‘Well?’ came an imperious voice, a hint of something European in the accent. Kate recognised it at once, and it chilled her. Takapa.

She heard Swagger open the door and go inside. This was it then. Takapa would come out of his office now and find her. She glanced at Polar. He was looking back towards the locker room, thinking about his camera, no doubt. If she could catch him off guard …

She took a slow step towards him but he caught the movement, whirled back around, and slowly shook his head.

‘Stein and Woollard are dead, sir,’ she heard Swagger announce. ‘I burned ’em, along with any remaining evidence.’

Now Kate heard the rustling of papers.

‘Ah, my documents,’ purred Takapa. ‘Invaluable research. The fruits of which shall quite transform this feckless human society.’ He paused. ‘With Stein dead, you can liberate the remaining serum from her offices at the hospital. Our fighters must be well-fed.’

‘Already arranged, sir,’ Swagger reported. ‘Kes is dealing with that now. Serum supplies to be dished up at eighteen hundred hours.’

Takapa sounded amused. ‘Meagre rations, I trust. Then we’ll leave them to simmer for six hours. Their aggression levels will remain high and their cravings will be at their most extreme. Excellent, General Swagger.’ His voice suddenly hardened. ‘Now, have you found the wereling and the Folan girl?’

Kate shut her eyes, held her breath.

‘Not yet,’ said Swagger. ‘But I got people working on it. I’m expecting news soon.’

A reprieve? Why was Swagger risking his own life with a lie that size? Kate bit her lip, more scared now than ever. There could only be one reason.

Swagger had his own plans for her.

‘Marcie Folan is resting now in my private suite,’ Takapa said. ‘If the wereling is not found, she intends to inflict damages on his parents at dawn to draw him back out into the open.’

‘I know that. She told me herself, coming back from Gun Hill.’

‘It would be … good public relations if we could spare her the risk and the bother and find him first.’

Kate looked imploringly at Polar, his face a dark shadow beneath his hood. ‘Let me go,’ she mouthed. ‘Let me warn them!’

He didn’t move, stood still as a statue.

‘Make no mistake, we still want that wereling, Swagger. He has much to contribute to our plans.’ Takapa paused. ‘And I want the girl. Her own contribution shall be sweet indeed.’

‘Understood, sir. If she’s still in the city, we’ll find her.’

Kate heard the sharp tap of Swagger’s heels clicking together, then his heavy footsteps before the door closed behind him.

A second later he was back, his gargoyle grin large on his heavy face. ‘Why, there you are now!’ he whispered. ‘Ain’t that a surprise.’

Kate took a shuddering breath. ‘What are you going to do with me?’

He just smiled, and took another step closer.

Chapter Fifteen

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