‘Don’t be. I know Blaze and he can do that all by himself,’ he said. ‘I’ll go wait for Search and Rescue. There’s a spot further along they can hover, then they’ll get you and the girl out of here.’

Seven’s eyes opened. Confused at first, they gradually cleared and immediately fastened on Rhona.

‘Where’s Blaze?’ she demanded. ‘He saved my life.’

‘Blaze is fine and about to apprehend your attacker along with Skye and Lochaber Mountain Rescue.’

A wash of emotion crossed her face, from remembered horror to relief.

‘There was a dog in Afghanistan,’ Rhona said. ‘Called Rex?’

‘You know about that?’

‘I went into your tent in the plantation.’ Rhona paused. ‘I’m sorry for messing with your things, but I wanted – no, needed – to know where you’d gone.’

‘And you found Rex’s tag?’

‘Yes.’

‘And the other stuff? The burka mesh and the remains of the necklace?’

Rhona expected Seven to be angry at the violation of her privacy, but instead she seemed relieved, as though finding the mementos of Afghanistan released her from them in some way.

‘You came back to the plantation looking for me?’

Rhona nodded. ‘With Blaze. He got your scent and we followed it to the road. Archie said you’d taken the Glendale bus. Blaze picked up your scent again, leading us here.’

Seven shook her head in amazement.

‘Why would you do that? Why would you look for me?’

Rhona wasn’t sure what to say. How could she explain that she saw her troubled self in the girl? So she spoke in certainties instead, explaining about the scene in the woods behind A.C.E Target Sports.

‘Blaze led me to the clearing. He knew, as did I, that something bad had happened there. The way he sought to protect you suggested . . .’ Rhona halted.

‘That what happened there might have involved me,’ Seven finished for her.

‘What’s your real name?’ Rhona said.

‘Lexi. My name is Lexi. Private Lexi Forbes.’

‘And the man who tried to drown you?’

‘Corporal Jack Dempsey. My superior officer.’ She halted there as though the memory was too much. ‘Did you find Ben and Charlie?’ she asked quickly.

‘Not yet, but we did find Private Peter Galbraith’s body,’ Rhona said.

Lexi’s face crumpled. ‘They took him into the hills. That’s all they told me. He didn’t die there. But I expect you know that?’ There were tears in her eyes.

‘Where did he die?’ Rhona asked quietly.

‘In the woods, that night.’ She looked horror-stricken at the memory. ‘I thought he was Corporal Dempsey and hit out at him. I didn’t kill him. Corporal Dempsey did. I know that now.’

‘And Ben and Charlie? Where are they?’

‘Jack said we were going to meet them.’

‘Did he say where?’

Lexi shook her head. ‘I think he was lying anyway.’ She collapsed back, coughing, her breathing suddenly sounding laboured.