‘What else could I do? I didn’t exactly have a pair of handcuffs in my bleedin’ pocket, now did I?’

I smiled in the darkness at his turn of phrase.

‘You do know that Asquith has a gun?’ I said.

‘Tell me about it. Had my ear right up against the wood when he let it off. Nearly bleedin’ deafened me. And I thought you were a goner.’

‘So did I. But now what? Did you call the cops?’

‘Certainly did.’

‘So why aren’t they here?’

It felt as if I’d been hunted through these ruins for hours, but it was probably only about five or ten minutes since I’d escaped from the storeroom in the wooden building.

‘I think I made the mistake of tellin’ them there’s a man shootin’ off a bleedin’ gun. To hurry them up, like, but that backfired. They said that they would then have to wait to get their firearms team out. I just hope they’re not comin’ all the way from London.’

So did I.

Suddenly there was more angry shouting from inside the keep.

‘Anton, where the hell are you? I need you here.’

‘He’ll soon realise that Valance isn’t coming,’ I said. ‘What do you think he’ll do then?’

‘God knows,’ Chico replied. ‘The man’s totally unhinged.’

‘I completely agree. That’s why I think it’s time to get out of here and leave him to the police firearms team.’

‘No way,’ Chico said adamantly. ‘Me and you need to nail this bastard ourselves—right here and right now.’

He sounded just like Gary Bremner on that first Sunday I’d come north to Middleham to see him—and look what had happened to him.

‘How exactly do you think we can do that?’ I asked. ‘And before the two goons come back. Valance called them.’

‘All the more reason to finish it now,’ Chico said. ‘I don’t want to leave here and run straight into them on the way out. You distract Asquith and I’ll do the rest.’

Fine, but I didn’t fancy distracting him by giving him the chance of loosing off another shot at me. Third time, I might not be so lucky.

‘Give me the flashlight then.’

I took it in my left hand as my right was beginning to not work properly. I grimaced and sighed.

‘Are you all right?’ Chico whispered.

‘Not really,’ I whispered back. ‘I’ve been shot.’

‘My God! Where?’

‘In the hand. But I’ll survive.’

‘Which hand?’

‘The old one.’

‘Is that good or bad?’

‘Good, I suppose. At least, it will heal. The other one might not have.’

‘You okay to go on?’

‘Yeah, I’m fine, but is this really a sensible idea to go after Asquith just on our own?’