out for trees to grab on to, to pull herself up. She was almost at the top of the hill when Kirsty’s claws swiped at the back of her right leg, slicing into the unprotected meat, and she cried out, fell, turned over as Kirsty descended on her. She managed to bring her good leg in between them, managed to settle her foot right between Kirsty’s breasts while she grabbed Kirsty’s wrists.

Kirsty’s face was a mask of hatred. “I’ll kill you, you bitch, I’ll rip your—”

Amber straightened her leg with a snap, and she had time to register Kirsty’s shocked expression before she was launched backwards. Kirsty fell for what seemed an eternity, the hillside dipping beneath her, refusing to halt her plummet. Finally, it was a tree that put an end to her free fall. She struck it and flipped round it, hit the ground and went tumbling down out of sight.

Amber tore her jacket off, twisted it, and tied it tight around her leg. She got up, grabbed a tree, and kept climbing.

She reached a road, a familiar road, and now she could move faster. She ran as fast as her injured leg would allow her, reached the bend, and then plunged into the trees once more, started climbing again.

“You bitch!”

Amber spun round, ducked low, hid behind a tree. She could see Kirsty on the road where Amber herself had emerged.

“I’ll find you!” Kirsty screeched. “I’ll find you and I’ll kill you, you bitch! I’ll rip your throat out! I’ll destroy you!”