He had made a slight modification to his pen torch earlier, covering and sealing the bulb with a piece of red film from a Skittles packet. Cell No. 16 was much closer to the guard’s office than his own cell. The red light would be bright enough light for him to do the job, but not for the guard to notice should he look away from his TV.

Jax climbed onto the shelves and used his screwdriver to remove the light covering – a long metal grille and then, inside that, a long sheet of plastic – that protected the fluorescent tube underneath. He lowered himself back to the ground and used the self-tapping screw to drill a peephole into the plastic. Then he fixed the camera onto the underside of the covering, lens positioned over the peephole, before climbing back up and screwing it all in place again. Shelf unit returned, tools back in his pockets, he was done. But now he had to wait. Again.

Bluey wasn’t late this time, pressing the knock-up at 2.30 am on the dot.

‘Fucking bullshit,’ the guard swore as he stomped his way down the corridor. ‘Better be something wrong with you this time.’

Jax waited for the guard’s footfall to clear the Kents’ cell before he made his move. He darted his way down the corridor and made it back to his own cell without being spotted. Bluey had done his job keeping the fuming guard occupied. Again.

Jax didn’t sleep that night. Couldn’t. Dosed up on dextroamphetamine, he tossed and turned and stared at the ceiling. He wondered what he would have done if Bluey hadn’t come through. Would he have killed the guard?

THE FOUR-INCH-THICK glass disappeared into the wall cavity after the guard in the box nodded and pressed the button to activate the sliding door. Jax gave the officer a wave before placing his hands back on the trolley. He was soon standing in a place where no one would ever want to be: the Goulburn Supermax, the most secure jail in Australia.

Jax had studied the blueprints Clarke had sent him via legal post. He had to admit that the set-up was impressive and – given what he was planning to do – intimidating. Especially now that the mission had been rescheduled – the day before, Jax had received word from Clarke via Turner that the delivery of a phone to Hammad in the Supermax had to take place the following day.