Lucy didn’t reply. Keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel, she took them through the outskirts of Desolation Hill at a blistering pace that snapped branches and almost tore the axle off the SUV. The headlights sweeping round the town’s perimeter could now only be glimpsed in the distance.

They found a small road and swerved on to it, jamming Amber hard against Milo. They straightened up and Amber was sent the other way, and cracked her head off the window. Lucy killed the SUV’s headlights and put her foot down, and trees blurred against the darkening sky.

Then Lucy braked, and Amber cursed as she almost slid off her seat entirely. Next thing she knew the door was open and Ortmann was dragging her out.

“Go,” he said. “Run.”

She broke from his grip, looked around, tried to get her bearings. Lucy took her by the arm, led her to Milo. She pointed at a tree stump ahead of them.

“That’s where the boundary lies,” she said. “Better start running.”

Milo turned to her. “Give us the keys. Let us drive out of here.”

“You run,” said Lucy.

“Give us a fighting chance, for Christ’s sake.”

“You run,” said Lucy, taking a rifle from the SUV. “We see you trying to double back, we’ll shoot you in the legs.”

They could hear it now. A motorcycle.

“You’re killing us,” said Amber.

Lucy turned to Ortmann. “Drive to the edge of Mill Farm,” she said, “headlights on full. Give a blast of the siren if you have to. Get the Hounds to follow you.”

“On it,” Ortmann said. He got in the SUV, flicked on the lights, and peeled out of there, and Lucy took a small key from her pocket and pressed it into Amber’s hands.

“Go,” she said. “Now.”

Milo started running, and Amber followed. The moment she passed the tree stump the instinctive urge to shift drained from her body. They sprinted for the trees ahead, barely making it before a Hound roared by, following the SUV.

Amber watched him go, then turned back to Milo. He was already moving on, and she quickly lost him in the gloom.

“Milo!” she whispered, and started after him. “Milo, slow down!”

Milo stopped, and while he waited for her to get a little closer he hunkered down and passed the handcuff chain under his feet so that his hands were in front of him. Before she’d reached him, he started moving again.

“She gave me the key,” Amber said. “Hold on a second.”

“We’re beyond the barrier,” he said without looking back. “That means they can sense you again. The cop driving off won’t fool that Hound for long.”

And, just to prove him right, they heard the Hound coming back.

And then more bikes, coming in from ahead. Lights cut through the trees.

“Crap,” Amber whispered.

They speeded up.