Jane was shoved left.

She tried to protest. Neither officer took any notice. She tried to struggle. They simply moved faster. Over everything – the shouting, the running footsteps, the screaming siren – she could hear the countdown.

Eighteen. Seventeen.

They crashed through a set of double doors, flattening themselves against the wall as five or six mechs from the Pod Bay raced past them going in the other direction.

Jane tried to shout for help and someone shoved a gloved hand over her mouth. She tried again to break free and they dealt with this by shoving her against the wall and leaning on her. She could barely breathe.

The stampede passed.

Thirteen. Twelve.

She was yanked off the wall. They ran her into a huge space. She was in the Pod Bay. Why? Were they going to leave her here to die of radiation sickness? Or to be blown apart in the explosion? A nasty and potentially embarrassing problem resolved the easy way. She wondered if Smith’s body would be similarly disposed of. Both of them killed in the same unfortunate accident. No one would ever know. Problem solved.

She tried to resist but they were stronger than she was. Everyone is stronger than me, she thought, struggling wildly.

With a thunderous boom that made the whole building jump, the blast doors slammed shut. She could hear similar booming noises all around the building. All the doors were being locked. No one could get out. Everyone in the building was already dead. It just hadn’t happened yet.

No one could get in, either. They’d brought her here to die. Did she care?

They slowed to a walk and halted outside a pod. The two officers pushed back their protective hoods and stood for a moment, chests heaving.

‘Hate these bloody suits,’ said Luke.

Matthew nodded, sweat running down his face.

She stared at them. What was happening?

‘Jane, you need to go,’ shouted Matthew over the sound of the klaxon. ‘Now. Before they find out.’

She stood rooted to the spot. Find out what? She looked wildly around, hardly able to believe what they’d done. ‘You’ve rigged a pod to blow? How could you do that? What were you thinking?’

Matthew shook his head. His hair was flattened against his head and dark with sweat. His golden eyes shone bright with excitement. ‘No, stupid. I rigged the computer to find a fault and sound the alarm and they’re going to work it out any minute now. If they haven’t already.’ He was pulling off his anti-radiation gear. Bundling it up, he tossed it into the pod.

‘Jane, get in the pod.’ Luke tried to push her through the door.

‘But . . .’

‘Just get in the bloody pod. Quickly. Before the doors come back up.’ He turned to Matthew. ‘Mate . . . are you going to be all right?’

Matthew nodded firmly. ‘Absolutely fine.’

Jane seized Luke’s arm. ‘What are you going to do?’