The drone stood sentry overhead as Lauren and Bruce sped off across country. Ryan and James made more gentle starts, so as not to terrify their greenhorn pillion passengers.

‘Tovah,’ James said, shielding his view to avoid a final look at the teenager. ‘We’re heading out. Bruce said one Mercedes got away, so they could have radioed for help. What can you see?’

‘Nothing so far,’ Tovah said. ‘Drone only has two minutes’ fuel. I’m about to crash it into the control building.’

James hoped the cuffed electrician would have had sense enough to start walking before the drone crashed. Riding with Sachs’ bulk was hell. His weight made the back wheel slam down on every bump. James had calculated that the 5km ride back to the supermarket would average 30kph and take around ten minutes, but even half that speed was making the bike unstable and Ryan was having the same problem with Yuen.

Back at the supermarket, Tovah made final checks on the planes, while Kyle laid out explosive charges, so that Islamic State didn’t get hold of high-tech equipment that was too heavy to fly home. As he laid a charge under the makeshift control desk they’d built using crates and a door, he noticed something on one of the local surveillance cameras.

‘Shit,’ Kyle shouted. ‘Tovah, get over here.’

‘I’m rechecking the wing pressures,’ she said irritably. ‘What’s the problem?’

‘Dust trails,’ Kyle said as he zoomed a surveillance image. ‘Looks like a pick-up truck with a big gun on the back and a couple of cars.’

Tovah ran so fast that she skidded and almost turned her ankle. ‘How the hell can they know we’re here?’ she yelled.

‘Maybe someone saw the bikes leave,’ Kyle suggested. ‘Or heard Bruce’s shot.’

‘Doesn’t matter how,’ Tovah said, as she picked up her assault rifle, then pulled a radio off her belt to speak to the four riders on their com units. ‘We’ve got incoming,’ she warned. ‘Get here as fast as you can and don’t be surprised if you have to shoot at something when you do.’

38. CLUSTER

Two pick-ups headed towards the mall from the east. A Toyota, closing at speed with six guys bouncing in the back, and a Mitsubishi double cab, with five plus driver inside and a 20mm anti-aircraft cannon welded into the rear compartment. From the west the bulletproof M-Class Mercedes threw up a trail of dust, with a white van right behind.

‘Planes are ready to roll,’ Tovah told Kyle, as she stood inside the supermarket stuffing things into her backpack. ‘I’m gonna hold these dudes off. You run communication, OK?’

‘Right,’ Kyle said, as Tovah swapped her headset for an in-ear com unit, snatched her assault rifle and dashed through the remains of plateglass windows.