‘Oh, no you don’t!’

In houses all along the alleyway lights were coming on in upstairs windows as people tried to see what the commotion was. Ahead she could see the cause of that commotion. The creature was trying to scramble to safety over a high, wooden fence. Ryan was hanging on to one of its legs.

As Yaz approached, he turned and flashed her a breathless, triumphant smile. ‘I caught it!’

Before Yaz could reply there was the sound of splintering wood and the fence collapsed. Yaz caught a last fleeting glimpse of Ryan, his expression turning to one of shocked surprise before he and the diminutive alien vanished from view in an avalanche of fence panels.

‘Ryan!’

Yaz dashed forward, skidding to a halt at the hole that had been created in the fence. Ryan and the hooded figure were tumbling wildly down a steep embankment. At the bottom of the slope Yaz could see the gleam of metal rails glinting under the streetlights. They were falling onto the tube tracks.

With no way of arresting his fall, Ryan crashed down hard onto the tracks. Yaz held her breath, praying that he realised the danger that he was in and kept his arms and legs clear from the live rail. Miraculously, both he and his quarry seemed to have avoided making contact.

Yaz scrambled through the gap in the fence, looking for a safe way to climb down and help him. As she did so there was the distant blare of a whistle and, to her horror, Yaz caught a glimpse of the bright lights of a tube train hurtling along the track towards the prone bodies of Ryan and the alien.

‘Ryan!’ she screamed. ‘Get off the tracks!’

All thoughts for her own safety gone, she raced down the slope, half running, half falling. Below her she could see Ryan trying to get to his feet, but the train was so very, very fast …

Yaz closed her eyes. There was the shriek of brakes, a horrible, high-pitched, keening scream and a sudden, deafening crack. Then there was silence. The air was filled with the horrible smell of charred flesh.

Terrified of what sight might greet her, Yaz opened her eyes. Ryan was standing to one side of the tracks, his hands shaking.

Relief washing over her, Yaz hurried over to him. ‘Ryan, thank God! Are you OK?’

Ryan just nodded, traumatised by his narrow escape. He was staring at something on the tracks. Yaz followed his gaze, bile rising in her throat.