‘Hey!’ Yasmin cried again.

One of the cops hung the ‘Closed’ sign in the front window as Mahmoud’s attacker grinned at Yasmin.

‘Let him go!’ she demanded.

‘As you wish,’ the man who seemed to be the leader replied, releasing her brother so he fell to the floor with a thump. He took a step towards Yasmin.

‘Wh-wh-who are you?’ she stammered.

‘I’m a detective,’ he said, flashing a badge from inside his suit jacket. ‘These are my men. Do what I say and everything will be all right.’

The sick feeling in Yasmin’s stomach screamed that he was lying about the second bit. Her instincts told her to tread carefully. ‘What’s your name?’

The detective leered at her with a horrible smile. He had stained teeth and his breath stank of cigarette smoke. He glanced at a statue of the dog-headed god, Anubis, standing beside him. ‘You can call me Jackal.’

‘Wh-wh-what do you want?’ Yasmin said, fighting to swallow her fear.

Jackal looked up at the ceiling’s LiveFotos.

‘Well, as pretty as I am,’ he said, ‘I’m not here so you can take my picture. You need to come with me.’

‘Why?’ Yasmin asked.

Jackal’s barking laugh was as unpleasant as steel chair legs scraped across a concrete floor. ‘Why? Because I say so.’ He turned and nodded to one of his men.

There was an almighty crash as an officer tipped a shelf of porcelain Sphinxes into a glass display case of jewellery.

Yasmin gasped and Mahmoud jumped to his feet.

‘Now look what you made us do,’ Jackal sneered.

‘Hey, you can’t do tha—’ Mahmoud shouted.

One of the cops silenced him with a punch to the stomach. Yasmin’s brother let out a gasping oomph as he doubled over in pain.

‘Don’t hurt him!’ Yasmin yelled.

Their parents had always told them that if there was a robbery they should give the criminals whatever they asked for and wait until they were gone before calling the police. They never said what to do if the criminals were the police.

‘The cash register’s right there,’ Yasmin said desperately. ‘Just take the money and go, please.’

‘I’m not here for a few thousand pounds,’ Jackal scoffed. ‘I’m here for you, “DARE Award winner” Yasmin Adib. I know how much you’re worth.’

Yasmin reeled. Her head spun. She felt like she might throw up. This was crazy! She didn’t receive her million dollars until she’d spent her week with Felix and the other DARE winners aboard the Infinite Horizon. She had to convince Jackal he’d made a mistake.

‘I don’t have the money yet,’ she said. ‘If you don’t believe me, check any news article about the awards.’

Jackal lifted his mirrored sunglasses and stared at her with eyes so black and cold they might have belonged to a shark. ‘I know that,’ he spat. ‘But I also know how much you’re worth to Felix Scott. How much would he pay to make sure one of his precious little winners doesn’t get hurt? So you’re going to come with me and—’

‘She’s not going anywhere with you!’

Jackal’s eyes widened as Radha came into the shop from the hallway. Yasmin had to blink to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Her grandmother had a little silver pistol aimed at the detective’s chest.

‘Don’t shoot!’ Jackal begged, lip trembling theatrically. ‘Please!’ A grin spread across his face as he raised his hands in mock surrender. ‘Please, old woman, don’t shoot me with that … toy.’

Jackal’s henchmen burst out laughing. Radha cackled right along with them.

Bang!