Marcie and Hal were running for an emergency exit to their left, pursued by eight or nine of the lupine monsters. With almost balletic grace, husband and wife dropped down to the ground and brought on the change as they fled.

Takapa roared in defiance at Tom one final time, then chased after them, hurdling the benches in the bleachers, a white blur disappearing into the shadows.

Tom nodded grimly as Hal and Marcie smashed through the emergency exit and vanished from view, Takapa close on their heels. But the cold rattle of more gunfire riveted Tom’s attention back to events in the arena. The men were firing wildly; some of the beasts bayed in pain as the bullets tore into them. But there was no way Swagger and his generals could take them all. The ’wolves had been trained well, and now were using their skills as a team to slash their persecutors to ribbons.

Tom swallowed hard as he looked at Kate, still perched high on her mountain of carcasses. She waved with both arms, trying to be sure he’d seen her, and Tom waved back. But his stomach was churning. How could he get to her, caught between bullets and claws –and where was Rico?

Turning, he staggered over to Jasmine, who was shakily getting to her feet. ‘You OK?’

‘Sure,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m good.’

Stacy burst back in through the shattered doors. ‘What happened to Jicaque, is he …?’ Her hand flew to her mouth. ‘Jesus. How long was I out?’

It was true, Tom reflected. In seconds, everything had turned around. Now, with Takapa and his honoured guests gone, scores of ’wolves were roaming the bleachers, howling and roaring their anger and frustration. Many more were feeding on the tough corpses of their fallen opponents –and the remains of the men with guns who had sought to control them. Swagger himself had either been killed or ducked out of the fighting, he was nowhere to be seen – but two of his surviving generals were standing back to back beside one of the supporting pillars, terror in their eyes, shooting at any lupine who came too near.

I can only cure those who wish to be cured, Jicaque had said, and clearly some of the ’wolves weren’t ready to stop now. They craved more violence, more blood; a few ringleaders were snapping at their fellows, trying to pick up the fight like nothing had happened.

‘Some of the ’wolves are changing back,’ Stacy realised. ‘They’ll become targets for the others, just like we are.’ She set off through the tiers of seating, heading for a young girl who stood naked and shivering, gazing around the arena in shock. ‘We have to help them, get them out of here before the ’wolves notice them.’

‘Maybe round them up into a group,’ Tom called, and Stacy nodded distractedly. He guessed the thought had occurred to her.

And then Tom saw it.