‘You’ve had it, son,’ Ben told him in Arabic. ‘There’s nothing anyone can do for you. But you can make it right by telling me where Nazim is.’

The young guy’s eyes rolled in fear and confusion. He pointed a bloody hand towards the main building. Whether it was the effect of the drug scrambling his mind or he was genuinely contrite in the face of impending death, Ben neither knew nor cared. Then the young guy’s body convulsed and a geyser of dark blood spouted from his mouth. After a violent seizure, he was dead. Ben turned away. Jeff, Tuesday and Roth were looking at him with grim faces, waiting for his lead.

Roth said, ‘You can’t know Nazim’s in there.’

Ben replied. ‘I aim to find out. But first we have the others to deal with. Split up. Two teams. Tuesday, you go with Roth. Jeff, you and me. Keep in radio contact.’

Tuesday and the American set off at a fast trot towards the complex of reservoirs where three dead terrorists had been heading. Ben and Jeff hugged the side of the building, working their way around. Ben was favouring his pistol over the MP9 that hung behind his back on its sling. Jeff muttered, ‘So, this Roth guy. What’s his role in all of this?’

‘That’s a good question, Jeff. I haven’t quite figured that one out myself yet.’

The front of the building was still burning fiercely. The wind had changed and was blowing the smoke their way, making the air acrid and bitter. Ben could no longer see Tuesday or Roth. He and Jeff stalked along a few steps apart on bent knees with weapons up and ready, constantly covering one another’s movements, eyes flashing left and right for the slightest glimpse of the enemy, totally focused, each man utterly confident in the other.

It was the lull before the storm. Nothing could root you more fully and consciously in the present moment than the knowledge that, any time now, conflict and violence were about to explode all around you. Whatever negative truths were spoken about the stress of combat, it was the time when true warriors felt most alive.

It was as he and Jeff were scouting the rear of the building that Ben thought he sensed a movement on the edge of his vision, and turned quickly to look. Nerves could play tricks on you, but he hadn’t imagined it.

Figures flitting past a window.

Heading for a fire exit door.

The door beginning to open.

Ben and Jeff ran to take up position. And then the door swung open the rest of the way, and the lull before the storm was over.