Karene went to protest again but Bloom caught her eye and shook her head. This was good. Jake was drawing the young man into conversation and that would only serve to make them more real and thus harder to kill.

‘There were many different ones.’

‘Which is your favourite?’

‘The AK is cool.’

‘So you’ve used one? That’s awesome.’

‘This isn’t one of your stupid video games, Jake,’ said Sophie. Her tears had dried and she was sitting upright again.

Jake looked at the soldier and laughed a little as he said, disparagingly, ‘Girls.’

The foot soldier laughed too and then set his expression back to serious.

Bloom watched the interaction with interest. ‘Is this your first time in the UK?’ she said seizing the opportunity to keep the man talking.

He frowned but made a small nodding motion.

‘Where’s home for you?’

His frown deepened.

‘I’ve travelled all over Africa. There are so many beautiful places to see. Whereabouts did you grow up?’

‘A village in South Sudan.’

‘Are your parents still there?’

The man shrugged, unwilling or unable to answer. Bloom knew young boys were sometimes taken from their families by resistance movements and turned into soldiers. Learning to shoot at nine years old would certainly fit.

‘It must be hard not seeing your mother and father.’ She was still convinced this soldier wasn’t yet out of his teens. ‘So you can understand how Jake and Sophie here must feel?’

The soldier blinked at the wall behind her. If he’d been a child soldier, he’d have been brainwashed with whatever doctrine the men who took him peddled. It was unlikely she’d be able to influence such ingrained thinking. Their only hope was that he might come to see them as real people rather than the enemy.

86

Abdul was speaking to Jacob Bello, Antony’s uncle, on the phone. They were still in the garden and Seraphine wanted to know what was happening inside but she also needed to hear this.

‘It’s not good news, Sir.’ Abdul’s reverence was impressive. ‘He’s had the captain brought here and the children taken captive.’ Abdul listened to Jacob’s response. ‘I’m afraid he’s already hurt the children.’ Abdul paused and then continued. ‘He plans to torture him until he gets what he wants, but the man has no memory of the last four years due to the explosion I told you about, so this can only end one way.’ Abdul stood perfectly still as he spoke. ‘I’m concerned that the implications of this may be severe for you, Sir. The British do not negotiate with those whom they deem to be terrorists and they certainly do not let them sit at the same table.’

Seraphine checked her watch. Antony Bello had been alone with Harry for over six minutes. She needed to get back in there.