‘One thing I don’t understand . . .’ I said.

‘Oh, I think there are many things a kuffar such as yourself doesn’t understand.’

‘I’m sure that’s true. But there’s one thing in particular that I don’t understand.’

‘I’m waiting.’

‘If you hate this country, sir – if you hate living with the kuffars – then why don’t you make hijrah?’

‘Hijrah? Migration? Are you asking me why I don’t leave this country?’

I nodded. ‘Nobody’s going to stop you, are they?’

He didn’t even look offended.

‘I don’t need to leave, alhamdulilah,’ he said.

‘Why not?’

‘Because everywhere belongs to God.’

And that was when they came.

A white transit roared into the cul-de-sac and slammed on the brakes, as if suddenly clocking the ARV.

‘Billy!’

The white transit reversed at speed out of the street. The ARV was going after it. I saw the pure terror flash on Abu Din’s face as I ran from the room. Billy Greene was right behind me.

I went out the front door in time to see the white transit van pulling away with the ARV on its tail. At the end of the street I could see the crumpled figure of PC Rocastle half on the pavement and half in the street. The taillights of the ARV disappeared.

‘Call it in,’ I told Billy, and began running towards the unmoving body of PC Rocastle.

And then another transit van – this one black – turned into the street and accelerated towards me.

‘We’ve been suckered,’ I said.

Billy was halfway up the garden path as the back doors of the transit van opened. I waved my hand at him to tell him to keep going.

‘Get back in the house, Billy. Lock all the doors. And don’t leave his side.’

I heard his footsteps on the garden path and then the front door slammed shut. I heard the door bolt and looked back to catch a glimpse of Abu Din’s petrified face beyond the net curtains. And then I turned away because three dark figures were getting out of the back of the van. No Albert Pierrepoint masks tonight. No friendly uncles now. Their faces were covered with ski masks. No, not ski masks. Tactical Nomex face masks.

I clenched my fists as they came towards the house and swung a right at the first figure. And that was when my muscles went into involuntary spasm and I was suddenly down on my knees, a drool of saliva coming from the corner of my mouth. I vaguely understood that I had been shot with a taser or some other kind of electroshock CEW. My muscles were still twitching violently with shock and pain as strong hands lifted and loaded me into the back of the black transit van.

Inside there was a smell I knew from somewhere but it felt like it was long ago and far away.