Jack had no idea who his benefactor was – he couldn’t spot Akiko, Yori or Rose among the spectators – but he was thankful nonetheless. He held out the blade, warding off the animal.

The bulldog sensed the danger and became wary, eyeing the silver point as if it was a bear’s claw. The crowd began jeering and booing, some demanding that all bets be called off. But Jack realized that, even if he managed to defeat the dog, Rakesby and his gang wouldn’t let him go. They intended he should die one way or another, which meant Jack needed to escape the pit and Rakesby’s gang.

So, rather than killing the bulldog, Jack backed slowly away to the far side of the arena and the post that tethered the bear. The abused beast swung towards him, her eyes red with pain and fury. Jack tried to unhook the chain, but discovered it was padlocked to the post. Roaring, the bear reared up on her hind legs to take a swipe at him. Jack furiously tugged on the chain but to no avail. Then the bear spotted the bulldog prowling towards Jack and lashed out at its old enemy. As bear and dog fought, Jack thrust the tip of the dagger into the padlock and tried to jimmy it open. The bear knocked the bulldog aside with a brutal slash of claws, and the dog landed in a bloody heap and lay still. Then the bear turned back to Jack, intent on finishing off her last threat.

His hands slick with sweat and blood, Jack frantically jiggled the blade in the lock. At the very last moment, he heard a click and the padlock sprang open. The iron chain fell to the earth; the bear hesitated. She looked at her shackles … then at Jack … then gave a mighty roar. Jack feebly raised the dagger, a toothpick against the claws of a fully grown brown bear – but the bear swept past him and bounded over the arena wall. Despite her injuries, she clambered into the stalls with ease. Spectators scattered in panic, screaming for their lives. A woman’s cloak was torn from her and a man was crushed under the heavy paws of the wild animal. Pandemonium reigned and, in the confusion, Jack scrambled up the wooden wall and out of the pit …

‘Not so fast!’ hissed Hazel. She thrust her knife at Jack’s heart.

Jack blocked the blade with the curved prongs of the stiletto dagger, then, twisting the hilt, disarmed her. He followed up with a side kick that sent Hazel tumbling into the pit – taking Jack’s stolen katana and wakizashi with her. She landed next to the wounded bulldog. Unfortunately for her, the dog wasn’t quite dead and in its death throes the animal latched on to her with its slobbering jaws.