Ewan’s mouth dropped open, and his blinking increased. Salter, despite his helpless situation, had struck him where it hurt: right in the conscience. But Salter said no more, perhaps aware that the strategy of hurting his captors would not help him escape his situation.

‘I can’t stop the AME shield from being raised,’ Salter continued, ‘and no matter wh—’

‘Oh, we know,’ said Alex. ‘For all your sins, and despite all the horrific things you’ve said yes to during your employment with Grant, you’re still a generic nothing-special vehicle port officer. We’re not expecting you to help that much. We do need your keycard though.’

‘It’s in my left pocket. Take it.’

Kate’s hand rummaged through Salter’s left trouser pocket and emerged with his keycard. Salter began to gasp in even more erratic, panicked breaths, and Ewan understood why. Without that card, Salter was no different to a clone soldier, or even one of the rebels. His life in the upper floors of New London was over.

‘OK,’ Salter said, tears emerging in his eyes, ‘make it quick.’

‘Oh, we don’t like killing humans,’ answered McCormick. ‘Unless it results in saving the lives of more humans. And we don’t need to kill you, so we won’t.’

‘Sir,’ said Alex, ‘not to contradict you in front of the enemy, but—’

‘He won’t give us away. He’s dead the moment he speaks. He’s let rebels into New London and given them access to the higher floors. Grant won’t let him live.’

McCormick’s right, Ewan thought. If one bit of information spills out from Salter’s lips, Grant will probably save him for Oliver Roth.

‘But I can offer you a deal,’ McCormick continued. ‘It involves us staying undetected, and you staying alive. Win-win, I’d say.’

‘I’m listening,’ Salter gasped. Ewan was astonished at how quickly this man complied with their every demand. For a man with no good options, Salter seemed to instinctively know where his best chances of survival lay.

‘You leave this room,’ McCormick began, ‘unarmed and without your keycard. Carrying nothing but your radio, and the radios from the two clones on the floor. You use the authority you still have in Vehicle Port Three, take a van of your choice and leave New London, sheltering in a nearby village away from Grant’s forces but within radio range.’

‘I can actually recommend a nice little bungalow—’ said Alex, before Ewan shushed him.

‘In return,’ McCormick continued, ‘you keep all three radios by your side and check in whenever commanded.’

‘Which is every fifteen minutes tonight,’ said Ewan. ‘I took the dead clones’ radios at Oakenfold so they wouldn’t detect them missing. Had to check in so many times on the way to New London, I almost wish I hadn’t bothered.’