‘She talked about you, this guy she’d met years ago who had this seriously impressive past history doing all kinds of wild stuff. I mean, she never told us exactly what you did. I don’t know if she even knew the details. But it was clear that you used to be … how can I put this? Used to be involved in that world. A military person. An operator, if that’s the right word. A specialist at rescuing people, or something. I have no idea what I’m talking about. We couldn’t remember your name. But we were all brainstorming to come up with some kind of idea about what to do, and it was Marsha – that’s Marsha Ackerworth, our office manager – who thought to search Madison’s desk for her personal address book, and there it was, listed under B for ‘Ben’, with no surname and this number in Europe. So we agreed we’d call you. We didn’t know what else to do. And so here I am, Mr Hope. Sitting here with my colleagues in our office at three in the morning, after all these sleepless nights, praying that maybe there’s one person in the world who can do something to save our friend. Please. I beg you. We’re all begging you, from our hearts. Can you help us?’

Chapter 5

Linus Twigg’s stark plea for help was powerful and hit Ben very hard. The impact was harder still, when to an appalled silence at the other end of the line Ben made the only reply that he could. His words hurt him most of all.

‘You and your colleagues did the right thing calling me, Linus. I appreciate that you let me know what’s happening. But I can’t promise to be able to help. Because there frankly isn’t a lot that I can do.’

When Twigg spoke again, his voice sounded faint and almost incoherent with shock and emotion. ‘You were our last hope.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Ben said.

‘But I don’t understand. I thought that rescuing missing people, kidnap victims and such, was what you do for a living.’

‘Used to do,’ Ben said.

‘But Madison said you saved all these people. Children. Women. You went in and got them out. It sounded amazing.’