‘Is that why you kept these photos from me? So I wouldn’t see my parents in military uniform? So I wouldn’t get the idea of joining the army like them?’

Hector inhaled deeply. He nodded.

‘But that didn’t work, did it? Because it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do!’ Furious, Max held up the box. ‘And what would my dad say,’ he demanded, ‘if he was here and he knew I wanted to join the Special Forces Cadets?’

The question hung in the air. For a moment, Max thought Hector wasn’t going to answer. But the older man closed his eyes again. He drew another deep breath before opening them.

‘He would back you every step of the way.’

‘Well, then. If he would do it, why can’t you?’

There was a long, heavy silence. Hector looked like a man in torment.

‘We have a saying in the military,’ he said quietly, at last. ‘Train hard, fight easy. It means that the tougher the training, the more likely you are to stay alive on operations. If you stay, you and your team will train harder than any Special Forces Cadets have ever trained. I will be your worst nightmare. I will push you to the limit. Then I’ll push you further. There will be days when you’ll hate me, and this place, more than you could ever imagine. Your life here will not be easy. It will be mentally tough and physically brutal. You will get no thanks and no praise. That’s the only way I can be sure that you will survive. Because, believe me, what happened today – that was a walk in the park.’ He stared out of the window. ‘It’s up to you, Max,’ he said. ‘It’s your choice.’

Outside, Angel was handing Lukas a small box. Lukas opened it and removed something Max couldn’t see. Woody gave Angel another box and she stood in front of Sami, saying something, before making the next presentation. Max sprinted to the door. But before he left, he looked back. ‘Hector,’ he said, ‘thank you.’

Hector didn’t answer.

Max hurtled down the stairs, taking three steps at a time. He sprinted across the hall and past the photograph of his dad. As he burst out of the front door of Valley House he saw another helicopter setting down at the landing zone, but he didn’t stop to see who it was carrying. Instead, he hurtled around the side of the house to the parade ground. Angel was handing Abby her box. She and Woody watched with surprise as Max ran up to them and took his place in the line.

‘Give me one of those,’ he said.

Angel hesitated. Then she looked up at the first-floor window. The cadets turned to look too. Hector was there, broad-shouldered and grim-faced. For a moment he didn’t move. But then, very slowly, he nodded.