‘It’s not going anywhere, Jaden. It waited for you all this time. It’ll still be here when this is over. Then you can get on with your new life in peace. And I’ll go back to mine. The only thing that will have changed is that there are fewer bad guys in this world.’

‘That’s assuming I don’t get myself killed in the process.’

‘That consideration never stopped you in the past.’

‘I’m older and wiser now.’

Ben pointed over at the dead Spaniard. ‘I can tell, from the way you made all these new friends so soon after your arrival.’

‘Let’s say I agree,’ Wolf said, with a twinkle in his eye as Ben’s plan slowly, visibly began to grow on him. ‘Taking this fight to the enemy means we’d need to slip back into Britain undetected. Risky. They have eyes everywhere.’

‘Which I assume is the reason you’re travelling under the name Jack Cullen. I’m guessing that isn’t one of the fake IDs that your former employers supplied you with.’

‘Aren’t you the clever one. And you are?’

‘Paul Harris.’

‘So where’s Ben Hope?’

‘Looking for you,’ Ben said. ‘Where exactly, is anyone’s guess.’

‘Great minds think alike. Pleased to meet you, Mr Harris.’

‘But if we’re going to do this,’ Ben said, ‘then we need to get moving right now. Every minute that goes by is another minute that these people have a gun pointed at Grace’s head. Are you with me or not?’

Wolf broke into a grin. ‘You always were a persuasive bastard.’

‘Your answer, Jaden. Yes or no?’

‘What the fuck. I’m in. So what’s the plan?’

Ben said, ‘First thing, we need to make sure that you’re dead.’

Chapter 19

Long before Ben and Wolf had started making their plans, back at Le Val Jeff and Tuesday had been thrashing out a strategy of their own. After retreating to their quarters to snatch whatever sleep their worries would allow, they’d reconvened in the farmhouse to resume their conversation over mugs of strong black coffee. By the time the morning sun was peeking above the woodlands surrounding Le Val, the pair were close to deciding that their only option was to get involved and help their friend in his time of obvious trouble.

‘The only question is, get involved how?’ Tuesday had asked, not for the first time during their long conversation. ‘He specifically told us to butt out. What if we made some wrong move without realising it, and went and screwed everything up?’

‘Then we’ll just have to be bloody careful, then, won’t we?’ Jeff said. ‘I can’t sit by and twiddle my thumbs. If you haven’t got your mate’s back in a tight spot, what does that make you?’