She looked over at Mike’s men and wanted to laugh. They hadn’t changed at all, really. Despite their age, they still looked as tough as any youngster. Then her eyes went to Victor. She stared, hugely enjoying the fury on his face and studying the angry red eyes that seemed to bulge from his head. Sweat had gathered on his brow. His determination to break free and tear into her was like watching a caged tiger, frustrated and going out of its mind with pent-up rage.

She smiled mockingly, and then she looked at the two men held captive by his side. The one with a tattoo on his neck and across his chunky knuckles, to the right of Victor, seemed fearful. His round blue eyes were identical to Victor’s, yet they held a look of terror not anger. The man to Victor’s left was different. There was no show of emotion, no anger, no fear, no frustration but just a level-headed poker-faced soul. As she locked eyes with him, she could almost taste the evil he possessed. He was no doubt a psychopath. She remembered the saying about the Devil – that he always posed as someone beautiful on the outside. How strange then because this man was indeed very handsome, his tanned skin and soft eyes giving one the impression that he could easily disarm you with his good looks. Behind those pursed lips, she could only guess he had a set of pure white teeth to go with his carefully groomed face. Not even an eyebrow was dishevelled.

Her eyes flicked back to Victor as he tried to struggle, but Willie held his diver’s knife against the man’s throat.

‘Don’t kill him, Willie!’ demanded Zara. ‘Staffie, please would you have my guests seated?’

Staffie nodded and pushed himself away from the wall and walked to the back room. Everyone remained quiet, not moving. The atmosphere was so heavily and bizarrely charged, they could have created an electric storm of their own making.

Staffie brought over chairs, placing them behind Victor and his two sidekicks, while Joshua casually walked over and collected the three guns that the captives had been forced to drop. Then Mike, Staffie, and Willie tied the men to their seats.

Victor and his men were bound so securely they could hardly breathe, and to their obvious annoyance, gags were stuffed into their mouths. Zara couldn’t resist giving them a wink as they sat there in complete and utter humiliation.

Willie bent down and whispered into Victor’s ear, ‘Nice to meet ya, Hannibal Lecter.’

Once their captives were secured and entirely defenceless, Mike, Staffie, and Willie stepped away. Willie took the opportunity to snort a line of cocaine, while Staffie lit up a cigarette and Mike went over to the kitchenette area and put the kettle on.