Where was Tom? Kate could’ve punched the wall with frustration. She’d have been with him now if that hand hadn’t curled around her ankle back in the darkened room before she could take off after him. It was Cicero, or Puff, or one of them, sprawled and hurting on the floor –reaching out, confused, scared in the darkness.

Join the freakin’ club.

She’d managed to pull away, but then someone small –Rico? –had pushed past her and she’d stumbled and lost her balance.

An oily flame had sprung from Swagger’s lighter, inches from her face. Kate flinched from the heat, the big man had grabbed for her, but Ramone had recovered enough to punch him. As Swagger fell backwards, Ramone had grabbed hold of her and together they’d bundled out of the room, through the wreck of the kitchen and the shattered front door, and out into the cold, damp November night.

They’d barely gotten a block away and they’d already reached a standstill.

Ramone’s dark eyes were scrunched up in pain and frustration. The scar on his cheek was ugly white against his sweaty olive complexion. ‘Why don’t you leave me?’ he muttered.

‘What, and shatter your faith in human kindness?’ Kate shook her head. ‘No, we’ll just rest here for a few seconds and—’

‘Don’t matter, anyhow,’ he interrupted. ‘Swagger’s won. My people all split, my home’s smashed up. It’s over.’

‘Your brother’s out there with Jasmine and Tom,’ Kate told him. ‘They got away, I’m sure of it. They’ll be back.’

‘Well, well,’ a low, unpleasant voice called out. ‘Didn’t get very far, did you?’

‘Looks like someone else is back first,’ muttered Ramone.

Kate felt her stomach sinking into her shoes. She turned to find Swagger standing at the end of the street with one of his ‘little helpers’. The streetlight overhead cast a sick sodium glare over his zombie complexion, making him look even nastier than before.

‘I ain’t going down like this,’ hissed Ramone, bunching his fists.

‘Very macho,’ Kate breathed.

‘Come on, little girl,’ Swagger called, ‘we ain’t finished talking to you, yet.’

Kate realised that Ramone, sunk back in the doorway, must be hidden from Swagger’s view. ‘Stay here, rest, get back to your hideout,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll lead them away.’

She turned and attempted to saunter down the empty street towards Swagger. ‘The reason I didn’t get very far,’ she announced, ‘was so that you wouldn’t take so long to catch up with me.’

Swagger looked at her, hooded grey eyes beady with suspicion. ‘Is that a fact?’

‘Yep,’ Kate said, forcing herself to look up at him and smile. ‘Those losers tried to make me go with them. But I prefer to be on the winners’ side.’

Swagger smiled. ‘Winners’ side is the howlers’ side. You like ’wolves?’

‘Uh … sure.’ She nodded.