‘Those battlements on the roof,’ she continued, ‘where the snipers hide to watch over the countryside. Is it just me, or are there lower battlements too?’

‘Floor L, if I remember rightly.’

‘I can buy us some time. I’ll go to Floor L, you go for the paper archive, and whoever finishes first goes for the data servers.’

Even then, it’ll only work if Ewan and Alex reach Floor B. But it’s our best shot.

‘Sounds good,’ said McCormick, as he fumbled around in his pocket for his phone and battery. For the first time since they had started their climb, there was a moment of silence in the stairwell.

‘No need to wait,’ said McCormick. ‘I’ll radio you any directions you need.’

‘Sir,’ she answered, ‘I’m not going to start running without a goodbye.’

‘Then say it quickly. I enjoy your company, but time’s not on our side.’

Kate marched across to McCormick, and demanded his eye contact. Painful as it was – and McCormick would know how painful she found it – the eye contact was worth it to make her point.

‘Be careful,’ she said, in the most commanding voice she dared use. ‘The rest of the Underdogs will slaughter me if they find out I left you alone. If you get caught or killed while I’m away, I’m taking it personally.’

‘No, you will not take it personally,’ McCormick said in his calmest voice. ‘I don’t want anything clouding your judgement tonight.’

Kate stared at him, open-jawed, as he powered up his phone.

You don’t really think it’s that simple, do you?

She began to quicken her breaths, the expression in her face a dangerous cocktail of protective love and anger.

‘I know your week’s been horrible, Kate,’ McCormick said to her. ‘And I’m not going to try telling you to get over it. But if there’s one thing on Earth that Kate Arrowsmith is good at, it’s facing her fears. Without your anxiety, you wouldn’t be half as brave as you are – and all you need to do tonight is use the bravery you’ve always had. And that includes overriding whatever fears you have about me.’

A stray tear fell from Kate’s eye. McCormick smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder.

‘Run upstairs, and buy the boys their extra time. If I need a hand I’ll give you a shout.’

Kate nodded. No words came to her. She turned and ran up the stairs towards Floor L as McCormick began to dial. One floor up, she stopped to eavesdrop on her leader’s conversation.

‘Lorraine, it’s me,’ McCormick began, followed by a brief pause. ‘Yeah, not bad. I’m on Floor R and can find my way to the paper archive. Have you got directions to the data servers yet?’