But to do that means giving his back to the Wolves who now knowing they can’t escape are fighting for the right to survive. Salem himself reels back with a snarl, and red billows on his left arm, while his right continues to return fire.

It seems to go on forever, but slowly Salem is joined by the rest of the attacking line, and I’m now behind instead of in the middle of the confrontation. Shots slowly become more sporadic, and then can be counted in ones not in dozens.

“You okay?” I recognise Pennywise’s voice, and moving my head, see the question’s not directed at me, but at Salem.

“Winged and fuckin’ furious, but I’ll live.”

Then, at last, I see a knife flash in Pennywise’s hands and the zip ties holding my hands fall away. Then, gently, almost tenderly, he does the same to the ones around my thighs and my ankle. Although he tries to be careful, the accidental rotation of my damaged foot makes me lose consciousness for a moment. When I come back to my senses, I see him only wearing his cut over his bare chest, and looking down, see his t-shirt covering my body, stretched down to hide my junk.

Pennywise is crouched, staring at my foot. Sensing I’m back with him, he glances up and winks as he sees me eyeing my new modesty. “Can’t have you making all of us jealous.” He goes back to examining my injuries. “Fuckin’ bastards.”

Suddenly my foot becomes the least of my problems. “Saffie,” I start, then my voice hitches. “Saffie…” Somehow I can’t get out the words that she’s dead.

“Saffie?” Pennywise holds up his hand to his ear for a moment. “Yeah, I got Niran. He’s got a busted foot. Looks like the fuckers broke all the bones in it. They’ve got his leg as well… Yeah, I’ll tell him.”

He meets my eyes again, and grins. “Saffie? Yeah, we got her. She’s fine. Covered in dog slobber, but uninjured.”

On the verge of losing consciousness again, I narrow my eyes and open my mouth to tell him he’s not making sense.

Dog slobber?