Hacker tried Stuart’s phone one more time, but there was still no reply. Hacker could see his promised two million disappearing down the toilet. If necessary, he’d hold Stuart at gunpoint and make him fork out as much cash as he had stashed away within the castle. But he had to find him first, and pray Hope didn’t beat him to it.

It was more than just the prospect of the money that was slipping away. The sponge plug in Hacker’s shoulder was so saturated with blood that it was no longer able to stem the flow. He could feel it leaking out of him, warm and wet, and with every drop his life energy was fading a little more. He spurred himself on, and staggered up the stairs to Stuart’s study.

No Stuart. As Hacker lingered in the room he glanced out of the window and caught sight of the running shapes of Biggs and the other cowards making a break for the cars. Now he really was on his own. Fine, he thought. Fuck them all.

Hacker was turning away from the window when a thunderclap explosion ripped through the cars and blew all three of them into the air in a flaming tumble of wreckage, the five men caught right in the middle. Hacker gaped at the scene of destruction and bolted from the study. Half-blind with pain, he staggered down the stairs.

Then Hacker found himself suddenly enveloped in a pool of dazzling white light and heard someone say his name, and he stopped dead in his tracks and whirled around.

Chapter 64

The footsteps thudding down the staircase were lopsided and uneven. Just by their sound, Ben could tell that the man was badly injured. He moved closer to the foot of the stairs until he was just a few metres away. The man reached the bottom and was about to pass right by him, his breathing laboured, when Ben activated the weapon light.

In its bright white glare he instantly recognised the man. And at the same time, didn’t. Because Carl Hacker looked like a different person from before. His face was drawn and his body bent in pain and defeat. His clothes were black with blood and the arm not clutching his pistol was dangling limp. Maybe he hadn’t got away unscathed from the gunfight in the dungeon, after all.

Ben said, ‘Hacker. Stop.’

Hacker stopped. Turned, blinking at the light in his eyes. He weakly half-raised the pistol in his one usable hand.

‘Don’t even think about it,’ Ben said. ‘You’ll be dead before you squeeze the trigger.’

‘You want to shoot me, go ahead,’ came Hacker’s reply. His voice sounded hollow, spent. ‘I’m already fucked.’

Ben said, ‘Where is she?’

Hacker managed a thin smile. ‘Love to know that, wouldn’t you?’

‘Take me to her, and I’ll let you walk out of here. You can survive this.’