“OK everyone ready?” Daniel said to the occupiers of his rear passenger seats. “Good luck.”

He didn’t look back as he heard the two doors open, but kept his eyes firmly locked on the street ahead of him. There was a car parked up a short distance down the road, this was the target for his two passengers. It contained West German papers for the couple and should hopefully propel them over the border and into the arms of the British agents on the other side.

The two figures moved hand in had towards the car, Daniel was braced, unconsciously, for the gunshot and shout that would signify the plot had been discovered, but it never came. The couple reached the car, and got in.

“Come on, come on.” Daniel uttered under his breath. “Almost there.”

He saw the car shake slightly as the ignition turned, then the cloud of smokey steam from the exhaust as the engine turned over.

Daniel turned the ignition in his own car, looking down for a second.

In that second there was a flash and a dull crump. He didn’t need to look up to know that the car had blown up.

“Oh fuck.”