The art of marching a dangerous prisoner any distance was a tricky business fraught with potential pitfalls, even for trained men. The gang grouped around Ben as cautiously as game wardens relocating a captured tiger. Each man perfectly aware of how fast things could go south for them, if he let his guard down for an instant. Banks and Carter were focused so hard they were sweating. Only Hacker was able to maintain his cool, at least outwardly. Ben could have played it awkward by refusing to move and there wouldn’t have been much they could have done to force him. But he was as deeply anxious to see Boonzie again as he was worried about Grace. He let himself be walked through the castle’s winding corridors and hallways, thinking and waiting and watching.

Hacker said, ‘You know something, Hope? I’m as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. Because I can’t wait for you to be dead. And I won’t have to wait too long to watch it happen. With any luck, the boss will let me do it myself.’

‘You’re being a bit over-optimistic. There are only four of you.’

‘Four plus the others who’re on their way here as we speak,’ Hacker said with a grin. ‘Oh, yeah. That’s right. I got the call this morning from my old mate Mikey Creece. He and nine more guys flew up from London an hour ago. Should be arriving any moment now. They’re looking forward to meeting you, Major.’

Ben looked at Hacker and wondered whether he was telling the truth or not. He could see no lie in the man’s eyes.

‘Two things we hate,’ Hacker said. ‘One is stuck-up SAS scum like you. Think you’re so high and mighty and better than everyone else. But what we hate even worse is anyone who hurts one of our gang.’

‘Then you’re going to hate me a lot more pretty soon,’ Ben said. ‘Because splatting a piece of shit like your friend Kev O’Donnell made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside, it gave me an appetite for more. Now I’m wondering if fourteen dead Dishonourables is going to be enough to satisfy me.’

Hacker shook his head. ‘Unbelievable. Will you listen to this guy?’

‘I’m wondering how it is that you came to fall this low,’ Ben said. ‘From Pathfinder staff sergeant and twice winner of the AOSC, to joining these vermin and ending up as some gun for hire working for a lunatic. How did that happen? Was it just bad luck, or do you have a few loose screws of your own?’

‘I should have shot you while I had the chance,’ Hacker said. ‘Down by the loch.’

‘Except you didn’t,’ Ben said. ‘Because you missed. Just like your whole life is one big miss. How does it feel to know that?’