‘This is where we hack ’em up and dispose of the bits,’ Fred said loudly, which Ben supposed was for the prisoner’s benefit. The shed walls were sheet steel and the floor was compacted earth. They shoved him over to a wheel-less truck chassis that had been slowly returning to iron ore for a very long time, and tethered him to it using lengths of rusty chain, of which copious quantities lay about. Fred directed a bright work lamp to shine into his face. Ben tore away the tape, removing most of his eyebrows in the process. Jafari yelped and blinked in the dazzling light.

‘He’s not going anywhere,’ Fred said, eyeing him like a hungry grizzly bear eyes a fat, juicy Montana elk hunter.

‘W-who are you fucking people?’ Jafari stammered in French.

Ben replied to him in Arabic, so that Fred wouldn’t be privy to their conversation. ‘Doesn’t matter who we are. All that matters is what we’re going to do to you if you don’t start talking to us. You hurt a lot of people tonight, so don’t be expecting too much mercy.’

Roth had found a large ball peen hammer to play with and was slapping it against the palm of his hand. His Arabic was even more fluent and less accented than Ben’s. ‘Now, you murdering little scumbag. I’m gonna start with your fingers, then your toes. Then I’m gonna beat your brains out. Squishing terrorists is my specialty.’

Hearing the two white foreigners speaking his country’s official language made Jafari flinch, because he knew full well what the implications were.

‘This doesn’t have to be hard,’ Ben told him. ‘All you have to do is tell us where we’ll find Nazim al-Kassar. Then you can take your chances with the police, who I can promise you will be a lot nicer to you than my sadistic friend here.’

From the look in his eyes it was instantly obvious that Jafari recognised the name very well. ‘I know who you are,’ he said defiantly. ‘Government fucking agents. British, American, who gives a shit? You want to catch Nazim, but he’s too smart for you. Nobody can catch him, inshallah! Nazim will fuck you all.’

Roth looked at Ben. ‘Sounds like this guy has a real attitude problem.’

Jafari spat. ‘You Yankee assholes are all the same. You think you’re so smart. Look around you, smart man. Jihad is already victorious against the dying civilisation of Europe. Soon all of its people will be Muslim or live under our rule as dhimmis, our slaves. Nothing can stop that. And then the filth of America will be next. We’ll overthrow your US government through jihad and the dominion of Sharia will cover all the world. Allahu Akbar!’