The Jaden Ben knew wasn’t the type to check into a hotel. He was a man who sought solitude and loved the wild places. Chances were that he’d be living rough in the hills somewhere close by. By Ben’s reckoning, if indeed Wolf made his way straight to Albarracín from London, travelling as discreetly and covertly as possible, he probably hadn’t been here much longer than a couple of days. Long enough to have picked a spot to make his camp, somewhere up there on the high ground overlooking the town. But not so long that he’d have got itchy feet and started drifting further afield. He had a sentimental attachment to this place that wouldn’t wear off so fast. He might even be planning on remaining here long-term. If he was here at all, then he’d be somewhere not far away, within easy range of Albarracín for the purposes of restocking provisions whenever he needed them.

That psychological profile worked for Ben. Now he refined it further, thinking that when Wolf first arrived here, he’d have hung around the town for at least a couple of hours or so, getting his bearings, maybe revisiting some of his old haunts from the long-ago visit that he’d talked so fondly about that night in Afghanistan. Ben recalled that he’d mentioned a young lady. What had she been called? Sofia. Easy to remember, because it was the most popular name for Hispanic parents to give their little girls. Wolf might have been interested in tracking her down. Might have asked around to find out if she was still living there.

The newly arrived Wolf would also have needed to eat. And so did Ben, before he passed out from energy depletion. He took the Browning from under his seat, loaded it and slipped it in his waistband, then locked up the Alpina and headed through the town on foot. It was a beautiful night, in a beautiful place, if only Ben had been in the mood to appreciate either. The older part of Albarracín dated back to medieval times, with narrow winding streets in places barely wide enough to drive a car through. He found a little restaurant that was still open late, went inside and took a corner window table with a view of the street, just in case his target happened to come wandering by. Ben ordered a steak and a whisky. No salad, no trimmings. Meat and alcohol were the things he needed. Rare and strong, in that order. He ate and drank fast and felt re-energised, relaxed and ready to go to work.