Then he said, ‘Want to know what I’m really thinking? I’m thinking if it had to be any of us I’m glad it was Fred. I didn’t want it to be Geordie, and I certainly didn’t want it to be me. But, most of all, I didn’t want it to be you. Fred was divorced. No kids, that he knew of. I can live with breaking the news to his mum, but I didnae want to have to break the news to your missus, and your children.’

McMullen looked away, momentarily embarrassed.

‘It’s been some fucking night, eh?’ said Carr. ‘And we’re not clear yet, mate. So stay focused, else there might be more of us in bags before the day’s out.’

‘Yeah,’ said McMullen, suddenly sparking into life. ‘Fair one.’

‘We need a brew and some scoff,’ said Carr. ‘You sort some out for us two, and relieve Geordie when you’re finished. He can sort himself and the birds out. I’m going to send a SITREP, and see about getting us a taxi.’

As McMullen moved away and started busying himself with the stove, Carr began setting up the VSAT and connecting the laptop.

While the dish was locating its satellite, he typed out his encrypted message.

He kept it brief.

‘JACKPOT,’ he wrote. ‘Current location Lat: 28°26’09.6”N Long: 15°58’21.1”E. Successful rescue of both hostages. Safe and well good physical condition. Contact broken. Multiple enemy forces KIA. 1 x friendly force KIA Paul West. 1 x friendly WIA – unknown male claims SIS source require confirmation. Will not be able to action original exfil plan. Must speak to Justin Nicholls urgently. Have alternative exfil plan will require clearance at highest level. Will open voice comms in figures 30 from this transmission.’

He sent the message, and looked at his watch.

Just before 05:30hrs local, so 04:30hrs in London.

Somewhere, probably on the third floor of the MI6 building at Vauxhall, he knew some geek would be sitting glued to a screen, waiting for exactly this message.

The geek replied in a little under three minutes.

‘Confirm receipt of transmission. Voice communication schedule confirmed for 06:00hrs local time Libya. Please confirm all possible details claimed SIS source.’

Carr scratched his head.

He took out the satphone, checked the power and the signal – both were good – and placed it on the bonnet of his vehicle, the antenna vertical.

What name had the guy given to him, back there in the palm plantation?

He had an excellent memory for that sort of thing – honed by undercover work with the Det and the Regiment, in Northern Ireland and elsewhere – and he’d thought he recognised the name as soon as the guy had said it.

But in the heat of battle, there hadn’t been time to think about it further, and he’d moved on to the next job.

Now he sat back in his pickup seat, searching his memory.