Kate squeezed his hand. ‘No, you weren’t,’ she said, remembering the savagery that had possessed him on the bridge. ‘You were you.’

Tom scrambled up, tying the shawl around his waist like a makeshift sarong, and went to help Jasmine. ‘Rico?’ He looked down at the boy, white-faced and scared. ‘You saved my life.’

‘We quits now, yeah?’ Rico’s eyes were unfocused. ‘Swagger dead?’

Tom glanced over and nodded grimly. ‘Very.’

‘’S’good,’ muttered Rico. He was starting to shake. ‘Jas? D’you think Ramone’d be proud of me? Like, real proud?’

She nodded, tears falling down her face. ‘Real proud, Ric.’

Rico smiled and seemed a little more at peace. ‘Gonna be good to see my bro again.’

‘You’re not seeing him yet,’ Stacy snapped, out of breath from her rush across the arena. ‘Look at my fingers instead. How many do you see?’

‘Wanna go sleep,’ Rico mumbled.

‘Look! How many do you see?’ Stacy insisted.

‘I dunno.’ Rico raised his good arm feebly and gave her the finger. ‘How many d’you see?’

Stacy grinned. ‘That’s it, stay with me, Rico. Give up now and Ramone’s going to kick your ass.’

‘Screw you. Wanna sleep now.’

‘I mean it. Stay with me!’ Stacy lay Rico down on the grimy floor and studied his grisly arm, hard-faced and professional. ‘We have to find the brachial artery and close it off,’ she said. ‘Keep him from losing anymore blood. We need a tourniquet.’

‘Look out!’ Tom yelled, looking over her shoulder.

A ’wolf was dragging itself along the concrete towards them. Kate backed away, looking around for a weapon. But the monster looked sick and weak, panting with the effort of its slow movement. In its jaws it held something boxy and grey.

A self-printing camera.

‘The camera strap,’ Stacy ordered. ‘Get it.’

Kate cautiously pulled the camera free of the creature’s jaws. It growled in protest, and watched her closely. She removed the strap and gave it to Stacy, who busied herself tying it around Rico’s arm. The creature quietened down when she placed the camera back in front of it.

A minute later it was Polar lying there on the freezing ground, curled up in a ball, his body covered in bruises. He was sobbing quietly, clutching the camera to his face.

‘Must’ve found the locker key after all,’ murmured Kate to herself.

Jasmine looked down at him coldly. ‘Kinda late to help us out now,’ she breathed. ‘Him and that damned camera.’

‘Guess we all need to cling on to something,’ Tom said quietly. ‘Hope. Friends. Memories.’

Kate nodded. ‘The stuff that makes us human.’ She shivered, feeling a presence behind her. She turned to find Jicaque hovering a few metres away.

‘Where’d’ you go?’ Tom asked accusingly.