Turning his head from left to right, Luke could just see the bindings that lashed his wrists to a metal cage holding the silver canisters with their aerosol nozzles and their timers. He was in about the most dangerous place on the planet.

‘Bet you wished you’d stayed at home now.’ The voice came from somewhere he couldn’t see. It was familiar. He’d heard it before. But, still dizzy from the blow, he couldn’t place it at first.

Hugo Squires walked slowly round until he was in Luke’s field of vision. He pulled up a chair, turned it around and sat on it, resting his arms on the back, regarding Luke with a contemptuous sneer. He was still wearing his waxed green jacket with the baggy pockets. It looked utterly out of place in this functional warehouse with its vile contents and its sociopathic occupants.

‘Fucked up royally, didn’t you, Carlton?’ he said. ‘You thought you could stop this thing single-handed, did you?’ He shook his head slowly. ‘Always got to play the hero, haven’t you? Mr Bloody SAS or whatever Boy’s Own outfit it was you were in. Don’t you think Elise has had enough of all that nonsense, hmm? Don’t you think she got tired of you running off to play Action Man and leaving her on her own the whole time?’ Luke stayed silent, just eyed him coldly, without emotion.

Squires got up from his chair and walked over to where Luke was pinioned to the cage. He grabbed Luke’s jaw and yanked it to one side. A large piece of synthetic flesh came away in his hand, part of the work done by the plastics team in the Stage earlier that day.

‘Pathetic,’ he said, flinging the lump of gelatine prosthetic make-up on to the floor. ‘What sort of half-arsed disguise was that supposed to be?’ He held up his hand. ‘You know what? Don’t even bother telling me. Because these people know exactly who you are now that I’ve told them.’

Luke stayed silent, waiting for the right opportunity. He reckoned he still had one ace up his sleeve and he would only get one chance to play it.

‘You work for MI6,’ Squires continued, ‘or should I say the Secret Intelligence Service?’ He spoke the words slowly and with sarcasm. ‘Well, it’s not so secret now, is it?’ He gave out a short, bitter laugh. ‘They had you tagged in Vilnius. You had a lucky escape there. Still, you’re here now and the others will want to get started on you soon.’

‘All right, Squires, let’s cut the bullshit,’ Luke said.

‘Ooh, fighting talk! From the man who’s about to be in a whole world of pain.’