‘It happened before. He nearly died. Little bug won’t use his inhaler.’ Somehow she’d forced open the driver’s door of the Lexus and now she was busy working at the wiring inside.

Tom watched her. ‘Wait a second – you’re stealing that car?’

‘Guess I am,’ she said dryly while she worked. ‘Hey, d’you think Jesus will still want me for a sunbeam?’

The hunting roar of the ’wolf floated eerily down the dark street, and Tom cast an anxious glance back over his shoulder. ‘We might find out sooner than you think.’

The Lexus suddenly growled into life. ‘Get over here,’ Jasmine insisted. ‘We gotta get to Doc Woollard’s, fast.’

Tom opened the rear door and placed Rico inside. ‘I can’t come with you,’ he said. ‘I have to find Kate.’

Jasmine stared hard at him. ‘Get your sorry ass in this car now. Look at that kid! He could stop breathing. You want me to give him CPR while I’m driving?’

Tom heard the sound of heavy lupine footfalls tearing down the asphalt, saw a dark, massive blur moving up behind him.

‘In!’ Jasmine shouted.

With no time to agonise further, Tom ducked inside and Jasmine was speeding away before he’d even pulled the door shut. Rico was struggling for breath, his dark eyes bulging as the coughs kept coming. Through the rear windshield, Tom watched grimly as the hideous creature pelted after them, huge head low to the road like it was scenting the exhaust.

Up ahead was a red light, and a big truck queuing, blocking their way. Jasmine swore as she hit the brakes.

Tom was thrown forwards. Rico gripped tightly on to his hand, wheezing and choking. Tom turned and checked on the lupine. It was almost on top of them.

‘It’s still coming!’ he yelled.

As it readied itself to pounce, the creature opened its great, slavering jaws in triumph.

Chapter Four

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CHAPTER FOUR

Kate practically shoved Ramone along ahead of her. ‘You’ve got to keep going,’ she urged him, but she knew he couldn’t last much longer. His ankle was bad and his head was worse. He had a sticky gash on the back of his skull from Swagger’s blow with the bat. Blood had run down and soaked through the collar of his thin cotton shirt.

When he stumbled and nearly fell for about the fourteenth time, she steered him over to rest against the nearest doorway.

While Ramone caught his breath, Kate looked around for any sign of Swagger or his thugs. But the street was silent and empty.