‘Jessica, please, you have to calm—’

Hale’s words were cut short by what sounded like the two beats of a jackhammer. A sound he had heard before.

He wasted no time, placing Jessica onto the kitchen floor and ordering her to stay down. Then he hurried into the small living room at the front of the house.

The two officers were already on their feet as Hale slid open the door that separated the kitchen from the living room. Both looked confused.

‘What was that sound?’ asked the first. The smaller of the two.

‘Suppressed pistol fire.’ There was no doubt in Hale’s mind as he strode across the room, careful to avoid opening a direct line of sight between himself and the large window that looked out onto the street. The net curtain that hung across it helped, obscuring the view from one side of the window to the other.

The room’s other occupants were less sure of themselves. They remained fixed to the spot. Standing in the centre of the living room. If someone was outside and ready to fire, both would already be dead. The fact they were not allowed Hale some comfort.

‘A suppressed pistol?’ the older officer asked.

‘It means a silencer,’ said Hale, unsure if the comment had been a question. He reached the window, keeping his back tight to the wall, and glanced through the thinnest gap between glass and curtain. Just for an instant. ‘Shit. I can’t see from here.’

‘A silencer? Then how did we hear it?’ The younger officer this time. His voice fearful. Hale had not noticed until now just how inexperienced this guy obviously was.

‘Jesus Christ, what is this? A ballistics lesson?’ Hale snapped impatiently. ‘You heard it because silencers are bullshit. They don’t work. Now get that out of your head and get it back on the job. Got that?’

‘Yes, sir,’ the older, obviously more experienced officer replied. ‘What do you need?’

‘I need you to get into the kitchen, secure the girl and call this in. We need back-up – armed back-up – and we need it now.’

‘Sir.’

‘And keep your eye on the front and back doors at all times. Keep out of sight of both of them, and of any windows. We have to assume Hirst is here, so stay away from any point where he could get a bead on you from outside.’

‘Shit.’

‘Exactly.’

Hale moved to the foot of the staircase, just feet from the front door, and gripped the lowest banister.

‘I need to get a glimpse of the car out front. Those two sounds were shots, which means we’ve probably lost two guys already. The fact they’re not banging on the front door right now makes that almost certain. But I need to see, so I need to get upstairs for a better view.’

Hale took the first three steps in one stride. The next two in another. He was upstairs within moments.

The layout of the small house was simple enough. At the top of the stairs was a bedroom that looked to the rear. Next to that a bathroom. And finally a second bedroom that looked outwards onto the street. Which was where Hale needed to be.