Nina struggled to control her irritation. ‘They imposed a media blackout, and made up a cover story. The last thing they want is for the world to know they’ve not only woken up an ancient threat, but also let the Nephilim escape with their new superweapon!’

‘A superweapon?’ She could almost see his smile widening even over the phone line. ‘Now, this isn’t all some publicity stunt for another of your movies, is it?’

‘I wish it was, but I’m deadly serious, literally. People have died – and if the Nephilim reach Uluru, there might be more deaths in your country. You need to evacuate the area and get the army to cordon it off.’

His tone changed as he lost patience. ‘Cordon it off? Now listen, Professor, I don’t think you appreciate just how big Uluru is! We’d need thousands of men to do that, and do you know how many soldiers I’ve got sitting around in the desert? Here’s a hint: none! Now, if there really is a UFO heading for our airspace, we’ll either force it to land or shoot it down. Anyone who gets out, we’ll deal with them like we do any illegal immigrant: lock ’em up, then send ’em back.’

‘Okay, well, I can tell I’m not going to convince you,’ Nina said, exasperated. ‘Thank you for your time, Prime Minister. But remember: I did warn you. I’m recording this call, so if the shit hits the fan, everyone will know you ignored me. G’day.’ She hung up before Sainsbury could reply.

Macy stared at her with wide eyes. ‘Mom. You just swore at the prime minister of Australia!’

‘It didn’t go well?’ Eddie asked.

‘He didn’t believe me – and I can’t entirely blame him,’ Nina sighed. ‘But he wouldn’t even lift a finger to close off Uluru. I’ll have to contact someone with authority actually in the area and hope they’re more willing to act.’

‘I’ll call Matt in Sydney and get him to find out who to speak to,’ he suggested.

‘Thanks.’ Nina leaned back in her seat, annoyance giving way to concern. The Nephilim had departed Xinengyuan as fast as a jet five hours ago, giving them a considerable head start. If Sidona used the qi tracker to guide them, they would probably reach Uluru before dawn. And that was when hundreds of tourists would be at the rock to watch the sunrise – innocents who could find themselves targets for Gadreel’s wrath . . .

But there was nothing more she could do. Even after escaping China, she was still trapped, helpless.

Three hours later, they landed at Melaka airport, south of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Refuelling had been arranged in advance, a tanker truck pulling up alongside the jet almost as soon as it stopped. ‘How long before we take off again?’ Eddie asked.

Cheng conferred with the pilots. ‘About forty minutes.’