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Jack and Zeph were due to set off on their adventure in three days. Jack hadn’t thought he’d see Thomas again before they left, but he’d had a text asking him to come to Aversham.

“How do you know it’s from Thomas?” Zeph asked. He was driving.

“We have a code we use on the few occasions we sent text messages. Mogu li ya pokazat’ vam dorogu. Means can I show you the way. It was what I said to Thomas when he rescued me and he led me into the woods.”

“How often have you exchanged that message?”

“Three times.”

“In Russian?”

“Yes, why?”

“Because I’m thinking of what you said to me, that if anyone told you Thomas had sent them, whatever message they tried to give you, it wasn’t true. That they were there to kill you.”

Jack gave a short laugh. “But that’s not what’s happening. No one’s told me to go to Thomas.”

“Hmm. But I don’t get why he didn’t speak to you. Call him. Ask.”

“We’re not supposed…” Jack frowned, took out his phone, but didn’t put it on speaker. Zeph could be right.

“Hello,” Thomas said.

“7850.”

“0219.”

“Mogu li ya pokazat’ vam dorogu. Did you send me that?”

“No. If you’re on your way, turn around.”

“No.”

“It’s a trap!”

“Then we’ll be ready. Any idea who?”

Thomas sighed. “The Craddock job? The guy who didn’t make the kill. I wondered.”

“Okay. Go with the plan.” Jack ended the call.

“So?” Zeph asked. “Is it a trap?”

“Yes.”

Zeph audibly gulped. “Thomas wants us to turn round.”

“We’re not going to, but I’ll leave you in a motorway service station and drive on alone.”

“You said you wouldn’t ever leave me again.”

“Yes, but—”

“So there was always going to be a but ?” Zeph snapped.

“This is different. You’ll be in danger.”

“You’re not leaving me behind. Anyway, it’s probably too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whoever is luring you to Thomas’s is either following us or they’re there already, waiting for us to arrive. If I don’t arrive with you, they’ll be suspicious.”

“There’s no one following us.”

Zeph shot him a glance.

Jack shrugged. “Ingrained habit to keep an eye on my surroundings. Nor is there a tracker on the car. I looked for that too.” Along with checking for a bomb but he wouldn’t mention that.

“You’re absolutely certain?” Zeph asked.

“As certain as I can be.”

“So someone wants to kill you and Thomas. What’s the plan?”

Jack didn’t answer.

“There is a plan, right?”

“Better that you don’t know. I don’t want you anywhere near the house. If whoever this is catches you, threatens to kill you unless I put my gun down… Makes me shoot Thomas…”

“You have a gun?”

“Thomas will have left one for me. I don’t want you to drive straight there.

I want you to drop me off, then go and park in the village next to the church.

Empty your backpack onto the back seat and buy canned goods to put inside instead.

Go for heavy cans like beans or soups. Tightly pack them.

Leave it on the passenger seat against the door.

If you see a cast iron pan, buy it. Put it between the bag and the door.

Once those items are in the car, wander round.

Go for a coffee. Wait for me to contact you.

If it’s safe to come to the house, I’ll say 7850.

Anything other than that, call the police. ”

Zeph went very quiet. There was no way that Jack could risk him being near the house. Hopefully, this wouldn’t take long.

“What are you going to do?” Zeph asked.

“Scout around. See what I can find.” The less detail Zeph knew the better.

He told Zeph where to stop, and even before Zeph had pulled away, Jack was running.

Thomas would be out there somewhere with his rifle.

The guy after them had likely found himself a spot which gave him a good view of the front of the house.

He’d want to hit both of them one after the other so when Jack arrived was the prime moment.

It was more important that Thomas had found a good position than it was for him to come across the killer.

If the guy had any skill, he’d be well hidden.

But Thomas was very good at spotting unusual things.

He’d be looking for a sudden movement, the flash of metal, birds being disturbed.

Jack was a better shot at a distance but Thomas had needed to get in place before Jack arrived.

Once he’d retrieved the gun and been inside the house, he’d go into the village and get the car.

Jack broke into the back of the house without being shot, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t in someone’s crosshairs.

There was no bark from Django so Jack assumed Thomas had put him elsewhere.

The gun was soon in Jack’s possession but a handgun was only useful if he was relatively close to his target.

He was relying on Thomas to shoot before the other guy did.

He checked his phone and saw a message from Thomas. I know his location. He’s scoping front door. Too tricky to be sure of my shot atm. I’m in position. Get Zeph to park outside, but stay low in car. Vest in downstairs cloakroom. Wear it. And one of my hats. Silent now.

Jack didn’t want Zeph anywhere near the house, or in the car.

His plan had been to go to the village and drive back on his own, but he wasn’t the primary target and if Thomas didn’t open the door of the house, this wouldn’t work.

If Zeph stayed in the car, and kept low, he should be okay. Should? Oh God. He called him.

“Hi,” Zeph said in a quiet voice.

“I’m not saying 7850 but nor do I want you to call the police. How do you fancy acting as bait?”

“Is a shark after me?”

“Unfortunately, you’re in the water with me and Thomas.

We think the attack will come once the car arrives and the door of the house opens.

I’m in the house. I’m going to make myself look as much like Thomas as I can.

Park so the driver’s door is next to the house.

Push the door open, then reach over as if you’re retrieving something from the passenger seat but stay down below the window with your phone in your hand.

Have that filled backpack between you and the passenger door.

Cover your head. Come now. I… I love you. ”

“Fucking hell! Don’t you dare get shot so you can say that to my face.”

Jack ended the call.

It wouldn’t be long now. Jack wore Thomas’s hat and top of the range body armour but nothing was guaranteed bulletproof. If he’d been firing, he’d have aimed for the torso first, a double-tap before firing at the head. He was entirely dependent upon Thomas ending this before it started.

Zeph pulled onto the drive and did exactly as Jack had told him. Jack wasn’t watching the car. He caught a glimmer in the trees a hundred metres away and dived to the ground. A ragged hole appeared in the door of the house followed by the crack of shots being taken. Jack stayed down.

“Zeph, don’t move.” Jack rolled over and sat up, sheltering behind the open car door, his gun in his hand.

The lack of further shots could mean anything. Thomas might have dispatched the sniper or vice versa and the killer was coming for them. Staying absolutely still was the best thing to do.

When he saw Thomas coming towards him, he exhaled and pushed to his feet.

“Okay?” Jack asked.

“He’s dead. Are you and Zeph all right?”

Jack turned to the car. “It’s clear, Zeph.”

Zeph slithered backwards out of the open car door and Jack gasped when he saw he’d been hit.

“Fuck!” He started to pat at Zeph and was pushed away.

“It’s tomato puree, not blood.” Zeph wiped his face and licked his fingers. “Definitely not blood.”

“A bullet hit the car?” Jack looked past him to the destroyed backpack.

“Well, I didn’t deliberately tip it all over myself.”

Thomas walked around the vehicle, then came back to them. “That first shot went through the backpack and the car, then hit the door of the house.”

Jack was pissed off but Thomas looked more upset than he thought he’d ever seen him.

“I’m sorry,” Thomas said quietly. “I had no line of sight until he’d fired. He did what I hadn’t anticipated, and moved position.”

“Is he definitely dead?” Zeph asked. “Because I want a shower and I don’t want to find him creeping up on me.”

“He won’t be doing that,” Thomas said.

“And you’re sure he’s on his own?” Jack asked.

Thomas nodded. “Zeph, why don’t you go and have that shower while Jack and I sort things out?”

Zeph retrieved his bag from the boot and went into the house. Then he turned and came back out. “Do you think I could have a gun?”

“Have you ever fired a gun?” Thomas asked.

“No.”

“Go take a shower. We’ll wait here,” Jack said.

Zeph gave a relieved sigh and slipped into the house.

“Do you know him?” Jack asked.

“No. No ID, no keys, but his car must be around here somewhere. Go and look for it. I’ll keep Zeph safe and I’ll fix the door. Is that your car or a rental?”

“Mine. Ours.”

“I’ll sort it out. We’ll get you another.” Thomas looked around. “So I do have to say goodbye to this place.”

He was right. They had no idea what the assassin had been told or what he had told someone else.

“Where’s Django?”

“With the lady from the vet’s. Which is how we’re going to dispose of the body. The practice has an incinerator. I’ll chop him up.”

Jack thought about where he’d have left a car if he’d been doing this job. He’d spotted a car park for a woodland walk the first time he’d come here. Two miles away. He ran.

Three vehicles were parked there and the first one he checked had the key hidden in a magnetic box under the back wheel arch.

There was no one around. Jack checked the car over carefully before he pressed the open button—from a distance.

It was unlikely the vehicle would be rigged to explode.

Quick getaways were important but you could never be too cautious.

There was a bag of clothes in the boot, labels cut out but the toiletries were American.

Stupid mistake to make. No ID in the car.

He checked the satnav. Heathrow to Aversham.

Then he cleared the history. There was no point driving the car elsewhere, but he left the keys in the ignition before he exited the parking area.

Back at the house, the hole in the front door had been filled and painted. Zeph was sitting quietly in the living room looking a little pale. Thomas had a number of suitcases packed, and was filling boxes. Jack told him what he’d found.

Thomas nodded. “Zeph’s disguised the hole in the car.”

“Let’s get your stuff loaded and we’ll deal with the body,” Jack said.

He laughed when he saw Zeph had put a large sticking plaster over the hole and drawn a smiley face on it.

“I cleaned inside too,” Zeph said.

Jack hugged him. “You don’t need to come with us. You could stay here.”

“I’m coming.”

Though when Thomas brought his axe, Zeph audibly gulped.

Jack was relieved to find the body. No matter how sure Thomas had been, there was always that slight worry. He recognised the guy.

“You know him?” Thomas asked.

“Yes. You’re right about the Texan connection. I’m fairly confident this stops here.”

“Good.”

Jack checked the man’s pockets. Nothing apart from a packet of American gum. Available in the UK but not common.

“You were never that careless,” Thomas said.

“Which is why I’m still alive. Zeph, go and wait a little way down the hill.”

Thomas lifted the axe and Zeph went without a word.