He tried the first of the two keys in the lock. To his relief, it turned. Even so, he was cautious – just in case there was a buddy of the two scumbags in there with them. Laying one gun down and gripping the other with both hands, keeping it pointed at the floor, he kicked the door wide open.

And to his immense relief – and joy – through his goggles he saw Cleo, Bruno and Kaitlynn sitting on the bed, where Noah lay fast asleep, despite everything. They were all staring towards him, although he knew they couldn’t actually see him in the darkness. Bruno seemed to be busily untying the laces of one of his trainers.

Knackered and still panting heavily, Roy spluttered, ‘Are you all OK? Are any of you hurt?’

‘We’re fine, just shaken. Are you OK, darling?’ Cleo asked, anxiously.

‘I’m OK,’ he replied, forgetting at that moment the stinging pain in his arm from the pellet – or pellets – that had hit him. All that mattered was that they all looked fine, that they didn’t look hurt, thank God. ‘I can see you all, I’m wearing night-vision goggles. You’re all safe. I’m going to get you out of here.’

‘Night-vision goggles – cool!’ Bruno said.

‘Where’s Jack?’ Kaitlynn asked, anxiously. ‘Any word?’

‘He’s here. I know where he is.’

‘Is he OK?’

‘Yes,’ he said, fibbing, desperately hoping Jack was OK, not wanting to panic her. He snapped on the safety catch, put the gun down then rushed over and threw his arms around Cleo, hugging her tight, tight, tight. Hugging her and loving her almost more than it was possible to love another human being, as a tear trickled down his cheek.

An instant later, a brilliant light shone in his face, dazzling him.

20

Freeing himself from Cleo’s arms, Roy turned his head away. The light was coming from Bruno.

‘Wow, those are so cool, Papa!’

‘Bruno!’ Cleo said sternly. ‘Not at his face.’

Roy looked back and saw Bruno pointing his phone torch at the floor.

‘They took our phones,’ Cleo said.

‘But not mine, Papa,’ Bruno boasted. ‘I hid it in my shoe!’

‘Well done, good thinking!’ Roy replied.

‘I read it in an Alex Rider book!’ he said proudly. ‘He did that!’

‘Darling, you’re bleeding – your arm,’ Cleo said.

‘It’s OK, it’s nothing – I just caught it on something.’

‘It’s bleeding badly!’ she insisted.

‘We’ll deal with it later. We need to find Jack.’

Roy told a reluctant Kaitlynn and Bruno to stay with Noah, and told them to lock themselves in, for their safety, just in case there was someone else here. He stood with Cleo on the landing, telling her they would walk down very slowly and he would warn her when they came to an obstacle. The door behind them opened and he saw the bright beam of Bruno’s torch.