“Yes, you will.” Sophie hesitated, gripping her bag with both hands; he could tell she wished they were speaking alone again. “And, Alex, look – I know we have our differences, but you’re the finest AK I’ve ever seen, bar none. I’ll be honoured to do whatever I can to help.”

“Yeah, okay,” he muttered, embarrassment battling with dislike. Sophie could say whatever she wanted; he was still never going to warm to her.

After Sophie had disappeared into her hotel, Alex got out too, leaving the 4 x 4 idling. “Drive them home, okay?” he said through the passenger window to Kara. “And start checking this stuff out.” He gave her the envelope as she emerged from the back seat of the truck.

“What’s in it?” she asked, gazing down at it in her hand.

“VIP passes, and all the security details we need for the attack. Don’t ask me about it now,” he added. “I’ll tell you when I get home.” Half-hidden by the truck, he checked his pistol. “Can you give me some of your cartridges? I’m running low.”

Kara took out her gun and ejected the magazine; her eyes were worried as she handed it over. “Where are you going?”

He clicked her cartridges into his own magazine, his thumb working with a quick, steady rhythm. “To try to find Willow,” he said tersely. He tucked his gun back in its holster. “If she and Seb are at the house, call me, okay? The second you get there.”

“I will, but...Alex, those riots are still going strong—”

“Here,” he broke in, handing her the empty magazine. “Get Wesley home.”

“There’s no use arguing with you about this, is there?” Kara’s face looked pained with concern. He didn’t reply, and she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “All right. Please take care of yourself.”

He nodded. As Kara climbed into the 4 x 4 with a flash of long legs, he turned and jogged down the shadowy street towards the centro, where he could still see orange blazes licking at the sky. He scanned non-stop as he went, searching for Willow’s energy, praying with every second that passed that he’d suddenly feel it. Their fight seemed inconceivable now – something he’d done in another lifetime. Okay, she was close to Seb; maybe she was even attracted to him. So what? He himself was the one she was in love with, and he knew that. How could he have been so jealous, so stupid?