‘Now listen to me and listen good,’ said Leather Coat. ‘We’re going to walk you outside and put you in the back of a van. If you try to run I’ll shoot you in the leg and put you in the van. If you shout or even say anything I’ll shoot you in the leg and put you in the van. So however this pans out, you’re all going in the van. And if I do have to shoot you, we won’t be swinging by Casualty.’

The four hooded men were herded outside and one by one pushed into the van. They lay on their backs as the rear doors slammed and the van drove off. An hour later they reached their destination and the rear doors were opened.

‘Right, out,’ shouted Leather Coat. The two men in ski masks bundled the four hooded men out and pulled off their hoods. They were standing in an empty metal-sided factory unit, the oil-stained concrete floor suggesting that it had once been home to heavy machinery.

Leather Coat held up a small stainless-steel box the size of a packet of cigarettes. There were three aerials of varying lengths sticking out of the top and a small red light glowed on the side.

‘Anyone know what this is?’ Leather Coat asked.

‘It’s a mobile phone jammer,’ said Maguire.

‘Well done you,’ said Leather Coat. ‘You’re not just a pretty face. Just so you know, this has been on for the last thirty minutes and so it’s been blocking all mobile phone transmissions. If any of you are hoping that you’re being tracked through the GPS in your phones, you can think again.’

‘No one’s tracking us and anyway our phones have been off all day,’ said Maguire. ‘They have to be off while we’re around the bomb.’

‘The cops have phones that transmit sound and position even when they’re powered off,’ said Leather Coat.

‘What are you talking about?’ asked Maguire. ‘Who are you?’

‘I’m the man asking the questions here, that’s who I am.’

‘A name would be nice.’

‘Yeah, well, a night in bed with Angelina Jolie would be nice, but that ain’t gonna happen. You’re Maguire, right? The so-called brains of this outfit?’

Maguire nodded. ‘What the hell’s going on? Who are you? Are you cops?’

The man chuckled. ‘You think we’re fucking cops? If we were fucking cops we’d be in here with Hecklers and bullet-proof vests and a helicopter overhead.’ He gestured with his gun. ‘Down on your knees. All of you.’

The men did as they were told.

The two men in ski masks went through the pockets of the men and placed their wallets and mobile phones on the ground in front of them.

Leather Coat placed his phone jammer on the ground, and then straightened up.