Ears still ringing from the blast, Yaz staggered after her. The apartment looked like a war zone, broken glass and plaster covering everything. A huge hole had been blown in the floor where the tiny explosive device had landed, and well over half of the Ratts had seemingly fallen through to the floor below. The others were staggering around, dazed and coughing.

Ace was on the far side of the room, helping the injured man to his feet. ‘Get out of here, Sanaul, get yourself to hospital and phone Will, tell him what’s happened here.’ She pushed him towards the door to the office. ‘And check that Sorin’s OK.’

‘But Miss Dorothy, you can’t stay in here with those … those things …’

‘Oh, I think I can deal with them.’

Ace strode across the room and extracted a silver baseball bat with a black handle from a smashed glass case on the wall. Hefting the bat in her hands, Ace turned to the recovering rat creatures and gave a grin that bordered on the insane.

‘Right, you lot. Wanna try that with someone who’ll fight back?’

The Ratts hissed angrily and started to advance on her.

‘Ace, no!’ yelled Yaz. ‘There’s too many of them!’

‘You just get some of that slime on you! And make sure you’ve still got your tracker!’

With a roar, Ace waded into the sea of rat creatures, swinging the baseball bat like a broadsword. Wet, hooded bodies flew through the air as the bat made contact and the air was filled with white sparks and screeches of pain and anger.

Yaz shook her head in disbelief. The woman was clearly crazy. As she watched the battle unfold, it was obvious that it was becoming one-sided. Whilst anger, adrenalin and the element of surprise had initially given Ace the upper hand, there were still dozens of the rat creatures to contend with.

As Yaz watched, they began to back Ace into a corner, working as a pack to cut off any chance she had of escape. Abruptly one of the creatures turned and stared at her, as if noticing her for the first time. With a jolt of fear, Yaz checked that her homing beacon was secure, pressed up against her collarbone, and then scrabbled in the pocket of her jacket for the bottle of mucus, snapping open the cap and smearing the vile slime over her wrist and neck.

The effect on the Ratt was instantaneous. Immediately its pupils dilated, the rodent-like nose twitching wildly as the stench enveloped her. With a hiss it scampered forward, and Yaz had to stifle a cry of revulsion as it came up close, peering up at her with gleaming, eager eyes.

As the creature opened its mouth, its wet lips quivering, Yaz screwed her eyes closed, bracing herself, but the spray of mucus didn’t come.

‘Oh, no, I don’t think so …’ The Ratt’s voice was high and whining.