‘I say screw him,’ Wolf said. ‘That’s what he gets for leading us on a wild goose chase. Even made us take our shoes off, like a couple of idiots.’

But Ben was wondering what harm it could do. Either way, they’d still be leaving here empty-handed.

He said, ‘Fuck it, Jaden. We’ve got nothing to lose by showing it to him. Let him have sleepless nights for the rest of his life, if that’s what he really wants.’

‘I like the sound of that,’ Wolf said, flashing a savage golden grin. ‘All right then, Shelton. The password is “Sofia”. With an F. Go for it. Knock yourself out.’

Shelton let out a yelp of relief and keyed in the letters. He snuggled deeper into his sofa and gaped in fascination at the screen as the video file began to play. Ben and Wolf didn’t move from their chairs. Neither of them wanted to see it, ever again.

‘This is amazing,’ Shelton gasped. ‘Camera crews have managed to penetrate Bohemian Grove and captured footage of the occult ceremonies there, but nothing like this. How the hell did you ever find this place?’

‘Serendipity,’ Wolf said.

‘Where is it?’

‘A little pad called Karswell Hall, tucked away in the Surrey countryside,’ Ben told him. ‘Keep watching.’

‘Oh, don’t you worry, I intend to.’

Moments passed. They could follow the unfolding spectacle of the ritual just from watching the expression on Shelton’s face. His eyes grew wider and wider, and his mouth fell open. Finding the words to speak, he managed to blurt out, ‘It’s unbelievable. Nobody on the outside has ever seen this.’

‘Technically speaking, you’re the third,’ Ben said.

Soon after, Shelton seemed to have stopped breathing. When the blond-haired sacrificial victim in the white dress was brought out and tethered up to the foot of the statue of Thoth, sweat began to bead on his brow and trickle down his temples. In a mixture of horror and fascination he couldn’t tear his eyes from the screen. ‘This is really happening. They’re really going to do it, aren’t they? Aren’t they?’

‘You wanted to watch, arsehole,’ Wolf said. ‘So watch. I hope it makes you chuck up all over your fat gut.’

Shelton flinched and almost dropped the phone, and Ben knew that he’d reached the point in the playback where the High Priest with the goat horns had plunged in his dagger.

‘Oh, my God. Oh. Oh.’

‘Enjoy that?’ Wolf snarled.

‘It’s a little different when you’re seeing it for real,’ Ben said.

But Shelton hadn’t finished watching yet. He said, ‘Wait a minute. Let me see that again.’

Wolf asked in disgust, ‘What, once isn’t enough for you?’