Bowman looked up as the officer in the red beret strolled over. He was hard-faced and big all over, like an athlete gone to seed, thick fat layered on top of hard muscle. Small round pupils peeked out from beneath his low drooping eyelids. His lips were curled upwards into a permanent sneer. He had the same tribal markings on his cheeks as the bodyguards in London, Bowman noticed.

The man offered a meaty paw.

‘Major Julius Mavinda, commanding officer of the Marafeni airport garrison.’

Mallet shook his hand. ‘John Mallet. This is my colleague, Josh Bowman. We’ve been sent here to safeguard the president’s family and key members of the national government.’

They were in a powerful hurry to get to the family. There was no time to waste shooting the breeze with the Karatandan major and his vicious-looking soldiers.

Mavinda nodded. ‘We’ve received our orders. My men are ready to accompany you to the palace. I’ll be leading the escort personally. But we must proceed with caution. Considering the latest news.’

Bowman caught a glimmer of anxiety in the major’s eyes.

‘What news?’ he asked.

Mavinda nodded at a soldier operating a radio set across the tent. ‘We’ve had multiple reports of gunfire.’

A cold feeling prickled the back of Bowman’s neck.

‘Where?’ he asked.

‘Many places,’ Mavinda replied. ‘An army barracks fifty miles south of here. A police station in Akbeni, in the west. An armoury in the same area.’

Mallet said, ‘Did they give any more details?’

Mavinda scratched his jaw. ‘All we have been told is that there are reports of possible disturbances in other parts of the country. It looks like the KUF paramilitary forces are responsible. General Kakuba’s men.’

‘That’s it? Nothing else?’

Mavinda shrugged. ‘That’s all I know.’

‘When did you hear this?’

‘An hour ago.’

‘What about the capital?’

‘I don’t know. We have tried to contact the other bases and police stations, but no one is answering.’

‘Shit,’ Bowman said under his breath. ‘It’s started.’

Mallet inhaled sharply. ‘How long will it take to get to the capital, Major?’

‘Forty minutes, if we take the most direct route.’

Bowman glanced at his G-Shock: 23.12 hours. If we leave now, we’ll reach the palace just before midnight.

‘We’ll have to get moving at once,’ Mallet said. ‘Major, you’ll need to get us to the palace as fast as possible.’

Mavinda gave a hesitant nod.

‘We will follow our orders, of course. It will be a great honour to help protect the family of President Seguma. But we must be careful. There is a chance we will run into the Machete Boys along the way.’

‘Who the fuck are they?’ said Bowman.