Mel stayed in with Bear for a few minutes, before returning to the corridor to speak to Andrew and Geoff.

“I’ll be back after dark with Terry and either Paul Bell or myself to relieve you,” he promised before heading for the lifts.

*      *      *

Ernie finished the most urgent chores around his farm, then had a giant feed for tea, before setting off outside again.   He rummaged around in his garage-cum-tool shed near the dog yard behind the farmhouse.

He selected a large crowbar, which he tied to the roof rack of his Range-Rover.   Plus a box of screwdrivers and chisels, and two different sized jemmies, all of which he put into the back seat of the car.

He couldn’t help shivering from nervousness, both because of what he planned to do, and because he had never before gone out in human form in the evening on one of his black wolf nights.   But what he had to do that night could not be done completely in wolf form.   So he had to start the chore early enough before his transformation took place.

‘Here goes nothing!’ he thought as he sat behind the steering wheel.   Glancing at the dashboard clock he saw that it was after 10:30 and thought, ‘I’d better pull the finger out!’   Although his transformation to the black wolf had never occurred before 11:00 p.m., it would be almost that by the time that he reached Glen Hartwell.

‘If I can’t get there before I chancre it’ll have to wait till tomorrow night!’ he thought, knowing that a twenty-four hour delay could cost Bear Ross his life.

*      *      *

It was after 10:40 before Mel Forbes returned to the hospital to relieve Andrew Braidwood and Geoff Goddard.

“Sorry for keeping you so long,” he apologised.

“That’s all right,” said Geoff.   Both men were friends of Bear Ross and would have stayed on duty until they collapsed from exhaustion if need be.

Terry and Mel stopped in to see Bear for a moment, and then stepped outside again to stand sentry duty over the door to the private ward.   Like before Terry was armed with a Winchester-repeater, but Mel Forbes was unarmed apart from wearing a backpack and nozzle that he had borrowed from the local fire department.