‘That aircraft will be taking off in an hour or so with two companies from 40 Royal Marine Commando on board. Two hundred men with the same fitness, skills and mindset as some US special forces. Destined for a period of intensive jungle warfare training. It’s a snap deployment apparently, designed to test our ability to put boots on the ground within twenty-four hours. But there’s another agenda hidden behind that innocent explanation. And this, Michael, for the avoidance of doubt, is the sensitive part.’

‘Go on. Nothing you say here is going any further.’

Cavendish looked at him. Nodded and continued. ‘The Guatemalans have fallen on hard times. And so, as countries often do these days, they’ve turned to the Chinese to help them.’

‘And Chinese assistance usually comes with strings.’

‘Exactly. In this case, future access to a port facility on the Pacific coast for visiting PLA warships. In return for which the Guatemalans have enlisted their new allies to help push for the return of Belize. And, intelligence suggests, to provide them with the sort of equipment that might enable them to bulldoze the Belize self-defence force out of the way. Light armour, mobile artillery and some spotting drones would probably be enough. All in China’s interests, of course. One in the eye for the UK, if their allies were to pull it off.’

‘And HMG doesn’t like the sound of that, I guess?’

Cavendish smiled humourlessly. ‘Lost influence tends not to play well with Johnny and Joanna Public. Who’ve had enough of government incompetence in the last few years to last them a lifetime. And so Sir Patrick has been despatched along with the marines. To make it very clear to the people of Belize, and thereby Guatemala, and of course China, that HMG will not stand for any such thing. The marines’ training area will be close enough to the border for them to react quickly to any incursion. And two more of those monsters…’ he gestured to the Voyager ‘…will be on stand-by to drop in the rest of the battalion. Plus some Special Boat Service operators to take the fight back into the enemy rear area. Along with a Globemaster or two full of the sort of kit that we tend to call force multipliers. Gun drones, area denial systems and the like. The PM is determined to make sure that a hands-off message is taken seriously.’

‘Hence Sir Patrick’s short-notice mission.’

‘Exactly.’

Mickey shook his head.

‘But that can’t be all there is to it. Or why are we having this cloak-and-dagger conversation in the car park?’

Cavendish nodded. ‘The wild card here is obviously China. And sending their former best friend to give them the good news isn’t without calculation on the PM’s part. But neither is it without risk.’

‘There’s a chance the Chinese will try to take him out?’