Jacob thinks of Yassim’s eyes, his voice and hands, of his wrists. ‘You’re wrong,’ he says. ‘Yassim is gay. ISIS hates gay people.’

Myriam shrugs and turns to him. ‘They’re very pragmatic, just like everyone else,’ she says. ‘He’s westernized and can easily pass back and forth over borders. The fact that he’s gay is probably even good cover. Or has been until now, when we got him in our sights.’

‘Why don’t you just take him in then, if you’re so sure?’

His shock is starting to pass and in its place he’s started to feel pissed off. Why the hell should he get pulled into this?

‘Because he’s just a little cog,’ Myriam says. ‘Because we want to know more about his network. Where his orders are coming from and where he’s taking them. We want to know what the plan is and how it’s being carried out. One person is just one person – we want to know it all.’

She falls silent and then says slowly: ‘And you’re going to help us with that.’

She turns and looks at Jacob.

‘The information about Al-Abbas was shared with us by another country. They’ve known about him for a long time and were waiting for the right moment. When you showed up a few weeks ago they found out who you were and contacted us.’ She smiles and throws her arms wide as if she were presenting a magic trick. ‘And voila, here we are.’

Jacob meets her eyes. His shock is now a crushing headache, and he feels unfathomably tired. ‘I’m not interested,’ he says.

Myriam nods and settles down at the table again. ‘I know everything about you. I know exactly how hard it must have been for you to rise out of the environment you grew up in, to get to where you’re headed now. A career. A foreign post. After studying you, I know it wasn’t easy to go from Matti Johansson to Jacob Seger. But this is where we are now. And you now have a unique opportunity to make a real contribution.’

Jacob massages his temples with his fingertips. He doesn’t want to make a real contribution. He just wants to live his life, become what he always wanted to be. And be left in peace.

Myriam takes a computer out of the bag she brought with her and puts it on the table in front of him. She also fishes a thumb drive out and puts it on the table. ‘The next time you meet Yassim, put this in his USB jack. It’s pre-programmed with mobile broadband. It’ll take care of the installation on its own, and it’s lightning fast. Through that programme we’ll get access to whatever’s on his computer. Piece of cake.’