Bloom looked at Jameson. He was standing close. He’d heard the question. When he nodded, she turned the speaker on and passed the phone to him.

‘Hello?’ His greeting was flat and cool.

‘Marcus, my lovely. How are you? Have you solved this little mystery yet?’

‘Are you in a plane?’

‘Clever little bunny, aren’t you?’

‘Where did you leave Harry?’

‘Well, that’s irrelevant because he won’t be there any more.’

‘So he’s alive?’

‘Oh, Marcus. I wouldn’t hurt your little friend. I liked him actually. He reminded me of you. Another squidgy little action man.’

Bloom saw Jameson take a long, deep breath.

‘I expect he’ll pop up in the next day or so in one of two locations. So don’t you worry.’

Jameson chewed his lip then said loud enough for Grey to hear, ‘So in the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours he can get to either a British Embassy or a UN military facility?’

‘Oh, I forget how quick you are.’

Jameson held his hand over the phone and said to Grey, ‘Check the flight manifests from local airports. Find any charter planes or private jets that flew to Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, in the past twenty-four hours.’

‘Consider it done,’ said Captain Morrisey.

Jameson closed his eyes and squared his shoulders. He took his hand away from the microphone. ‘It’s an impressive operation,’ he said. ‘A kidnap covered by a terrorist attack, two teams competing to help or hinder Harry. I take it you have some deeper purpose.’

‘Marcus, Marcus. You’re too kind. I would love to take the credit for all of this, but my deeper purpose is a little more, how shall I put it … sophisticated than bombs and guns. Now, you all take care. I shall see you soon, no doubt.’

‘Not if I see you first,’ Jameson said as he handed the phone back to Bloom.

‘Why do you think Harry’s in sub-Saharan Africa?’ said Karene.

‘Because she said it would take him a day or more to get to an embassy and threatening to cut off people’s hands sort of goes with that territory.’

‘How did you know they threatened to do that?’ said Bloom.

He pointed at Sophie. ‘First thing she said to her mum.’

The group headed inside where they were given tea and a selection of sandwiches and cakes. Jake and Sophie demolished the cakes but Bloom noticed Karene ate nothing. Captain Morrisey joined them to say a private jet had taken off from Southampton airport at eight p.m. on Friday evening and its submitted flight plan was to an airstrip in Bakouma in the Central African Republic. ‘I’ve spoken to the Army at the UN hospital in South Sudan to see if we can get some air support to the area. I’m assuming if your contact said Harry can get to an embassy in twenty-four hours he’ll be in a vehicle.’