‘James,’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘You are a clever boy. You found me. Well done. You have brought me Amy. Thank you.’

Amy turned on James, suddenly angry. Had he betrayed her? Had he tricked her into coming here?

James took hold of her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, praying that she would trust him.

He looked down at the machine gun, lying in the bottom of the boat. Zoltan saw it too. ‘If you try to use that, I’m afraid I will have to kill you,’ he said, drawing his Beretta from his tunic. He jerked the gun sideways, indicating that the two of them should come out of the boat and join him.

Maybe that would convince Amy that he was on her side.

As they crossed the platform James noticed a tangle of wires disappearing into a hole in the rocks. Tree-Trunk was crouching down in the shadows uncoiling more wire from a big spool of cable.

‘What are you doing?’ said James, his voice echoing in the cave.

‘Please. Don’t try to stop me,’ said Zoltan. ‘I have to do this.’

‘You’re going to blow up the rock?’

‘I will wipe out Carnifex and his whole pathetic empire,’ said Zoltan.

‘You mustn’t,’ said James. ‘You can’t. Think of the people who will die. Innocent people.’

‘Innocent? Who? They are all dogs and pigs. They are scum. I will be doing the world a favour.’

‘But what about your own men down there?’

‘They are all probably dead already,’ said Zoltan with a shrug. ‘They were outnumbered. They were merely a diversion. I can find more men.’

James tried to protest, but the big Samoan swept him up in one strong arm. He swept Amy up with his other arm and held them both as fast as if they were shackled in iron.

‘Bring them with us,’ said Zoltan.

‘No!’ James shouted. ‘Please don’t do this.’

‘It is too late,’ said Zoltan quietly. ‘It is done.’

Zoltan took up the cable spool and unwound it behind him as the three of them clanged up the steps. James struggled in Tree-Trunk’s effortless grip but it was no use.

They emerged into sunshine above the lake and climbed further up the mountainside until they came to a concrete viewing platform where a detonator had already been set up.

Zoltan sat down heavily. He was worn out from this small exertion and was breathing painfully. He fastened the ends of the wires to two brass connectors on the top of the detonator with trembling hands, cursing his clumsiness. He was evidently very sick now and had to stop to wipe away the sweat that was dripping down his face and blinding him.

James and Amy watched in horrified fascination as he turned the crank on the side of the box to charge the battery, then put a hand to the switch.