At the mention of Jacob, the familiar conflict of emotions burned through Sam’s blood. ‘Jacob wouldn’t…’

Bland interrupted. ‘I, ah… I rather doubt Jacob Redman was even aware of the wider implications of his actions, Sam. The FSB have put a lot of time and effort into this. I think it unlikely that they would have entrusted him with any more information than he needed.’

A silence fell over the room. It was Sam that broke it. ‘I still don’t understand why the Russians would want another war in the Middle East.’

The analyst replied. ‘The Russians want to avoid a British military facility on their doorstep. War in the Middle East is a happy sideline for them. It keeps the West’s hands full, while they pursue aggressive military policies on their own doorstep.’

‘In short,’ Bland concluded with stinging understatement, ‘the assassination of the Georgian ambassador would be a disaster.’ He fixed Sam with a meaningful stare. ‘It’s a shame,’ he said, ‘that we are unable to speak to your brother about this.’

Sam felt like he had been stung. ‘What’s the problem?’ He knew he was being obtuse, but he couldn’t help it. ‘You know who, you know when. You can stop it happening. And even if the red-light runner gets lucky, you just tell the Georgians the truth.’

‘And if you were the Georgians, Sam, would you believe the truth?’

Sam looked away. ‘I’ve done what I can,’ he said stubbornly. ‘I’ve told you everything Jacob gave me. It’s up to you now.’

Bland surveyed him calmly. Then, without any warning, he stood up and left the room. The sweaty analyst avoided Sam’s eye, choosing instead to burrow himself in his file. When Bland returned he had another man with him. The newcomer silently walked up to Sam, undid his handcuffs, then respectfully left the room.

Sam rubbed his wrists. It felt good to be free.

‘I’m going to put my cards on the table, Sam,’ the older man said. ‘I hope you’re listening carefully.’

Sam gave him no indication that he was.

‘The FSB has run rings around this service. I, ah… I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that’s largely due to your brother. And what’s more, I’ve underestimated you. You’ve been one step ahead of us all the way. It would be foolish of me not to acknowledge that.’

Bland let that sink in before he continued. ‘Kakha Beridze is due at a function tomorrow evening. A dinner. May 26. Georgian Independence Day, to add insult to injury. Two hundred guests. It’s been planned for months. I think we might safely say that this is where the assassination attempt is to take place, don’t you?’

Sam nodded, despite himself.

Bland didn’t take his eyes off him. ‘You know how your brother thinks, Sam. You were on ops with him in the Regiment for years. How would he pull it off?’

‘I don’t know. With two hundred people there, any number of ways. The guy’s a sitting duck.’

‘Think, Sam. I don’t need to impress upon you how important it is.’

‘I don’t know, all right?’

Bland nodded thoughtfully, then stood up. He paced a little, before stopping by the one-way window, his back to Sam. ‘Just at the moment,’ he said, ‘as we speak, Clare Corbett is being taken into custody. We have all sorts of powers to detain her under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, but ah… frankly we don’t really need them. Mark Porteus, of course, is at Her Majesty’s Pleasure, and it really won’t take long for our friends in blue to construct a murder charge for you that will earn you a life sentence. Just think of the effect that will have on your father.’

He turned round and smiled thinly at Sam. ‘Oh,’ he added, ‘and I, ah… I suppose it barely needs to be said that we have DNA evidence that puts you at the scene of Mac Howden’s death. I wonder what his family will think when they learn about that…?’

It was as if something had snapped inside Sam. He jumped to his feet and, in two big strides, he approached Bland, grabbing the older man by the scruff of his neck and thrusting him up against the glass. ‘You fucking dare…’ he hissed, ignoring the shouts of help he heard from the frightened analyst behind him. ‘You fucking dare and I swear I’ll kill you!’

Bland looked down on him. His thin body was light and he was clearly alarmed, but he said nothing. He just stared. And then the sound of the door opening. Men with guns. ‘Put him down!’

Sam hurled Bland to one side. The old man stumbled, but did not fall. He turned to the guards. ‘Get out,’ he ordered. Then, seeing that he needed to repeat himself, he shouted: ‘GET OUT!’ He looked at the analyst. ‘You too.’ The little man didn’t need telling twice.

Only when they were alone did Bland speak again, his eyes tough and determined as the two of them stood barely metres apart, warriors in some kind of duel. ‘If you think for one minute, Redman, that I won’t do whatever it takes to stop our national security from being compromised, think again.’

Sam stared him down, his breath short and angry.

‘I need to get inside the head of this assassin,’ the older man continued. ‘You’re the only person I know who can do it. Work with me and I’ll put you in charge of the operation. But I’m telling you, Sam – if Beridze gets killed tomorrow night, I’ll do all those things and more.’

Silence. Sam felt nothing but hatred and frustration. Yet he knew when he was in a corner. He closed his eyes and did his best to calm down. Only then did he speak.

‘Cancel the event,’ he said. ‘You could put an entire fucking squadron in there – Jacob would know how to get past them.’

Bland nodded. ‘Go on,’ he said.

‘Put him in a safe house. Regiment guard. His assistant too.’ He looked over at the glass. ‘Nobody in the Firm’s to know where it is.’

‘Why the hell not?’ Bland demanded.

‘I told you,’ Sam said. ‘When we hit the training camp, we were expected. Spetsnaz. Where else would the information have come from other than inside the Firm? For all I know, the mole could be you.’

Bland’s lips thinned. ‘There’s no mole, Sam. You’re seeing shadows. Spetsnaz were there as a precautionary measure, not because they’d been tipped off.’

But Sam didn’t want to hear it. ‘You want to do this my way, then we’ll do it my way. If not, you might as well put me back in that police van. I’ve lost a brother, a friend and a colleague in the last few days and I’m not going to lose any more. Truth is I don’t even know if I can trust you, but I don’t really have much choice.’ He jutted out his chin. ‘I want the same team that hit the training camp. What’s left of them, at least.’ He counted them off on his fingers. ‘Tyler, Cullen, Andrews, Davenport and Webb. They were there when Craven died.’

‘I didn’t have you down as the sentimental type, Sam.’

‘I’m not. If this hit is connected to Craven’s death, they’ll want to make sure it doesn’t happen. That makes them the best men for the job. That’s my bottom line, Bland. Take it or leave it.’

Bland fell silent. He looked at Sam for what felt like an age, his head nodding gently and his body swaying slightly like a snake.

‘All right, Sam,’ he said finally. ‘You’ve got yourself a deal. But please don’t think I’m bluffing. If Kakha Beridze dies, you’re going down. And I promise you – you’ll take the people you care about down with you.’