Jake took the whisky bottle and filled up all the glasses.

‘The fact Tenebris would risk an operation like this tells us that we’re close. It’s a good sign. An even better one is the fact they got away with nothing.’ Hattie downed his drink. ‘We’re a covert branch – people aren’t meant to know where we live. Enemies aren’t meant to be able to come knocking. The Snake is not just threatening upcoming missions. They’re threatening Platform Eight’s very existence. And anyone wanting to do this country harm will be circling, knowing we’re vulnerable. What we need to do next—’

I cut Hattie off. ‘Ten minutes.’ They all looked at me. ‘I would’ve heard them coming in from the office and I was in the canteen for about ten minutes before I bumped into the first one. They could’ve . . .’ I put a finger to my mouth.

‘Goddammit,’ sighed Hattie, ‘we need to shut down the whole network and do a thorough sweep. It will take a day. If not two. I’ll call Demon. Get them onto the Unions.’

Hattie motioned to Frederick and me. ‘You two get out of here. We’ll finish up.’

We both downed our drinks and left the room.

Standing in the corridor, talking to a couple of men in black overalls, was Mrs Moulage. She was wearing a fur coat and Mary-Jane shoes. She click-clacked up to me with a smile.

‘I hear you’ve prepared some Ghosts for me.’ Her face was perfectly made-up. ‘The boys don’t need me.’ She motioned to the two men behind her. ‘But I couldn’t resist a look around my old stomping ground.’

‘Has much changed?’

‘Everything and nothing,’ she said simply. ‘Get yourself home, my girl. You’ve had a busy night.’ She cupped my chin and then click-clacked down the corridor. The men in overalls followed.

*

Frederick and I were both silent in the Uber all the way back to Chiswick. It pulled up outside my house first. I opened the car door and turned to Frederick. ‘Thank you for getting there so fast. It might have ended differently without your help.’

‘I doubt that. Looked like you had it pretty well covered.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t know how you do it.’ We stared at each other for a long moment. And then another.

‘Hello, miss? Miss?’ The driver turned round to look at me. ‘You getting out, miss? Two-minute drop-off rule. Going to affect your star rating if you make me wait.’

‘Well, that really would be a shitty end to a bad evening.’ I smiled at Frederick as I got out and closed the door behind me. I could still see Frederick looking at me as the car drove away.

*

A Sky News alert flashed up on my phone as I opened our front door.

TUBE STRIKE TOMORROW. LONDON WILL GRIND TO A HALT. UNIONS IN EMERGENCY TALKS.