Mann undid his throwing-star belt, then undid his spikes strap from around his arm, and threw them on the side of the road.

‘I’m sorry, Johnny,’ the Father said. His head was bowed. He was breathing hard. He’d obviously taken a beating.

‘Shut the fuck up.’ Brandon slapped him across the head with his rifle butt. The father’s knees buckled for a few seconds then he drew himself up with dignity. Brandon pushed him back on to his knees. ‘You can stay down there where you belong.’

The Colonel laughed. ‘Do you know how many years I have waited for this moment, Father? Now, of all nights, you give it to me on a plate. You walk straight into my arms. You kneel before me and await your execution on a night when there will be so many dead that your body will be just one. Whatever possessed you to trespass here tonight, Father? Could it be this?’ He held Maya aloft and shook her. ‘Is it this small, ragged thing that you want? Well, she doesn’t belong to you, Father. She is mine. You are in my world now, Father Finn. You will learn that you have no friends here. This is not a place for anything other than my type of religion. Who do you think all these whores pray to, Father? Who do you think?’ He leaned across the table and spat his words. ‘

Me

, Father, that’s who. I am their God here in this paradise.’ The Colonel licked Maya’s face. ‘I am God here. I decide what happens here in my land. I say who lives and who dies.’

‘Let the girl go. Do this one thing. Do not hurt an innocent child. Redeem yourself before it is too late.’

‘Redemption?’ The Colonel laughed for a full minute. Brandon shot a look at him and Mann knew that he was starting to worry—doubt was creeping into Brandon’s mind. ‘Why would I want that? She is not innocent. None of them are innocent. We live in a corrupt world, Father. You know that. She is just another whore born of a whore.’

‘You have come to look at life that way because you are sick, dead inside. But it isn’t so. She is a little girl who wants to go and play with her friends. She is just a child.’

‘Shut the fuck up.’ Brandon kicked the Father in his back

‘She is

mine.

I made her. I created her. Her life is mine for the taking, Father. Don’t ever doubt it. One more word from you, Father, and I will snap her neck now.’

‘Hey, Brandon?’ Mann called over to him. ‘You’re a soldier, an ex-marine. You must be getting worried now. You are never going to make it out of here. Maybe you haven’t noticed the place is swarming with Wo Shing Shing tonight. By now they will have disposed of half of your hired help.’

‘Huh! I think not!’ said the Colonel. ‘We have sentries everywhere. We have set a trap for the Chinese. Let them make it so far up the street, then they will walk straight into it and be killed—all of them, everyone.’ He made a gesture towards Brandon, who handed him the rifle whilst he took out a walkie-talkie from his pocket. ‘Find out how many of our enemy are dead already, Brandon.’

Brandon punched in three different numbers, none of which responded. He closed up the walkie-talkie and looked up and down the street.

‘Think we should get you inside, Colonel. I need to go and find out what happened to the sentries.’

‘I can tell you what’s happened,’ said Mann. ‘They are chopped into bits. The Father and I have already found one. He was dumped on a pile of rubbish. Didn’t you realise you couldn’t win? Didn’t anyone tell you that you have been set up to fail? You made the classic mistake of underestimating your enemy.’

‘We still have the government forces, Colonel. I will call them now. We made a deal, they have to be here.’ Brandon turned away and dialled. He didn’t speak, then he dialled another number and spoke to someone clearly. ‘Get your men moving, now. Something’s not going right down here. This is the time to put your plan into action.’ He snapped the phone shut. ‘Where is the fucking Teacher?’

‘Let me guess? The Teacher is late thirties, blond, blue-eyed, a Brit?’ Brandon stared blankly back at him. ‘Thought so. I met the Teacher, Alex Stamp we call him. He’s your double-crosser. He’s made deals with everyone. He’s left you in a weakened state just ready for the Chinese to come along and break you.’

Brandon flashed a look at the Colonel.

‘You shouldn’t have listened to him, Colonel…That’s why he killed Jed and Laurence…’

‘Don’t you ever fucking tell me what I should or shouldn’t have done.’ The Colonel was spitting out his words. ‘Now take this fucking gun and do your fucking job.’

Behind them the door of the Bordello opened and Comfort stood in the doorway.

‘Get back inside, you stupid bitch!’ the Colonel screamed at her.

She stood her ground. She looked a mess, dazed. Her hair was ragged and sweaty around her face. Her vest top stuck to her.

‘Let me take the little girl, Kano. Let me take her, it is difficult for you to fight with only one hand. She is making a problem for you. I will look after her.’

He thought for a moment. The news that the campaign might be faltering made him edgier than ever. He was glad to get rid of the weight of the child.

White froth clung to the sides of the Colonel’s mouth. His eyes were bulging out of his head and the veins stood out in his forehead and in his arms.

‘Take her. Take her, and then get out of the fucking way. Brandon, get fucking Terry here NOW. I want him HERE.’

Comfort went forward and lifted Maya from his lap, placed her on the ground and gently pushed her to one side, away from the Colonel. Then she took out a small handgun from her pocket. She moved away from the table, so that she was standing in front of Mann. She levelled the gun at the Colonel’s chest.

‘Let the Father go.’

Comfort’s eyes gleamed in the darkness. Her chest rose and fell.

‘What? Would you shoot me? Ha ha! Get back inside, you worthless piece of rotten meat.’

‘I am what you made me. I am a bad person. But I can do

one

good thing.’

‘Get out of the fucking way! You’re not going to fire that thing.’ He turned his back on her and laughed.

Comfort’s hand shook uncontrollably. She squeezed the trigger. The gun jumped in her hand as it fired one shot. She hit the Colonel on the shoulder. He lurched backwards in the chair, nearly knocking the table over as he did so. Brandon let go of Father Finn, springing forward and out of reach as he grabbed Maya. Then Brandon fired a round from his rifle into Comfort. She was hit seven times. At such short range some of the bullets passed through her as easily as if going through cheese. The rest sprayed her flesh over Fields Avenue.

Mann dived at the same time as Brandon fired. He felt a sharp pain but he also felt the opportunity and reached for Delilah, hidden in his boot. He threw her hard and strong and straight into Brandon’s heart. He pushed Comfort aside and reached for her gun and fired at the Colonel—but nothing. Comfort’s gun had run out of bullets. The Colonel stood over him, Brandon’s automatic in his hand.

‘It’s Judgement Day, Sonny.’

72

‘What, a street party and no one invited me? It’s a good thing I was in the neighbourhood.’

Stevie Ho and ten Wo Shing Shing deputies were spanning out across the street. ‘Check it,’ he ordered; and they scattered to take up their positions either side of the Bordello. No one would pass down Fields Avenue again that night.

Stevie walked towards the Colonel. ‘Put that gun down, old man.’

The Colonel stood panting like a rabid dog trapped in a corner.

‘You may not have noticed, but your kingdom has been overrun by the enemy.’ Stevie mimicked his accent.

‘You have not seen the real might yet. The troops are on their way.’