Mia felt his back. ‘You’re chilled to the bone!’

She helped him peel off his soaked clothes, wrapped him in a blanket, and vigorously rubbed warmth into his frozen limbs.

‘Bet the bastards had no hot food for you, either,’ Douglas growled. ‘Here, laddie, get this into you.’

It was a precious bar of chocolate. Nash was too famished to ask where it had come from, and wolfed it down. Infused with ginger and chilli, its sweet heat helped revive him enough to explain that with the sinkhole floor awash, the Indonesians would not risk getting the gold out until first light.

‘This may well be our last night, and I couldn’t get hold of a diversion.’

‘Is this diversion enough for you?’

Nash gasped as the cold steel of the MP40 was pressed into his hands.

‘Jesus, Frank. How the hell did you get hold of this . . .?’ He broke off as he realised Douglas must have got it during the briefing.

‘It was under Boerman’s cot,’ Douglas chuckled. ‘I couldn’t manage the M60, but this thing is cleaned, loaded and ready to go.’

‘What if he finds it gone?’

Nash had a vision of all hell breaking loose at any moment.

‘Then we make our stand. But I suspect he’s as buggered as you. So, I say we make our move first thing in the morning, when the main squad starts breakfast. I’ll take down the two jokers outside, you two grab their weapons, and together we fill that mess tent full of lead.’

Nash bit his lip. The whole thing sounded like a fantasy.

‘Wouldn’t it be less risky to take them by surprise? Why not tonight, while they’re sleeping?’

Douglas shook his head. ‘They’re spread out over four separate tents. By the time we deal with one, they’ll be coming at us from three sides. No, we need them bunched. And it will be daylight, which will help me find my way around the cockpit.’

‘Can you really fly that gunship?’ asked Mia.

‘Trust me, kid, I can fly anything.’

It was essential they be able to fire the Kopassus weapons, and Douglas painstakingly explained how to cock a Brügger & Thomet MP9 submachine gun, manage its crossbar safety, and go with short bursts at the body, no matter what setting the fire selector was on when they picked it up. Nash was amazed by his knowledge.

‘How the hell do you know all this, Frank?’

He laughed briefly. ‘Hanging around with mercenaries, there are only two topics of conversation.’

Mia had gone very quiet, and Nash asked her what was wrong.

‘I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I can do this. And if I get it wrong, we’re all dead.’ Her voice was shaking.