He was focused on that, and on getting to Geordie and Fred, and then moving beyond them and through the gaping, smoking hole where the gates had been, and he almost missed the silhouette which appeared from the corner of the building.

But he didn’t miss the muzzle flash, and he heard the crack and whine of the rounds as they passed over and behind him.

Still on the run, he pulled the butt of his weapon into his side, giving him a stable position, and began firing one-handed towards the shooter.

The fourth round found the man in the groin, and he fell to the ground, out of the game.

Up ahead, Carr was ten metres out from Fred.

‘Coming in from the right, coming in from the right,’ he shouted, knowing that Fred would be aware of the movement coming from the servants’ quarters, needing him to know that it was friendlies.

A moment later, Carr dropped down, just to the right and rear of Fred, who was continuing to put rounds into the villa.

‘Get down, get down,’ shouted Carr, at Charlotte.

She did as instructed, just as Kev McMullen appeared and unceremoniously dropped Martha on the ground.

‘Magazine!’ he shouted, quickly changing his magazine for a full one, and beginning to fire at the building to support Fred and Geordie.

‘You okay, guys?’ Carr shouted, over the noise.

‘Aye, man,’ shouted Geordie. ‘But less fucking chatter, and let’s get the fuck out of here.’

‘Nearly there,’ said Carr. ‘Just a bit longer. I need to take their vehicles out. Put some fire down.’

With that he stood up and started running back towards the three pickups.

Charlotte went to rise with him, but Fred West grabbed her arm.

‘Stay where you are,’ he yelled. ‘He’ll be back.’

Carr ran to the middle vehicle, blew out the side window with three rounds, and removed the pin on a phosphorous grenade.

‘Fire in the hole,’ he shouted, dropping the grenade into the cab and sprinting back towards the team.

In a matter of seconds, the enormous heat from the phosphorous was igniting the vehicle, and those next to it.

Back with the team, Carr took a knee.

‘Geordie, Fred,’ he shouted. ‘See you on the other side of the gate.’

Neither responded – they were concentrating on getting as many rounds down as possible to keep any remaining fighters on the back foot.

Carr grabbed Charlotte Morgan by the wrist and led the way.

He could hear the odd round being fired from the villa, but it was half-hearted and ineffective.

He struggled to keep a grin off his face: it was over in there, he knew it.

They had fucking done it.

They were not quite home and dry, yet, but they had fucking done it.

Seconds later, all four were outside the gate.

‘Kev,’ said Carr. ‘You take the girls and fuck off into the palm trees. Go firm just inside.’