‘Swagger told me that some time soon, ’wolves would be a dime a dozen. It stands to reason that not all of the kids he turns would be fighters, so he’s wiping out the weak ones … forcing them to fight for their lives – literally. He’s promising them the drug in return for their service …’

Stacy looked at her, horrified. ‘You think he’s breeding, what … a lupine militia? An unofficial army, ready to fight humanity?’

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling howl sounded somewhere close by outside. Both Kate and Stacy were on their feet in an instant.

A loud crash against the front door nearly knocked it off its hinges. They heard scuffles outside. Someone started banging at the door.

‘The ’wolves,’ Stacy whispered, fearfully. ‘They know we’re in here.’

The pounding at the door grew louder and louder.

g

Tom woke up and wished he hadn’t.

It felt like someone had taken a red-hot chisel to his left shoulder and hammered it down into the bone. He was lying curled on his side, his whole body soaked with rain and sweat. And while the ground seemed soft he felt confined, caught in dark and cramped surroundings. He stirred and found something musty and scratchy was covering him from head to toe. An old blanket.

Memories of his ordeal seeped into his mind as he wormed his head clear of the covering. Everything was still black.

‘Where am I?’ he asked the darkness, afraid of what he might hear in reply.

‘Quiet,’ hissed a voice he recognised. Jasmine. He whistled softly in relief but then a hand pressed down over his mouth.

It was Rico, crouched down beside him. Tom guessed he must be back in the stolen station wagon. But while he might be among friends, from the look in Rico’s dark eyes, he was nowhere near safe.

Rico pulled the blanket back over him. Tom could hear footsteps passing close by. They faltered, came closer still – then moved away.

‘Jeez, that was close,’ said Jasmine. She emerged awkwardly from the footwell of the passenger seat where she’d been curled up tight and out of sight, and eased herself back behind the wheel. ‘Cops. Still searching the area. Tom, you OK?’

‘I’ll live,’ he muttered. ‘Probably. What the hell happened?’

‘You got shot,’ said Rico, apparently impressed.

‘Rookie cop,’ Jasmine said by way of explanation, stretching her body in the driver’s seat. ‘You freaked him out. When he saw you were out cold, he ran to get his buddies. But we got to you first.’

‘We heard where to find you on the radio,’ Rico added.

‘Bullet only nicked you,’ Jasmine added. ‘Don’t think it’s too bad.’

‘Neither is this dressing,’ Tom realised, pressing gingerly at the clean bandages binding his shoulder. ‘Thanks.’

Rico shrugged. ‘Took ’em from the drugstore. And Jasmine taped you up. Just like she used to tape up Ramone when he’d been fighting.’