Everyone descended from the lorry, leaving the hostage helplessly bound and gagged in the trailer alone. The fourteen men gathered on the vehicle’s blind side, where they were blocked from view of the office building and security hut. They faced east towards Mecca and prostrated themselves on the ground to utter their final heartfelt prayers. There was no turning back now. They had no expectations of leaving this place alive, and they didn’t care. Their faces were filled with pride at the prospect of being chosen for this glorious moment.

Nazim reached into a little backpack he’d brought from Paris, and took out a tattered ISIL battle flag. It was the very same one he had carried with him all through the war, back in the day. It had seen a lot of action. He hung the black banner from the side of the lorry behind the praying men, set up his phone to video record and propped it on the ground a few metres away to film them.

When the prayers were over, making sure he was in the camera shot, he addressed them. ‘Brothers, the moment you have all prepared for all your lives has now come. I know that you will fight bravely for glory against our enemies. This is likely to be our last stand, as the police will soon send an army to surround us and there will be no escape. Be assured that if we are slain in the Way of Allah, He will never let our deeds be lost.’

One of the younger men began to cry as lip-trembling pride gave way to emotion. They clapped his back and hugged and comforted him and said, ‘Jafar, my brother, don’t be afraid. When you are scared, think of Allah.’ Jafar wiped his tears and replied, ‘I’m only scared that I won’t succeed in doing my part in our victory.’

Nazim then picked up the phone and pointed it towards himself, with the black flag of Jihad nicely framed in the background. He jutted out his chin and said fiercely into the camera, ‘I am a soldier of the Islamic State, a slave of Allah, and these are my last words.’

For the next minute or so, he calmly described what they were about to do. On behalf of the Islamic Ummah worldwide he took responsibility for the imminent deaths of all the infidels soon to be slaughtered. ‘This is our sacred duty and the wish of Allah. For He is all-wise and most merciful. Allahu Akbar!’

Nazim saved the video and emailed it to his contacts who would know how to plaster it all over the internet after the glorious attack was over, perfectly timed to set the world media on fire. Then the West would know exactly who had done this to them, and be afraid.