‘This place is surrounded by a chain-link fence,’ said Gregory. ‘It’s not in the best condition. There are gaps in it. He must have snuck through one of them.’

‘He left us!’ the sister-in-law shouted between her pained sobs. She pointed an accusatory finger at Bowman. ‘He wasn’t here! He should have stopped that man!’

Mallet stared at him, the blood draining from his face. ‘Where the fuck were you, Josh?’

‘The bathroom,’ Bowman replied falteringly. ‘I . . . I was gone for a minute. Not even that.’

‘I don’t give a fuck if it was ten seconds. You shouldn’t have left them alone.’

‘I didn’t know . . . ’ Bowman choked up. ‘I thought it was safe.’

‘You thought fucking wrong.’

‘I thought you men are supposed to be professional,’ Lubowa said.

‘We are,’ Mallet snapped back. He glowered at Bowman. ‘Most of us.’

Bowman gripped the rifle so hard he thought it might break apart in his hands. A father and his young daughter had been killed. His own fault. He’d fucked up once before, fifteen years ago. Back then, his mistake had cost the lives of his own family. Sophie. Amy. Now he had the blood of two more innocents on his hands.

You should have been protecting them, the voice at the back of his head told him. Watching for threats.

Instead, you were shoving drugs up your nose.

And now two people are dead.

‘Get some men out there,’ Mallet ordered Colonel Lubowa. He gestured towards the grounds overlooked by the terrace at the rear of the estate. ‘Cover the treeline before any other fucker gets the same idea. If they see anything moving that’s not friendly, drop it.’

Lubowa shot Bowman a scolding look before he hastened back down the corridor.

‘You two.’ Mallet addressed Casey and Webb. ‘Back to work. Get those defences in shape.’

Once they had left the room, he swivelled his gaze round to Loader.

‘Did you find a safe room for the rest of the family?’

He nodded quickly. ‘The wine cellar. They’ll be safe down there, John. Only one way in or out. Strongest point of the house.’

‘Take this lot down there now,’ Mallet said, indicating the family. ‘Tell the colonel to stick one of his guards in the cellar with them. Make sure he understands not to leave them under any circumstances. Tell him not to answer the door until the fighting is over.’

‘What about the girl? The president’s brother?’

‘Get them out of this room. I don’t care where. Just get them out of here.’

‘This means trouble.’ Loader sucked in a deep breath. ‘The Machete Boys will know where to find us now. They’ll figure it out, once they realise their mate ain’t coming back.’

‘Not just them,’ said Gregory.

Casey looked up at him. ‘What do you mean?’