The fight was clearly coming to an end. Two men and the stocky woman lay twisted and still in their own congealing blood. A ’wolf lay twitching on its side, barely breathing; long gashes scored the length of its body. Three victorious lupines sat hunched over their vanquished opponents, as if waiting for something.

Kate realised they were looking to Swagger.

‘The choice is mine,’ he whispered, rapt as he drank in the carnage before him. ‘All I gotta do is reach out my hand …’ He did so, extending his thumb. ‘I’m the judge, see? If I raise my thumb, the losers live to fight again. If I lower it –they die.’ He looked at Kate and sniggered. ‘See that? Got more power in my thumb than most people get to use in a lifetime.’

Kate saw his shadow on the stand before them. In silhouette, the spikes of Swagger’s hair could’ve been a crown of laurel leaves, just like those worn by the emperors of Rome. And here he was gloating over his own private coliseum of gladiators.

‘Let them live,’ she pleaded.

‘Why should I?’

‘You made out that there was some purpose behind this fighting.’

‘There is,’ agreed Swagger, ‘but people gotta learn that losing don’t count.’

‘But they’re your own kind. Lupines. Bound by the ties of the ’wolf brotherhood.’

Now Swagger looked at Kate oddly. ‘You know about that old-days stuff?’

‘Enough to know that ’wolves don’t kill ’wolves. It’s senseless, there aren’t enough—’

‘Not enough howlers?’ Swagger shook his head. ‘You’re wrong. Soon, they’re gonna be dime-a-dozen.’

‘What do you mean?’ Kate demanded.

Swagger’s smile slipped a little, like he was aware he’d maybe said too much.

Kate swallowed hard, placed her hand on his face and softly caressed his waxy cheek in a desperate effort to distract him. He turned to her, confused for a moment – then smiled. A smug I-knew-you-wanted-me smile.

‘Please,’ she said softly. ‘Whatever you’re doing this for, let the losers live. Haven’t enough people died?’

Swagger looked at her, shook his head a fraction. ‘Ain’t never enough people died.’

His thumb came down.

Kate closed her eyes and clasped her hands over her ears. But she couldn’t hope to shut out the cacophony of baying and howling that filled the auditorium and echoed through the freezing air, as the victors began to feed on their fallen prey.

Chapter Six

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CHAPTER SIX

Tom kicked open the door to Dr Woollard’s examination room. ‘What’s going on, Doc?’ he demanded. ‘Why the private call?’