They said goodbye to their base camp and made their way down the dark hillside to meet the idling helicopter. Some of the children were terrified of the enormous machine while others, with the resilience of youth, were jumping with excitement even after the horrors of the day. As the fighter jets circled overhead on the lookout for potential trouble, RAF personnel helped load the children aboard the Chinook’s huge passenger bay. Scraggs was placed on a stretcher and given paramedic care, while the bodies of the dead were stowed in the cargo area with as much ceremony as time allowed – considering that they were intruding on forbidden territory and risking sparking off a serious international flap just by their presence here.

The last items to be loaded aboard were Madison’s treasure casket and the bundle containing the Greek soldier’s armour, both of which drew a lot of curious looks from the Chinook crew. Thankfully, Ben had drawn the line at bringing the Greek’s skeletal remains along for the ride as well, much to Madison’s disappointment.

‘Well, that’s your retirement fund sorted, anyhow,’ Wolf said to her, as they lashed her valuables securely in the cargo hold.

‘Nothing of the kind,’ she retorted. ‘This stuff is going straight to a museum.’

‘Right,’ Wolf said knowingly. ‘That’s how your dad got so rich.’

‘I resent that accusation. I wouldn’t dream of keeping any of it for myself.’ Then a sly smile slowly spread on her lips. ‘Except maybe just a couple of tiny trinkets that they’ll never miss.’

‘Keepsakes of your Afghan holiday,’ Wolf said.

‘I’d suggest a nice Mediterranean cruise next time,’ said Ben.

‘Except then you won’t come and rescue me.’

‘I don’t know about that,’ he replied. ‘I could do with a holiday.’

‘Hey,’ she said. ‘There’s always San Diego.’

Ben was last to board the Chinook as it prepared for take-off. Halfway up the tailgate ramp he turned and looked to the west, to see the distant lone figure of the horse and rider perched on the crest of the escarpment, a billion glittering stars in the background.

Ben didn’t know if Khan Zada could see him from so far away, but he raised a hand in a wave. As though in reply, the stallion reared up on its hind legs, magnificently silhouetted against the night sky. Then the warlord wheeled his horse around and was gone.

Some hours later they landed in Abu Dhabi, where an envoy from the US Embassy had been dispatched to collect the bodies from the aircraft and arrange for their journey home. For what it was worth, Ben had already decided to write to each of the families in person, expressing his condolences and telling them how their loved ones had died bravely doing the right thing. Would that make their loss any easier to bear? He didn’t know.