The fear remained, but these past few weeks had hardened something in Jett's brain, feeding her will to survive. As the wolfkin leapt at her, trying to rip her throat out with a single bite, she folded down into a crouch in the blink of an eye. His lunge went over her head, and she planted a shoulder into his stomach before shooting upright with a piercing scream of exertion.

Putting all her strength into the push, she tipped the charging wolfkin head over heels, and he crashed to the carpeted floor with a curse. Jett bolted for the stairwell door, pulling it most of the way closed behind her before stopping and turning. She heard the scrabbling of her attacker's claws as he raced after her.

Jett counted to three, then closed her eyes and flung her whole weight against the door.

It flew back open, the reinforced wooden structure slamming straight into the charging wolfkin on the other side. The massive impact shook Jett's body from snout to tail, and she heard the crunch of breaking bone. Poking her head around the door, she found the wolfkin lying flat on his back, whimpering and clutching at the smashed ruin of his snout.

Whirling around, Jett bolted down the stairs with the clattering paws of the other wolfkin echoing down the hallway in pursuit. Scampering and bounding, taking the steps two or three at a time, she careened around the bends, on the edge of pitching headfirst down into oblivion at a moment's notice.

A sudden bang from beneath her made her slow, and she paused to look down over the banister. She let out an involuntary growl of annoyance at the sight of another wolfkin who'd entered the stairs further down, trying to run up and cut her off. Behind her, she could hear the clatter of claws as the rest of the enforcer pack continued to give chase.

Cursing under her breath, she twisted towards the nearest door and rammed her way through onto a lower floor. An identical arrangement of corridors greeted her, but she didn't slow down, pelting towards the opposite side of the building and another stairwell. The door slammed open behind her, and she spotted the startled heads of several of the warrenary clientele poking out to see the cause of the commotion.

She blazed past them without a word, and at the sight of pursuing wolfkin, most ducked back inside the safety of their rooms. Jett ducked and swerved as armbow shots whistled down the passage, ripping splinters from the walls around her. Skidding low, she twisted around a corner out of sight, racing down the passage and trying to retain her bearings in the chaos.

Jett turned left at the next junction, only to find two more wolfkin waiting for her. Yelping in surprise, she blasted the first in the eyes with the flashgun, sending him stumbling back into his comrade. The bigger of the pair, the second wolfkin shoved his partner roughly aside with a growl and lunged for her, but Jett was already moving again, continuing straight down the hall.

They were boxing her in—she could feel it, the terror of being prey beginning to seep into her bones. She no longer had a straight route to the next stairwell, which didn't leave a lot of options. Twisting through several more hallways, she kept finding her routes blocked, while one or two always maintained a position behind her to stop her doubling back. She'd lost her bearings, but it seemed they were corralling her towards the corner of the floor. If that happened, she would be as good as dead.

At the end of the passage, the burly male wolfkin came into view, blocking the way ahead, and Jett's blood chilled at the realisation she couldn't go back the way she'd come. She paused for an instant, looking back to see the female leader and another enforcer emerge around the corner in pursuit.

Strangling the grip of the flashgun, her mind twisted with indecision before a door suddenly opened down the hallway ahead of her. The perplexed face of an elderly otterkin emerged.

"Look 'ere, what's all this racket, eh?!" he demanded indignantly.

Without a second thought, Jett bolted for the open door. The warrenary resident looked at her in surprise as she approached, but before he could react, she crashed into him, shoving him roughly back into the room and tumbling after him.

"Sorry, friend," she blurted. "But you might want to keep your head down."

Locking the door behind her, Jett bundled the protesting otterkin into the bathroom before darting back through and grabbing a chair, wedging it underneath the door handle to buy herself some time.

Fangs, she thought as she looked around. This was it—she was trapped with a pack of deadly wolfkin a few seconds away from knocking the door down. Gritting her teeth, she tried to think of something she'd missed, something she could exploit, a hiding place—anything to stay alive just that little bit longer.

Then her eyes fell on the room's window.

Jett darted over to it and looked out. The building opposite was smaller than the warrenary, some kind of residential block housing mostly quillkin from the look of it, the exterior littered with handholds, nets, and small doorways that would allow the residents to move around with ease.

That gave her a desperate idea, and she tossed the flashgun aside. Whipping out her longclaw, Jett averted her gaze and used the weapon's thick metal pommel to smash the glass. Three hard thwacks send shards tumbling out into the night, letting a gust of cool night air sweep in over her. A massive thud shook the door of the room, and she knew she only had seconds.

Backing up several paces, she took the longclaw in both paws, blade pointing downward, then sprinted at the opening.

Letting out a screech of terror, Jett launched herself across the space between the tight-packed buildings just as the chair cracked under the strain and the door behind her exploded open. She sailed through the air in a lazy arc, time seeming to slow for the few seconds she spent in the emptiness.

Then she hit the other side, swinging the longclaw down with both hands and hammering the thick blade into the hardwood wall of the building. With her full body weight behind the impact, the knife drove in deep, and she clung on for dear life, dangling there for a second in disbelief. Then she shook herself into action, using the longclaw to swing and grab the nearby exterior net. With a snarl of effort, she tore the knife free and twisted away just as three armbow bolts thudded into the wall where her body had been.

Jamming the knife into its sheath once more, Jett shimmied down the net and swung herself paws first through the nearest exterior entrance, crashing to the floor and panting for breath. Adrenaline piled through her blood from the exhilaration of the leap, and she leapt to her feet, poking her head back out to look at the wolfkin in the window of the warrenary.

"Is that the best you can do?!" she screamed at them in defiance before ducking back inside.

Her blood was up now, hackles bristling with frustrated rage. The urge to simply wait for them and try to kill as many wolfkin as she could surged brutally within her. By the Peace, she wanted to do some damage now.

Eyes on the prize, the voice in her head reminded her. Die tonight, and it's all been for nothing. With a snort of frustration, she set off to find her way down through the honeycomb of the quillkin block, running down the spiralling passages to get to ground level. Startled quillkin dove aside at the side of the wrathful, armed foxkin that had invaded their home, but Jett didn't hang around long enough for them to gather the nerve to confront her.

Following the passages down and down, she emerged into a small atrium where the twisting corridors converged. Vaulted wooden beams held up an arched, homely-decorated ceiling where warm chain-hung lamps glowed. Unable to admire the décor, Jett bolted through the empty space and out through the double doors onto the streets of Wildhearth once more.

The windows of the warrenary blazed with light and noise as shocked, disgruntled residents gave vent to their feelings, but Jett's thoughts remained on the wolfkin, knowing it wouldn't be long before they were out and after her again.

Spinning on a heel, she took off away from the warrenary, racing in the direction of the tram carrier station. If she could beat the wolfkin there and get on a tram before they could catch up, she might give them the slip.

Might.

Plans on the fly didn't have a lot of certainties, so Jett pressed on, pain beginning to throb in her footpaws from the constant running. She flew through the evening streets, scattering confused citykin as she went, dodging, swerving, and weaving her way. A crowd of partygoers parted as though she were radioactive, yelling and sniping at her as she passed.

A few seconds later, a series of frightened cries made her look back, and she saw, with a jolt of surprise, the wolfkin leader pounding along in her way, powerful limbs throwing the enforcer forward with frightening speed. One vulkin was too slow to move, and she simply smashed him aside, sending the unfortunate civilian flying several feet.

Cursing under her breath, Jett twisted around the nearest bend and put on an extra burst of speed, knowing she needed to lose the wolfkin before she got to the trams. The tracks themselves weren't far—maybe she could get clear of the buildings and walk them instead of actually riding a tram? Dangerous, perhaps, but Jett could hardly afford to be risk-averse right now.

It turned out that walking the tram tracks was the least of her worries when another wolfkin came racing out of an alley ahead of her, and frustration ripped at her. How did they seem to know everywhere she went? Clearly, a lot more wolfkin were out in this district than the half dozen that had gone into the warrenary after her.

She couldn't stop, not with the female hard on her tail. A swift jink to the right down a narrow street took her out of the wolfkin's field of view, and she emerged onto the broad avenue that ran parallel with a section of the tram carrier tracking. Snarling voices filled the air from several different directions, and she realised with horror that once again, the wolfkin had herded her, now ready to close their net.

Jett ducked as another slim female wolfkin stepped from the shadows, firing from her armbow. The bolt whipped overhead and she twisted away towards the nearest building on the trackside. The bulky structure was a power substation, charcoal black and a bulbous cooling tower rising out of the middle of the roof that chugged gentle clouds of smoke into the air. Eschewing the main door, she darted between the buildings, looking for a side entrance. Sure enough, she found a small metal door marked for use in fire emergencies only.

If this isn't an emergency...

Grabbing at the door, she let out a shrill squeal of frustration when it refused to open. Jett tugged and tugged but still nothing. Looking around in desperation, an anguished howl began to rise in her throat, but it quieted when she spotted an enclosed ladder bolted to the side of the building, the bottom section currently pulled up out of reach. A sign below it read ROOF ACCESS—STATION EMPLOYEES ONLY.

It would have to do. Her ears prickling at the footfalls echoing down the narrow space between the buildings, Jett slung her pack off her shoulders and loosened the straps as she ran for the ladder. Leaping, she swung it up over her head and hooked one strap onto the release lever. It jammed for an instant, then clunked free, letting the heavy iron ladder drop to street level.

Slinging the pack on again, she jumped onto it, landing four rungs up and climbing fast. Another bolt clanged off the metal structure, making her yelp involuntarily, but she kept climbing, making it into the enclosed cage of the access ladder and wrenching herself up paw over paw with a strength she didn't even know she possessed. The ladder shook beneath her, and she didn't need to look down to know the wolfkin were following her up.

The roof of the power station was a maze of cooling stacks, pylons and massive transformers—a veritable forest of sparking, fizzing equipment with plenty of places to hide. She leapt from the ladder into a clumsy roll and scrabbled upright, stumbling her way to cover, out of sight of the wolfkin. With her back to a thick metal pylon on the far side of the roof, she pressed herself up against it, trying to slow her breathing. She heard pairs of footpaws landing on the rooftop after her.

"She's up here somewhere," the leader snarled in exasperation. "Spread out—double pay for whoever brings me that girl's head." Several growls of response came from the others before silence descended on the rooftop, only the noise of the equipment filling the air now.

Jett stayed deathly still, closing her eyes for a moment, just listening. The scent of the wolfkin was confounded by the hot metal of the electrics, but she could just about pick out their stealthy movements as they crept through the rooftop maze in search of her. She knew there had to be a roof access door to get down into the power plant—if she could stay hidden long enough to reach it, she might have a chance.

That plan vanished when the grinding clatter of wheels on iron rails sounded through the night air, swelling as it drew closer. Jett turned sharply to see the lights of an evening tram carrier making its way through the district towards them. She peered down over the building's edge. The tracks were about thirty feet below and maybe half that out from the building itself.

Easily jumpable.

Steeling herself, she chanced a look around the pylon, only to jerk back sharply at the sight of the female wolfkin creeping between the cooling stacks less than a dozen meters away. Cursing, Jett pulled the straps of her pack as tight as they would go and watched the tram carrier approach, counting down the precious seconds, acutely aware of the wolfkin prowling closer.

Waiting until the last possible instant, she broke cover, racing along the edge of the building as the tram carrier swept beneath them. Shouts and growls of surprise filled her ears as the wolfkin spotted her, the air filling with the thrum of hastily fired bolts. One gashed her right leg, almost sending her crashing to the ground, but she held her footing, biting back the pain and pressing on. With one fearful sidelong glance at the tram carrier thundering past her, she planted a footpaw on the building's ledge and jumped.

Jett couldn't stop the scream as she plummeted towards the tram carrier, the metal roof of the machine racing up to meet her with terrifying speed. For an instant, she thought she'd misjudged the leap—that she might miss the tram altogether and end up dashing her body into a broken heap on the tracks.

That fear was forcibly driven from her when she slammed into the tram carrier's roof.

Even rolling with the impact, Jett felt pain explode through her back and shoulder as she tumbled, claws scrabbling for purchase on the vehicle's armoured hide. For a heart-stopping instant, she was convinced she was about to go hurtling off into empty space before her paw clamped shut around the square projection of an air conditioning vent.

She let out a yelp as the jolt wrenched her left shoulder hard, but she held on, footpaws dangling precariously out over empty space, the wind lashing at her as the tram carrier built up speed. With a howl of effort, she dragged herself away from the edge, clutching at the vent with both paws and curling up against it, panting for air. Seconds thumped by, the blood pounding in her skull from the adrenaline, but she was safe for now, racing away from the wolfkin once more.

Then a heavy thud sounded in her ears, close enough to be heard over the roar of the engine and screeching wind. She felt a slight reverberation in the plate beneath her, and a sick feeling swelled in her gut when she realised the noise could only mean one thing.

Opening her eyes, Jett looked up and saw the wolfkin leader crouched on all fours, night-dark headfur streaming out behind her like a plume of shadowy fire. Golden eyes locked onto her, massive canines showing in a snarl of anger. Slowly, the wolfkin rose into a standing position, paws clenching into tight fists by her sides.

"I'll admit, you don't lack spine," she shouted through the wind. "You're going to pay extra for the trouble you've caused me, foxkin."

Jett struggled into a crouch, manoeuvring to the centre of the tram carrier's roof, not taking her eyes from her pursuer. Rage boiled in her blood as she looked the murderess in the eye. She rose carefully, planting her feet against the vibrating surface of the tram carrier, and unsheathed her longclaw.

"Glad to have ruined your day," she spat back. "Took you long enough to catch up. If you want to finish this, I'm right here."

The wolfkin's mouth split into a bloodthirsty smile, and she advanced, taking heavy, deliberate steps against the motion of the train, the vicious blades of her gauntlet clashing together in anticipation.

Jett bared her teeth in a snarl, bracing herself and slinging her pack off, leaving it hanging in her free paw, ready to swing. She watched and waited as the wolfkin drew closer, knowing she would only have the briefest of windows to execute her plan. She eased herself into a fighting stance, doing her best to ignore the pain in her leg where the bolt had clipped her.

The wolfkin feinted towards her gut before slashing up at her face. Jett jerked her own knife up to deflect the blow with a clash of metal on metal, then ducked away, swinging her heavily laden pack at her foe. The wolfkin swerved away with ease but, in doing so, had to side-step the club-like bulk of the bag, giving Jett the opportunity to switch their positions around.

She pivoted her footing around and skipped back out of the wolfkin's reach, eyes flickering to the trackside. The enforcer stepped forward. Jett stepped back again.

"No more running," the wolfkin hissed. "Die with some honour, you miserable scavenger."

"No thanks." Jett swept the pack back again to swing, launching it in a sweeping arc. The wolfkin instinctively dodged back, but Jett had a different target in mind.

As the bag looped out in a wide arc, its strap snagged the protruding metal spur of one of the signalling boards that dotted the tracks at regular intervals. Jett clung on tight as she was stopped in her tracks, pulling up to lift her footpaws off the roof and hooking her other arm through the strap for purchase.

The tram carrier carried on, taking the wolfkin with it. A howl of rage echoed away into the night as the enforcer was swept off into the night, leaving Jett dangling from the signalling board.

Safe.