‘Isn’t that what we all were, back in the day? We never really knew the truth behind all the dirty little wars we risked our necks for all those years. Money, oil, political double-dealings, whatever the inside track was. Half the time we were as much in the dark about the reality of it as the people back home reading the censored version in their newspapers. It wasn’t our job to ask why. We just went where they sent us and did what we were told.’

Ben knew that was true. It was the moral dilemma that had eventually caused him to quit his military career and seek to use his skills in better ways. ‘We’ve all done things we’re not proud of,’ he said.

‘Yeah, well, that’s just how things are,’ Wolf said. ‘I had the skills. They had the cash. A lot of cash. I was tired of the army, looking for a new gig and I took the job. Seemed like a good idea at the time.’

‘So that’s what it was all about, the money?’

‘I got around to thinking that if I was going to put my arse on the line every day, I wanted to get properly paid for it.’

Ben was saddened that Wolf had stooped to becoming a killer for hire. But that was one of the realities of their world. Men with little to no experience of the civilian world, who’d received years of expert training in the art of death and knew how to do nothing else, often found it hard to adapt to a normal life. For many, who over the years had become hardened and cynical towards the value of human life, the money was just too much temptation.

‘How long did you do it for?’

‘Too long,’ Wolf said.

‘Sounds like you weren’t happy in your work.’

‘You don’t do a job like that because you enjoy it. Sometimes it really gets to you. I had rules. One golden rule above all. No women, no kids. I had to trust that the scumbags I took out were the bad guys. But I had my doubts. Serious doubts, more and more. I started wanting out years ago. But the jobs kept coming, and I kept thinking, just one more and I’m done. I just kept putting the money by and looking forward to the day that I’d eventually walk away.’

‘And then that day came,’ Ben said. ‘What made you finally decide to make the break?’

Wolf was silent for a beat, then replied, ‘Some things are just too fucking crazy, that’s what.’ He looked uncomfortable and didn’t seem to want to say more. ‘So what’s your story?’

‘I’ve been in business for myself for a long time,’ Ben said.

‘Doing what? Working contracts on guys like me?’