‘NO!’ cried Jack, feeling like his whole world was being torn from him. A fury so monstrous and fierce was unleashed within him that he lost all sense and reason. His sole thought was to destroy his sister’s killer … but as he launched himself in enraged revenge, the ninja stiffened. His grip on the garrotte loosened and he slumped to the floor, dragging Jess down with him. Behind him, Rose knelt upon the bed with the doxy Hazel’s knife in her hand, the one Jack had given her at the arena.

‘Takes a woman’s touch to deal with these devils!’ she declared, wincing from her gunshot wound as she eased herself off the bed. Then she spotted Jess’s body lying lifeless beside the ninja. ‘Jess! No! Was I too late?’

His blind fury abating, Jack bent down over Jess, held his hand close to her face, but couldn’t feel the warmth of her breath. ‘She’s not breathing!’ he cried. He hurriedly pulled the wire from her neck and felt for her pulse. ‘No, wait,’ he said, ‘her heart is still beating … weakly, but she’s still clinging on to life!’

At a loss as to what to do next, Jack turned Jess over on to her side and rubbed her hard on the back, much like he’d done when she was a baby and needed winding. She suddenly gasped and drew in a sharp breath. Her eyes flew open, wild and panicking like a startled bird’s. Then she saw Jack’s face above her, felt his arms cradling her, and she relaxed into his safe embrace.

‘Thank the heavens!’ said Rose, leaning for support against the four-poster bed.

Jack held his sister tight, thankful too for her miraculous return.

Wearily, Jess sat up. ‘Y-Yori,’ she rasped with great effort. ‘Is he …?’

Jack spun round. ‘Yori!’ he shouted, having momentarily forgotten his friend amid the shock of his sister’s near-death.

Yori was laid out on the floor, the manriki chain still twisted round his neck. Hobbling over, Rose helped Jack to untangle it, and Yori drew in several wheezing breaths. He was fortunate the chain had not completely strangled him, but he had a large lump on the back of his head where one of the chain’s end-weights had struck him.

‘Are you all right?’ asked Jack, offering his hand to his dazed friend to help him up.

But, instead of getting to his feet, Yori dropped to his knees, bowed his head to the floor and began sobbing, ‘I’m sorry, Jack, sorry … I failed … I failed to protect your sister … I promised to, but I didn’t! I’m so –’

‘You’ve nothing to apologize for, dear friend,’ cut in Jack. ‘Jess is alive!’

Yori, his eyes swimming with tears, still looked regretfully at Jack. ‘B-b-but I couldn’t stop the ninja … I failed in my duty …’