Milton’s stomach fell. Ziggy’s background research had been thorough, but it could only ever be superficial. Real depth—the depth of experience of a soldier who was actually in the Regiment—was impossible to manufacture, and Milton’s bluffing could only ever go so far.

They had him.

“Señor Smith,” La Bruja pressed, “answer the question, please.”

He felt vulnerable and exposed. There was disappointment, too, and frustration that—despite being close enough to reach out and touch his ultimate targets—the chances of him being able to meet his objectives were now very small indeed.

“Señor Smith?”

64

Ellie found that her breathing came faster and faster, a combination of exertion and excitement, the anticipation of danger and the violence that they were about to mete out.

She heard a hissed command across the radio and saw the men ahead of her bringing their weapons to bear.

She heard Lieutenant Commander Mark’s voice.

“Go, go, go.”

* * *

“Señor Smith,” La Bruja said, “answer the question.”

Milton heard something in the forest. Movement. The rustle of leaves.

Eidur heard it, too. “What was that?”

“What was what?” the woman replied.

The big man peered into the gloom. “Movement.”

There was quiet now, just the crackle of the fire, the bubble of the stew in the pot. Del Pozo was standing with his back to Milton now so that he could look into the jungle. Milton edged closer.

There came a clatter of wingbeats as a large bird—it looked like a night heron—burst through the undergrowth and launched itself into the air.

“Go and check,” Eidur said.

Milton took his chance. He closed the distance to del Pozo in a single stride, looped his left arm around del Pozo’s neck and yanked him back so that their bodies were pressed close together. He reached down with his right hand and pulled the Springfield from its holster, his finger sliding through the trigger guard at the same time as he raised it and pressed the muzzle against the side of the Mexican’s head. Eidur noticed, but Milton was too quick to be stopped.

“Guns down,” Milton said.

“I don’t think so,” Eidur said.

Milton didn’t care about their weapons; his attention was on La Bruja, to his right. He angled del Pozo a little so that he could see her more easily. He would shoot her and then use del Pozo as a shield, back up to the treeline and then run.

“What are you going to do?” Eidur said. “Look at where you are. Where are you going to go?”

“Put your weapons on the ground now.”

The words had only just left his lips when Milton saw the shape of an object as it arced out of the trees. It landed on the ground a little way away from them, bounced once and then twice, and rolled closer. Two more objects followed.

“Grenade!”