‘Yes, I am. It’s just business,’ I say, trees nodding with me as we step out of the van, leaves pointing with the wind along the path to the complex gates. There’s only one way to go from here.

~~~

Close up, they’re not what I expected. The heavies in the corridor, fine, you’d worry if they didn’t have muscle, but these two? The main man, the one we’ve been calling Xenon for all this time – with straight faces – he looks so neat he could be showroom-clean. If the doors next to them swung open to reveal a brand-new Jag, I wouldn’t be surprised.

I let my vision blur, looking past them to the wall behind, that curious mix of brown and grey where it could settle on either. It’s all a matter of perspective, I suppose. Like everything. Just because these men don’t fit my mental picture, doesn’t mean they’re not the real deal.

My eyes snap back into focus as grunts move back and forth, Dominic sticking to the script. Almost there. Just needs a reference to money. I will myself not to shiver as a bead of sweat trickles down my ribcage, threatening the wires taped to my chest.

There’s a sudden jolt as the door opens, framing two more men. I don’t need to see Dominic’s face to know it looks exactly like theirs. Taut and pale with badly disguised panic, lips pursed so all their questions stay in their eyebrows. The air in the room thickens, like there’s smoke creeping in under the door.

‘What’s this?’ Dominic’s voice grates, just the right side of 5harsh. No longer in the corridor, the heavies stand like sentinels either side of our targets. Still the third shadow quivers in the hall.

‘We have a last-minute bidder,’ Xenon says, grinning. ‘There’s a lot of demand for rides like this. I’m sure you understand why we have to give everyone a fair go.’

Nobody moves. I don’t dare breathe.

‘No deal,’ Dominic says, sharper edges this time. ‘I didn’t come here for an auction. It’s what we agreed or bust.’

My neck prickles as the latecomers step into the room alongside us. On the face of it, there’s now four of us opposite four of them but we all know it’s about as equal as knives on butter.

‘I’m not sure that’s your wisest move,’ Xenon replies from between his teeth. ‘You won’t find anything of this quality on the market elsewhere. I can assure you of that.’

‘Well I’m yet to approve of its quality,’ Dominic snaps, looking towards the corridor for the first time. ‘What’s to say you’re not selling me a dud? Photos never tell the full story, do they? And who does a deal on a photo?’