Andy McNab - Meltdown

Phil kept walking, remaining third party aware. He continued round the block before arriving back at his car.

As he got in and started the engine, Phil thought of Lee and Danny out clubbing. He smiled to himself. 'Part-timers,' he muttered.

One visit to the dance floor was enough for Storm to establish that whatever skills Danny had, they didn't extend to dancing. He was awful – embarrassing. It was lucky that the floor was so crowded and only those unfortunate enough to be very close got a look at his technique.

As one song ended and another began, Storm smiled and indicated that she'd had enough. Danny followed her back towards the VIP area. A second beer was waiting; he was already feeling a bit lightheaded but he was enjoying himself.

They found their seats and Danny took a small sip of the Beck's. He still didn't like it much, but the club was hot and he was thirsty. He thought about ordering a soft drink – the last thing he wanted was to get pulled for drink driving.

'So tell me a bit more about you and your granddad,' said Storm, edging closer to Danny so that she could be heard. 'You've certainly impressed the twins.'

Danny grinned. 'Why d'you wanna know?'

'Just interested. Making conversation. You don't have to be secretive with me, you know, Danny'

Danny grinned again, hoping that he wasn't looking stupid, but he couldn't stop himself. For so long his entire existence had revolved around one secret after another, and here he was now with this beautiful girl he hardly knew smiling into his eyes, telling him he didn't have to be secretive. If he told her just half of what he'd been through, she'd never believe it. All that had happened, from the moment he'd decided to track down his missing grandfather… But that wasn't why he was here. His job was to get information.

'Not much to tell, really. What about you? D'you think you'll go on working for the twins or maybe move on?'

Storm's face fell, and for a moment Danny thought he'd screwed up big time. But she was looking over his shoulder.

'Oh, no!'

'What?' Danny turned and looked back. It was Albie. He was standing outside the VIP area, glaring in their direction. He stood perfectly still, just staring at them. A stare that said everything.

Storm quickly grabbed her handbag. 'We're leaving.'

'Why? What can he do? They're not gonna let him in here. And anyway, if he starts any trouble, I can handle it.'

'You don't understand. I know what he's like. He doesn't want to fight you, he wants to kill you.'

Danny laughed, thinking back to his training in Hereford. 'Well, he can try.'

Storm was already standing with her bag over her shoulder. 'We'll go out through the back door. Come on, this isn't the time to play the hero – let's just get out of here.'

'What about your coat?'

'Leave it. Come on!' She moved quickly away and Danny got up and followed. As they went through the door, he looked back, but there was no longer any sign of Albie in the mass of bodies filling the club.

The door opened onto a narrow alleyway full of rubbish skips and strewn with discarded fast food containers. The rain had stopped but the alley was dotted with puddles.

They turned right towards the lights of the main drag. Storm's heels clipped noisily on the concrete as she hurried down the alley; she was scared, very scared.

Danny was checking behind them as he followed. Suddenly he crashed into Storm, who had stopped without warning.

Albie had gone out through the main doors and was now screaming in fury as he ran down the alley towards them. 'Not good enough for you, eh, slag!' he shouted, coming to a stop in front of them. He pushed his face into Storm's as she tried to back away.

'I want to go home, Albie! Let me past,' she pleaded.

Albie glared into Storm's frightened eyes and made a grab for her, but Danny moved in between them. 'Leave her!'

Albie didn't even acknowledge him. He was in another world – a world where chemicals were attacking his brain; destroying it.

Danny grabbed him around the neck, but Albie spun round and got his own hands around Danny's neck, squeezing with incredible strength as he slammed his victim back against the wall. He started to bang Danny's head against the brickwork.

Storm tried to drag him away. 'Albie! You'll kill him!'

Albie stopped, but only to turn and push Storm to the ground. She tried to crawl away, but Albie kicked her viciously in the side, making her scream in fear and agony.

'Slag!'

The moment of respite gave Danny the opportunity to leap at the drug-crazed Albie. As Storm crawled into a gap between two rubbish skips to find some protection, Danny clung to Albie's back and jammed his fingers into his eyes. Albie yelled in rage and jerked from side to side, trying to throw Danny off. He brought both hands back to grab Danny's head, and with M-driven strength, pulled him over his shoulders and down into a puddle.

Think you're hard! Think you're hard!'

Danny was struggling to think at all – his whole body had been jarred by the fall and his head was spinning – but he glimpsed the flash of steel and saw that Albie had pulled a knife from the waistband of his trousers. The blade glinted in the darkness as Albie raised his hand and moved forward, ready to strike.

Danny couldn't move – it was too late; he realized that he had underestimated Albie's strength. It was a bad mistake.

Then he heard Albie howl in pain. It was Lee. He had crashed into Albie's back and sent him sprawling on the ground. The young thug was groaning as he lay with his face in a filthy puddle.

Lee grabbed Danny and hauled him to his feet. 'Get her out!' he breathed. 'Now! You've still got a job to do!'

Danny nodded and watched Lee run back up the alley. He couldn't afford to let Storm see him talking to Lee. He shook his head to clear it, glanced at the still groaning Albie and then went across and pulled Storm from her hiding place.

'Come on! Before he gets up! Bin the shoes, let's go!'

They ran, Storm leaving her expensive shoes behind; she didn't care. They came out onto the main street; it was a different world of bright lights and vehicles thundering by. They turned right, towards the front of the club and Danny's car.

Latecomers were still queuing to get in. They watched the muddy pair dodging the traffic as they ran across the road.

But Albie wasn't far behind. Blood was flowing from deep lacerations on his forehead where he had crashed down on the concrete. He reached the front of the club, panting, breathless; his head jerked from side to side and his eyes peered into the darkness.

And then he spotted Danny and Storm. They had nearly reached Danny's Mazda.

'Oi, Watts!' The yell was blood-curdling, seeming to come from some dark place deep within. 'You're gonna die!'

He started across the wide pavement towards the kerb, but Lee moved to intercept him.

He grabbed Albie firmly by the shoulder. 'Hang on, mate. We'll let them go, shall we? While you and me have a quick word.'

Lee had failed to clock the knife in Albie's hand. And he didn't know that the wild-eyed thug was being driven by a superhuman, Meltdown-driven fury. His attacker moved at an incredible speed, swinging round at a pace that even Lee was not quite quick enough to counter. Lee didn't see the blade, but he felt it spear into his guts as Albie's clenched fist punched it home.

'You black bastard!'

All the breath was driven from Lee's body and he doubled up in pain. Albie pulled his hand back and Lee glimpsed the knife and his own blood. As he collapsed to the ground, he felt nothing but anger at himself. How could he have let it happen? He was a professional. He should have- He heard someone scream. Then darkness engulfed him, and there was nothing. From across the street, Danny and Storm heard the scream as they reached the car.