The net supporting Kate had started to give way; it was sagging seriously at one end. Huge hunks of meat were tumbling into the arena, exciting the waiting ’wolves that paced below. But seeing their hungry eyes, Tom knew they craved soft, tender, wholly-human flesh.

Jasmine looked around, suddenly panicked. ‘Where’s Rico?’

‘Trying to reach Kate,’ Tom said worriedly, ‘I couldn’t stop him.’

Jasmine looked appalled. ‘He’ll get himself killed!’

‘Work your way around the stands,’ Tom told her, signalling the direction Rico took. ‘I’ll take the direct route.’ He ran down the gangway, mercifully free of wandering ’wolves, picking up speed as he hurtled down the steps. He had to reach her, save her somehow before—

‘Hey, freak,’ shouted Swagger, jumping up from his hiding place near the front of the bleachers. He wielded his gun like a club and brought it around in a savage arc.

Tom couldn’t stop in time. The weapon caught him under the chin and he fell reeling back with a yell of pain.

Swagger advanced on him, gun raised. ‘Guess who?’

‘The tooth fairy?’ Tom spat out a thick gobbet of blood. ‘Say, Swagger, are you out of bullets, or did you just forget how your gun works?’

‘Don’t need bullets for scum like you.’

Tom heard a whistling rattle as the wire netting holding Kate was attacked by another ’wolf. He knew he couldn’t waste any time. ‘It’s over, Swagger,’ he hissed. ‘Now, get out of my way.’

‘You and your dumb friends ruined everything!’ Swagger bellowed, his scarred face livid red, the piggy eyes screwed up in rage. ‘I was gonna be somebody. I was gonna count!’

‘I don’t have time for this!’ Tom hurled himself at Swagger, hoping to overbalance him, but there was true madness in the thug’s eyes now. His big hand closed around Tom’s throat, and threw him flat on his back on the concrete.

‘What’s wrong with you? You fought good last night. You really hurt me, man.’

Tom heard Kate yell in alarm. He tried to get back up but Swagger pushed him back down to the ground.

‘Now you’re gonna hurt, too.’ Swagger’s crazed eyes shone with malice. He adopted a child’s sing-song voice: ‘And so’s your little girlfriend.’

‘No!’ Tom heard the guttural edge to his own voice, heard Kate scream again for help, felt the anger flooding through him. Swagger was laughing at him, his eyes burning yellow, his features beginning to bulge and twist into bestial forms.

‘You took away everything I had that was good,’ the big man said hoarsely. ‘Now, ain’t nothing left but the bad.’ He crouched down in front of Tom. ‘Wanna see?’

The big man was starting to shake. Thick, coarse blond hair was curling from his hands and face. His jaw extended outwards, his teeth began to curl out sharply from his red gums.