Shaw and his team covered their eyes with crooked left arms raised to their faces. The central arch was pounded by a series of muffled cracks that they felt through their booted feet. Explosions that would be ear-splitting on the other side of the door. Accompanied by the release of three high-intensity flares. Lighting the room on the other side of the door like the brightest floodlight.

Lines of what looked like sunlight strobed through the bullet holes into the lobby’s gloom. The flares burning for no more than a second. But bright enough to momentarily blind anyone with their eyes open.

Jenny pushed the door open and went through it shooting. Crisp three-round bursts rapping out. Each putting a triple hit of high-velocity ammunition into a fresh target. Knocking down Joe’s soldiers as they struggled off their beds. She went left and crouched. Clearing the door and minimising herself as a target for return fire.

Darren came through the door behind her and went right. Added his firepower to the scourge raking across the hapless Castagna gang members. Turning the central arch into a deadly shooting gallery. Each gang member attempting to rise from their camp bed being engaged and put down. The two shooters stood and stepped in. Still firing. Shooting into the supine bodies to deal with anyone faking it.

Shaw and Rick followed up. The team leader tossing another stun grenade into the open tunnel that led into the left-hand arch. Waited for the ear-splitting bang and then hurried into the next section with fast but cautious steps. His MP7 raised and ready.

Rick aimed his weapon at the sealed doorway leading into the right-hand arch. Ready to fire if it opened. A final rap-rap-rap hammered three bullets into the last of the guards. The stricken gang member slumped back onto the camp bed he’d just risen from. The mechanism collapsed under his slumping weight and dumped him on the concrete floor.

Sprawled and silent or writhing in their death throes, every man who’d been set to guard the arch was down. At least half of them already dead, to judge from their contorted immobility. The two shooters simultaneously shouted ‘mag change’ and reloaded. Empty magazines into waiting pouches, so as to leave no evidence.

Jenny went into overwatch on the strewn bodies of the gang members. Darren turned to cover the door into the right-hand arch. Twenty seconds into the assault.

‘Clear!’ Shaw, coming back through the tunnel into the left-hand arch. His weapon unfired. He pointed to the door into the right-hand arch. ‘Breach!’

Rick reached around to a pouch nestled against his back. Pulling out a fifty-centimetre-wide shallowly domed disk and slapping it onto the door. Placing it next to the lock.

‘Fire in the hole!’

60