They sat on the horn, trying to carve through the rubbernecking employees, who were converging after Murad had driven through the middle of them. They finally made it onto the street, looked left and right and, spotting the Iveco van to the east, followed it onto the D907. The route was busy and de Payns hung on to the pillion position as Shrek swerved the big Yamaha through traffic at one hundred and forty kilometres an hour, ensuring they didn’t lose the van. Contrary to the American movies, Paris was actually no place for spectacular car chases. There was too much traffic and too many small cross streets. The best hope was to be on a motorbike and keep visual contact. This wasn’t an unusual pursuit for Shrek or de Payns—everyone in the DGSE knew how to get around Paris on a motorbike.

Briffaut burst into de Payns’ earpiece. ‘Was that you on the bike?’

‘Yes—Shrek’s riding,’ said de Payns.

‘Who’s in the van?’

‘Murad,’ said de Payns.

‘Shit,’ said Briffaut. ‘Alone?’

‘Murad is the driver,’ said de Payns. ‘Don’t know who’s in the back.’

‘What’s your location?’ asked Briffaut. ‘I’ll assign a helicopter.’

De Payns gave a location, and as he did Murad’s van veered right through an intersection. Shrek chopped down a gear and revved the bike, just avoiding a small traffic jam and keeping contact with the van.

They swept south and then east again, and now they were on the A13 freeway and the van was flying. Shrek opened up the Yamaha and de Payns watched the traffic flash by as they hit one hundred and eighty.

‘Stay back, this is surveillance,’ said Briffaut over the net. ‘We have no authority here.’

De Payns was happy to hold back. They had no idea who was in the back of the van, and with the bioweapons plot discovered their job now was to see where Murad went, who he joined up with, who would give him sanctuary.

The van crossed the Seine and Shrek and de Payns stuck with it. In front of them the Eiffel Tower loomed.

The van slowed and Shrek tapped down through the gears of the Yamaha, staying back, staying smooth but fast. The van drove slowly along the right-hand side of the street, as if looking down side streets and checking on service lanes. The van sped up again, into a rond-point, turning at the first exit, and they watched the van dive into the right-hand kerb, where service vehicles were allowed to park. Shrek hit the brakes as he found a park in the same service parking area, behind a truck. De Payns’ helmet bounced off the back of Shrek’s and they turned to surveil the street and saw the entrance to the Boulogne–Pont de Saint-Cloud Metro station.