‘Perhaps one day it will be,’ Ben replied, understanding the unspoken meaning behind his friend’s words.

Wolf grunted, ‘Yeah. Maybe one day the whole world will be. When all the people are gone. And something tells me we might not have to wait too long for that to happen.’

He didn’t speak again for the rest of the watch. Late in the night, Ben left him to his own devices, curled up in his makeshift bed among the rocks and tried in vain to get some sleep. Tomorrow they would reach Zakara.

Chapter 25

Six hours’ rest and they were away once more. This time Holt took the wheel of the Humvee, Wolf up front and Ben alone in the back with his thoughts. Holt was in a hurry, tearing aggressively onwards, maintaining their north-westerly course as closely as the rugged terrain would allow. On these non-existent roads the vehicle was lurching and pounding wildly over every boulder and rut. Ben was getting thrown about in the back, along with all their kit, but he barely noticed the rough ride. The restless anxiety that had kept him awake all night only nagged him more intensely as the hours went by. He kept seeing Madison’s face in his mind, the way she’d looked that cold, damp night in Belgrade when they’d first met.