One was enough. Matthew swallowed, coughed, coughed again and finally lifted his head to look about him. Around them, the Time Police were herding the illegals into groups. They knelt awkwardly on the rough ground, hands behind their heads.

‘Anyone else hurt?’ enquired Matthew.

Anders shook his head. ‘Rossi twisted an ankle when he fell and there’s a few scrapes and bruises, otherwise nothing serious. You?’

‘I’m fine now,’ he said, handing the flask back again. ‘You should go and help somewhere. I’ll wait here with the major.’

‘No, they seem to have everything under control. Always stay out of the way if not needed. I’ll wait with the major, too.’ He paused and then said, not quite grudgingly, ‘Good work with the string. Slowed them long enough for us to run them down.’

Matthew nodded. Only now was his heart rate beginning to slow to something acceptable. He leaned over to talk to the medic. ‘How is he?’

‘Through and through,’ said the medtec, spraying the wound. ‘Painful and messy but not serious.’

‘I had a girlfriend like that once,’ said Anders, stowing his flask.

North appeared, her visor raised. ‘How is he?’

‘I’m fine,’ said Matthew, bravely.

‘I meant the major.’

Matthew blushed in the dark.

‘Flesh wound,’ reported the medtec, getting stiffly to his feet. ‘It’s going to hurt like hell for quite a while. I’ve given him something for the pain. Safe to move him.’

They all bent over Ellis. Matthew moved further back, out of the way and into the shadow of a big rock. Now that everything was over with and he was safe, his legs had chosen this moment to turn to rubber. He leaned back against the rough surface. The residual warmth was comforting. His heart was still thumping like a hammer. He tried to relax.

He later described it to himself as a waking dream.

At the corner of his eye – where the dark things lurk – always just out of view but not out of reach – something moved. Something big and black. The rock was no longer warm. A cold feeling crept over him. Something watched them from the dark. He pulled his visor down, turning his head back and forth. Searching . . . because there was something . . . he knew there was something . . .

‘What’s that?’ he said, straightening up and peering into the dark.

‘Where?’ said Anders, immediately alert. ‘What can you see?’

They all stared. No one said anything. Anders pulled out his proximity meter. ‘There’s nothing there,’ he said, eventually.

‘There was,’ said Matthew, defiantly. ‘I saw something.’

‘No, you didn’t,’ said Anders. ‘You imagined something. Understandable. It’s been a hectic twenty minutes.’

‘No, it’s not. I definitely saw . . .’

‘And I’m telling you, there’s nothing there. No one’s seeing anything but you. I understand if you’re shit-scared, but just sit down and stay quiet. There are officers here trying to do a job.’