Light speckled her vision and Tilly felt herself fading into blackness. She had to make one last effort before it was too late. Matt seemed to have forgotten the knife, which he had laid aside in order to wind the jack. She had no idea where it was, and neither the time nor strength to find it. Instead, she put everything she had left in her into a blind kick aimed at her captor’s legs and by the sheerest fluke connected with his broken knee.

Matt screamed and jerked backwards, rolling off her. His body shrank into a fetal curl as Tilly tore the strangling rope loose and threw herself violently out from beneath the vehicle, smacking her head in the process. She scarcely felt the pain as she scrambled to her feet and was caught in Connor’s grasp. His arms tightened around her, his hand frantically smoothing her back. ‘Oh God, Tilly! Are you okay?’

‘Yes . . . no. Gerry’s dead. Matt killed him. And Luke’s hurt – back in the cave. I couldn’t—’ She felt hysteria closing in and drew a great lungful of air in an effort to calm the trembling of her limbs. Pushing back from his clasp, she said, ‘We have to get help to him, Connor. He—’

‘Yes, and we will. But first . . .’ He bent and grabbed Matt’s boot, dragging him from under the vehicle.

‘He’s got a knife,’ Tilly remembered, ‘and I bashed his other knee – it’s broken. He phoned his mates. They were going to meet him at the end of the road.’ Matt snarled and aimed a punch at Connor, which he avoided before rolling Matt deftly onto his face and, using the choke cord Tilly had cast off, securing his hands.

‘Where this knife then?’

‘There!’ The torchlight showed a glint of steel. Connor secured it, then played the light over the back of the vehicle.

‘Room for him in there?’

‘It’s full of cages, birds, maybe reptiles too. Shouldn’t we let them go?’

He shook his head. ‘They’re evidence. You said he phoned.’

She explained about the satellite phone. ‘It’s under the driver’s seat. We’ve got to ring Sophie, tell her about Luke. He might’ve come round, but he’ll have concussion at the very least. She can reach him faster than we can.’

‘I’ll see to it. But first . . .’ Lifting the end of the rope he’d used to tie up Matt, he took a couple of turns about the Land Rover’s tow-ball and knotted it securely. ‘That should do it.’

‘Bastard copper! You think you’re so smart, but I was onto you from the start.’