She nodded. ‘But he wouldn’t have put everyone at risk for it, the way I did.’ She turned to him, and for the first time he could see the doubt and fear in her eyes. She asked earnestly, ‘Do you think we’ll ever make it home again, Ben?’

‘Whatever happens,’ he said, ‘we’ll face it together.’

‘That’s no kind of answer.’

‘It’s the only one I can give you.’

She slipped a hand into his and pressed closer to him, her head against his shoulder. ‘I’m so damn sorry you risked yourself for my worthless ass,’ she said, ‘and I’m even sorrier if I went and got us both killed for it. But I’m glad you’re with me. If that makes any sense.’

Ben replied, ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way. And nobody’s going to get killed. You least of all.’

‘You say that, but it’s not what you’re thinking, Ben.’

‘You can tell what I’m thinking?’

‘Some things,’ she replied. ‘Not everything.’

They stood for a while longer, neither speaking, still hand in hand, each of them listening to the plaintive murmur of the wind. He sensed she wanted to say more to him, but felt uncomfortable doing it. That made him uncomfortable too, because he was aware of a strong desire to wrap his arm around her shoulders, draw her even closer and kiss her. He couldn’t help but feel that would be betraying Abbie Logan. Even though he knew that Abbie was in the past now and there was nothing to betray, and she’d laugh at him for thinking it.

With an effort, he put both himself and Madison out of their misery by saying, ‘We should go back inside and get some sleep.’

‘Yeah,’ she sighed, reluctant. ‘We should.’ She squeezed his hand, then let it go, and they walked back in silence to rejoin the others. The mood was sombre. In one corner Aziz and Ramin were talking low, almost a whisper. Father Bugnolio was reading his Bible in the dying firelight. Wolf and Baldacci were quietly cleaning and oiling the gleaming black weapon components that they’d field stripped and laid out on a blanket. Holt and Nielsen were off somewhere in the night, taking the first watch.

Every muscle in Ben’s body was aching after the long journey here, and he felt low in spirits and incredibly tired as he found a dark corner of the building away from the rest to sleep in for a few hours until he took over the watch from Holt. Madison settled close by, wrapping herself up in a sleeping bag.