Mickey couldn’t help admiring the armoured monsters, despite their pig ugliness. Five layered glass and polycarbonate windows. Bulletproof, and proper heavy-calibre bulletproof to boot. Five-inch-thick composite armour. Like a tank. Layered steel, titanium and ceramic plate. Bombproof, rocket-proof, and pretty much invulnerable. At least for as long as it would take the pair of Apache gunships, currently waiting on hot standby on Horse Guards, to get overhead. Once the convoy got moving there’d be a president in one of the brutish limos. The man Mickey and his colleagues were sworn to protect, in defence of the realm.

Behind the Beasts was a Prot Land Rover Discovery. Rampage Bronze Command’s mount. The woman with the unenviable tactical responsibility for the convoy package. Her eyes on the prize at all time. Followed by a pair of Toyota Land Cruisers, already crewed. Both vehicles four up, SCO19’s Counter-Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers. Taking the place of the Secret Service’s Hawkeye Renegade quasi-special forces team in the order of march.

Mickey was still amused by the fact that the Americans, clearly unable to choose between two names, had decided to go with both. Whereas the CTSFOs gloried in no code names whatsoever, if you didn’t count their unit designation. Kitted out in grey special forces uniform, their eyes just visible over face masks. Oozing fast-rope cool. Deliberately, of course. Each with a 5.56mm SIG MCX assault rifle. Capable of full-auto if needed. Their participation being the Met’s way of telling the Secret Service “we got this”. Mickey suspecting that the Secret Service’s gun club wouldn’t spare them a glance, in the event of a threat.

Behind SCO19’s Toyotas were a pair of BMWs. Each four up with Harriers. The Met’s potential response to any civil disorder issues. Non-lethal intervention a speciality. Big coppers, with muscles on their muscles and plenty of attitude. Trained to defuse any situation not involving the use of weapons. Picked for their physique and ability to intimidate. Whereas the counter-terrorist boys were selected for their ability to make fast decisions and take fast shots accurately. Brains, and the shooter’s trained eye, over brawn being their version of the truth.

Counter Terrorism and the Harriers didn’t enjoy the closest of relationships on the back of that dichotomy. Harrier officers prone to implying that their CT counterparts were at less than their physical peak. At which point CT usually replied with references to knuckle dragging. Much glowering and disdain resulting, on operations.

And behind all that muscle was a Mercedes people mover containing four more Prot officers, one of them Mickey. Just in case. The convoy topped off with three minivans of support staff and favoured members of the press. Plus a full-on ambulance with combat experienced medics. A Special Escort Group Rangie brought up the rear to keep traffic at a distance.