Dani and Easton sprinted after the man. The pavement they were running down wasn’t busy, but it was narrow with terraced houses on one side and tightly parked cars on the other. Any pedestrians, even those walking on their own, would block the man’s way, and Dani hoped that would allow them to close the distance. The early evening autumn sun didn’t help matters either, the rays poking through buildings in front of Dani blinding her every now and then as she hurtled along.

She could hear Easton’s heavy breathing behind her. She wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t the pace to overtake her. She’d made light of his cuts and bruises but he was still injured. Possibly concussed too. She should really tell him to stop and wait because the last thing she wanted was for him to suddenly collapse because of the exertion. She didn’t, though. She was too focussed on the man ahead of her who was striding in athletic motion. Even with her tight-fitting trouser suit on, and slip-on shoes, Dani was no slouch, though. She just needed a bit of luck…

Up front a young mother was strolling with a pram. The man called out to her and she shrieked and pulled the pram as far to the side as she could as he sped past. The slight distraction lost him a yard.

Next up was a junction with a busier road running crossways, cars blasting left and right. A set of traffic lights marked the pedestrian crossing but the man wasn’t about to stop and wait for the green light. He slowed his pace a fraction as he approached the road, as though he was about to be cautious and reduce the chances of him being squashed, but then he simply darted out into the traffic.

Cars screeched to a halt, horns blared, and the man had to shimmy left then right to avoid a hefty collision. The bonnet of one car bumped him but he simply glided a half step in the air before landing back on both feet, the contact causing nothing more than a momentary stumble.

Still, Dani gained another two yards because of it, and she would take that. If she could close the gap another three or four yards she’d be within distance to launch herself at him.

With the traffic in the junction now at a stop, she raced right through without being impeded at all. The man ducked left and Dani followed down a narrow alley that soon opened out onto an expansive concrete forecourt. In front were two looming tower blocks.

‘Go around to the left,’ she shouted to Easton between laboured breaths. ‘I don’t think he can get out to the right. We’ll box him in.’