‘Yes.’ There was a hint of trepidation in his voice. The major gave him a wary look. ‘You know him?’

‘He’s a good friend of mine,’ said Bowman.

‘Where did they go?’ Mallet interrupted. ‘Ask him, Major.’

The guard was drifting out of consciousness now. He muttered something inaudible. Mavinda told him to repeat it. The man mustered one last reserve of strength, lifted his dimming eyes to the major.

‘Rogandu,’ he said. ‘Rogandu.’

His head dropped. His breathing faded to a faint murmur.

Mallet turned to the major. ‘What’s this Rogandi gaff your man is talking about?’

‘Rogandu,’ Mavinda corrected. ‘It’s a small village. The most eastern district in the country.’

‘Why would the family leg it there?’

‘There’s a private estate near the village. A few miles to the north. One of Mr Seguma’s friends built the place. It was intended as a gift to the president.’

Bowman said, ‘Who’s the friend?’

‘A Canadian. Mr Camby. He’s responsible for all public transportation in Karatandu. A very lucrative position. He paid for the mansion in Rogandu, but it really belongs to Mr Seguma.’

‘Must be good mates,’ Mallet noted. ‘Not everyone has a friend who builds them a fucking palace for free.’

‘Mr Camby owes his fortune to his friendship with Mr Seguma. It’s in his interest to keep the president happy.’

‘Is that where we’ll find his wife and kids?’

Mavinda thought for a moment. ‘Makes sense. Rogandu is isolated, far from the capital. Mr Seguma hasn’t stayed there for several years. They say the place has fallen into disrepair these days. I can’t think of a better place to hide.’

‘It’s a lot safer than staying in the city,’ said Loader. ‘What with the Machete Boys running around chopping people up.’

‘How far is it from here?’ asked Webb.

‘A hundred and fifty miles. Four hours, if you stick to the main road. Less, if you take the short cuts.’

Mallet said, ‘Will the rebels know about this place?’

‘Everyone knows about Rogandu. It is the worst-kept secret in the country.’

‘In that case, we can assume the enemy will be heading for the mansion soon,’ Casey said.

‘Then we’re fucked.’ Loader threw up his hands. ‘They’ve got a head start on us. Even if we leave now, we’ll be lagging behind. They’ll get to the residence before us.’

Mallet shook his head firmly. ‘There’s a chance we can get there first.’

Loader threw him a doubtful look. ‘How’d you figure that, John?’

‘The president owns a load of other residences around the country. The rebels will assume the family has fled to one of those other homes. They’ll be busy searching them all. That should buy us time to get to the jungle estate before them.’

‘You might be wrong,’ said Casey.