By the time they did that, their journey had taken them back up onto higher ground. Their resting place for the night was a shady arched hollow, almost a cave, carved out smooth by some prehistoric river at the foot of a gigantic rock formation that reminded Ben of those he’d seen in Australia. Confident that they’d managed to put a large distance between themselves and their pursuers, who might by now have given up the chase, they dug out a simple but effective pit fire and ate another meal from their now dwindling supply of tinned food. Holt spread out the map he’d been studying on and off all day, and told the group that by his calculation they’d reach the location of the orphanage sometime tomorrow afternoon.

‘Come what may,’ Liebowitz said.

‘Will there be fighting?’ Ramin asked nervously.

‘Whatever we find when we get there,’ Holt said, ‘we’re committed now. We’re seeing it through to the end. Ramin, Aziz, Madison, Father B, you guys want to split, you’re welcome to make that choice and good luck to you.’

‘I’m staying with Ben,’ Madison said, and clutched Ben’s arm.

‘And I’m staying with Madison,’ said Aziz.

‘Amen to that,’ Father Bugnolio chimed in. Ramin didn’t seem so enthusiastic, but he was outvoted and said nothing.

After dark, everyone found a place to sleep among the rocks. Ben was tired, and drifting off the moment he put his head down. It was three in the morning when he felt a touch and was instantly alert, the Browning Hi-Power in his hand.

‘Shh. Relax, it’s only me,’ said her warm voice in the darkness. He could dimly make out the gleam of her eyes, very close by.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

‘Nothing,’ she whispered, a smile in her voice. ‘I was cold. Couldn’t sleep. Do you mind?’

‘Not at all,’ he whispered back, though he wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to as she slipped under his blanket and pressed herself up beside him with her hand on his chest.

‘Ben?’ she murmured.

‘Hmm?’

‘I never really thanked you for what you did. Probably seem ungrateful, I guess, but I’m not good at expressing gratitude. It’s a fault. I’m working on it.’

‘What did I do?’

‘What kind of dumbass question is that? Coming to save me, that’s what. Nobody else in the world would have done something like that for me.’

‘Except Rigby.’

‘But he’s gone now. Which means you’re the most special thing I have left.’

He replied softly, ‘You don’t know me, Madison. I’m not that special.’

‘Yes, you are,’ she murmured, and he felt the warm sweetness of her breath on his face as she moved closer still.

Then she went rigid. ‘Did you hear that?’