She came to stand next to Ollie and cleared her throat for attention. ‘All right now, Theo, Albert, listen to me. We don’t have much time and there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind before we leave. Remember, we’re going to be breaking curfew the moment we step out of the building, which means if they spot us, they will kill us. Now, we’re going to take a route that will hopefully help us avoid patrols, but stay alert in any case. Stick close to Ollie and me, stay quiet and hopefully we’ll all get through this in one piece. All right?’

‘All right,’ Albert said, his heart pounding wildly. This was like something out of one of those adventure movies, the kind that came with an info blurb that said, ‘A band of intrepid explorers step bravely into the unknown, not knowing what they’ll find there, only that there’s no turning back,’ or some such drivel. Then he remembered that, in the movies, most members of the expedition usually died on the way and his heart beat even faster.

June waited for Theo to nod as well, then went on. ‘Good. Remember, one false move—by any of us—and we could all get killed. Ollie is leading our little group and the first rule, the only rule, is that we all obey whatever he says without argument, at all times. Is that understood?’

‘Yes,’ Albert said.

‘Is that understood, Theo?’

‘Wait a sec, here!’ said Theo. ‘What if he’s tellin’ us to do something that’s wrong—like y’know? Like what if he asks us to—’

‘I said, without argument. Is that understood, Theo?’

‘Yes,’ she said, but she looked more than a trifle sulky.

‘Good. Let’s go, then.’

Silently, they made their way out the door. Ollie reaching back to swing it shut behind them. ‘So far, so good,’ he said, then chuckled. June shot him a furious look and dug her elbow sharply into his side, which only served to broaden his grin.

In single file, Ollie in front, June at the rear, they made their way down the belt, to the main door of the building, where they stood at the threshold, the shadows enveloping them.

Ollie turned to Albert. ‘This is where the fun starts. Larry party due any moment.’

Albert looked at him blankly.

‘Oh, you know. Lawbot patrol. Should be one along right about now so we’ll just stay here for now, inside the building till they get past.’