Haut walked inside and went to the rear where all the drug-making equipment was. There were boxes stacked to the five-metre high ceiling. Haut slashed open two boxes, and put white powder to his lips.

‘Have a look at this,’ Haut said to Cavalier, who stood at the door. Cavalier holstered the Glock, took out his phone and snapped pictures.

Mac sniffed the powder and backed off.

‘Smart dog,’ Haut said. ‘Not good for you!’

Haut then poured petrol over the equipment and wooden benches. Using a cigarette lighter, he set it on fire. Cavalier left the building, which was soon in flames, and Haut pushed Mac out the door and back to the car. They all jumped in. Haut drove a few hundred metres, stopped the car and turned it around to see the factory engulfed in flames. Muffled explosions suggested that a cache of ammunition was about to be obliterated as well as everything else in the factory.

Haut turned to Mac, who was slobbering and wagging his tail. His hot breath stank of his victims’ flesh as he poked his outsized head between them. Mac made little grunts of satisfaction as if he approved of his master’s act of arson.

‘That was good, wasn’t it, mate?’ Haut said, as he kissed the dog on the snout and headed off on the drive back to Hobart.

After several minutes silence, Cavalier asked, ‘You feel better now?’ ‘Oh, yeah, I do. I really do!’

Haut half-turned to Cavalier and said, ‘You saved my life back there.’

‘He had the drop on you when you went down. Lucky you or Mac weren’t hit.’

‘Yeah, I confess I wanted you there as back-up. Wombat has told me about you.’

‘Al, there will be repercussions.’

‘Oh, there will be.’ Haut chuckled. ‘I’m going to the mattresses in Hobart.’

‘You had a hood on. Would they recognise your voice? Mac?’

‘Not sure, but it’ll be the Melbourne bikies who come after me. I had a download saying “Flee”.’

‘Download?’

‘From God.’

‘Why Melbourne bikies?’

‘They’re distributing the drugs.’

‘Why wouldn’t the Tasmanian bikies go after you? You’ve burnt down their factory.’

‘The same reason they backed off when you were here eight months ago. Since then I’ve given another two of them superb sendoffs. They all want to have me bury them, not the other way around.’

‘But you ruined their drug business!’

‘The Tasmanian bikies will smooth it over. There’ll be a break in production. They’ll build another facility at Port Arthur and keep the supply going to Melbourne.’

‘Then why did you bother destroying the St Helens place?’

‘I was very angry after the murders of backpackers Nancy Grunwaldt and Victoria Cafasso. I felt compelled to make a statement.’ He paused and added, ‘Remember, I am a prophet of nature. The Earth cries out for the innocent blood dropped on the land.’