I’d already sent word to the Chargé that we were coming in. My spiel had been that, because of the international tension, we wanted to recover the last of our bits and pieces so that we’d have everything in one place if the Regiment decided on a quick evacuation. Allway had said that was OK by him: there’d be no one to meet us, but he’d leave word with security, and we could hand them the keys of the garage on our way out.

That suited us fine. We loaded up at leisure, locked the door and handed in the keys. In the car, before I drove off, I got Toad to hand me Orange’s Rat, and clipped the device to my belt.

We were rolling again less than ten minutes after we’d arrived. Pav was beside me in front, Toad in the back.

‘Clearing now,’ I called to Whinger.

‘Roger,’ he answered. ‘I’ll fall in behind.’

On our way out through the city centre I couldn’t distinguish his lights from all the others behind us; but I knew he was there, because we kept exchanging messages. The traffic began to thin out, and on the highway the vehicles were well spaced. Fine rain had set in, reducing visibility. The black Volga wallowed on the wet road like a boat under its heavy load, and I kept our speed down to sixty-five ks to give myself time to avoid potholes. That meant we were one of the slowest cars on the road, and we kept getting overtaken, but I felt in no particular hurry.

So we cruised on until we were within about five ks of base. Out in the country the rain was heavier, the air murkier. We’d just gone under the outer ring-road when everything went ballistic.

‘Look out,’ said Pav. ‘There’s a flashing blue light up ahead.’

At the same moment Whinger came on the radio with, ‘I think we’ve got a tail.’

I glanced in my mirror and exclaimed, ‘Jesus! I think we have one too. There’s a police block up ahead as well. Listen, Whinge. We’re being pulled in by the GAI. Get off the road and wait out.’

In the road ahead, beside the vehicle with the flashing blue lamp, a man was waving us down with one of those white-ended batons. As I braked, I saw in the mirror that the car behind us had swung in close on our tail.

‘Shit, Pav,’ I said. ‘Looks like the GAI are having a purge. What do we do?’

‘Bluff our way. Stop – if he tells us to – for Charist’s sake. Don’t piss him off – otherwise we’ll be in the nick for resisting arrest.’