‘Yes. You did. Well, I’m sorry for your loss.’ Maybe she could use this. Convince the young man his colleague had been killed by his own people to keep him quiet. Would that work? Possibly. It was worth a shot. ‘You know the police think he was shot with his own gun.’

‘Do they?’ said Karene. ‘I thought they shot each other?’

Bloom ignored her. ‘He didn’t shoot himself. The shot came from too far away, but the bullet was fired by his own gun. Two shots from one gun. Two dead men. And neither committed suicide. How does that happen, do you think?’

‘Someone else fired the gun?’ said Karene.

Bloom gave a sympathetic smile to the young soldier. ‘What do you think? Might he have done something wrong, or questioned what he was asked to do? Or had he outlived his usefulness?’

The young man glanced at her and then refocused his eyes dead ahead.

‘Captain Harry Peterson is a decorated military leader,’ she continued. ‘He’s very highly regarded. The disappearance of his family will not be taken lightly. They’ll look for anyone involved and they won’t stop.’

The soldier squared his shoulders in defiance. ‘We have nothing to fear from your soldiers.’

‘You may think that. But the British Forces aren’t beyond taking out a whole community if they need to, to retaliate against one of their own being injured.’ Bloom felt Karene look her way and hoped she wasn’t showing any disbelief or judgement. For this to work, the boy needed to believe her. ‘What if your leaders need insurance that no one will find out what they’ve done to us?’

‘I’m a loyal servant.’

‘I’m sure you are. But if your colleague was shot by his own gun, maybe your biggest threat doesn’t come from us, maybe it comes from those who don’t want you to say what you’ve seen.’

The man’s eyes narrowed.

‘Do they trust you? Does George? The man he’s speaking to? Do you trust them?’

When the young man did not respond, she said, ‘It might be in your interest that we live as long as possible. Because once you’ve dispatched us, that gun you’re holding might well be turned against you.’

George came back in the room and the young soldier stood taller.

‘What are you doing?’ said Karene under her breath.

‘Oldest trick in the book. Divide and conquer.’

The foot soldier left the apartment, giving George his gun.

‘Get up,’ said George. ‘All of you. Now. We’re leaving.’

78