‘I won’t get myself killed. And it makes sense because we all know that if there’s a hope in hell of finding Theo in those tunnels, it’s Marcus. If there’s anyone who can tell us something, give us some sort of clue, it’s him.’

‘You must be high! You’re out of your mind! You think you can just waltz in and have a chat with a man in the Pit, one-two-three?’

‘No.’

‘He’s in the Pit, Albert! The Pit! You do realize that just talking to him now is a crime?’

‘If that’s how it is.’

‘You really think you can do this?’

‘I’m going to try.’

‘You can’t be serious about—’

‘I am serious. Dead serious.’

‘Then soon you’ll just be dead! Or end up in the Pit along with him!’

Albert looked at him. ‘I’m going to do it, Colby.’

‘You mean that?’

‘Yes.’

Colby looked gravely at him. ‘Then you should know that as a captain of the force, it is my duty to apprehend you and take you in right now.’

Albert continued to gaze steadily at him. ‘Will you?’

Colby held his eye for a moment, then looked away. ‘No,’ he said quietly.

‘’E’s crazy,’ insisted Kieran, refusing to move on from the real issue at hand. He looked at Albert, raising his big hands up, blue eyes open wide.

‘Anyway, yer ain’t authorized. Ain’t no way you ever gonna make it in.’

‘Or out,’ supplied Joe.

‘And anyway, say as yer get in, and get ter him, all ’e’ll do is kill yer himself!’

‘Aye,’ said Joe. ‘The moment he gets out. With his bare hands.’

‘Unless ’e’s already dead!’

‘One of you will be. Or both.’

‘Look, Albert, this is madness,’ said Colby. ‘You have no idea of what the Pit is like; you have no idea of the layout, or how many men guard it; in fact, I’m sure you don’t even know where it is!’

Albert said nothing.

‘Well? Do you?’

‘Do I what?’

‘Do you even know where it is?’

‘Well—’

‘Ha! I thought not!’

‘I’ll figure it out.’

Colby laughed. ‘Oh really? And what about the rest of it, Mr Strategic Genius? The getting in and out? Will you figure that out too?’

‘Yes.’

Colby frowned at him. ‘You do realize that nobody’s going to help you with this damn-fool scheme? You’re on your own.’

‘Yes.’

‘There is no way you will ever pull this off.’