‘Why aren’t you escorting the family back to the city once the coup has been crushed?’ asked Casey. ‘Why wait here with them?’

‘Orders from the top.’ Thriepland swept a hand through his magnificent hair. ‘The president doesn’t want his family to return to the palace in its current state. I gather there was some heavy fighting there last night.’

‘More like a massacre,’ Mallet said.

Thriepland shrugged. ‘Either way, the president has instructed his family to wait here until his aides and household staff have given the palace a thorough cleaning. He wants it spick and span for their return, apparently.’

Webb laughed weakly. ‘Well, at least they don’t want to rough it.’

Thriepland didn’t look amused.

‘You’ll be leaving soon, I imagine?’ he asked.

Mallet said, ‘That depends on Six. I’ll have to make some calls. We might need to be on-site for a while.’

‘As you wish.’ Thriepland straightened his back. ‘In the meantime, help yourselves to a brew and some food. I suggest you get one of the medics to clean that shoulder up,’ he added to Casey.

Dundas jammed his thick thumbs into his belt and rolled his tongue around his gums.

‘What do you want to do with those prisoners?’ he asked Gregory. ‘They’re your responsibility, not ours.’

‘Colonel Lubowa and I will take care of them.’ Gregory pointed out the head of the Presidential Guard. ‘They’ll be dealt with,’ he added.

‘We’ll need a body bag for Tiny,’ said Mallet. ‘He’s coming home with us.’

‘Of course,’ Thriepland replied. ‘I’ll see to it.’

He moved off, Dundas stalking him and barking orders at the men. Mallet walked away to put in a call to the Voice. Casey went in search of a medic. Gregory beat a path over to Colonel Lubowa. The latter had mustered the handful of surviving men from the Presidential Guard and Mavinda’s platoon. Now they began herding the rebel prisoners towards the back of the stronghold under Gregory’s watchful gaze.

‘What’ll happen to them, do you think?’ Webb asked Bowman as they watched the last of the prisoners disappear from sight.

‘They tried to overthrow the government, mate. The president’s hardly going to let them off with a slap on the wrist.’

‘You think he’ll execute them?’

Bowman considered, then shook his head. ‘Mike would never sanction it. They’ll probably interrogate the ringleaders, then chuck the lot of them in prison.’

‘That’s as good as a death sentence over here anyway,’ said Webb.

A while later, Mallet came back and gathered the team round.

He said, ‘I’ve heard back from Vauxhall. They’re arranging transportation for us now. We’ll be leaving on the same Herc these lads came in on.’

‘When?’ asked Casey.

‘Soon. A few hours. We’re still waiting for clearance. Once we’ve got the green light, I’ll let you know.’