Yasmin’s heart thumped as the statue by Jackal’s ear exploded and sprayed him with plaster fragments. The shot echoed through the store. Gun smoke drifted to the ceiling. Jackal’s mouth fell open in shock. He touched his fingers to his cheek. They came away bloody. He’d been cut by a flying shard.

‘Next bullet goes between your eyes,’ Radha said, her voice eerily calm. ‘Yasmin, Mahmoud, get behind me.’

They scrambled to do what she said.

Jackal snarled. ‘I’m going to—’

‘Leave!’ Radha shouted determinedly. ‘You’re going to leave and not come back.’

Jackal and his henchmen traded looks. Radha’s eyes narrowed.

‘Five more bullets left,’ she said, the pistol tight in her steady old hand. ‘That’s one for each of you.’

The detective’s eyes flickered. He started reaching inside his jacket. Around the shop, the cops were going for their holstered pistols.

‘Grandmother!’ Yasmin hissed.

‘I see them!’ Radha retorted. Her eyes never left Jackal. ‘You and your heroes are going to shoot an old woman and two kids?’ she said mockingly. ‘In a family store? Even a dog like you won’t get away with that.’

Doubt clouded Jackal’s expression.

Radha stepped forward, pistol aimed steadily, grandchildren gathered behind her. ‘Get out of here, you son of a shoe,’ she said, using her worst insult.

Jackal and Radha locked eyes for a long moment. Yasmin could barely breathe with the tension in the air.

‘Let’s go,’ Jackal said finally to his gang of crooked cops, moving slowly away, eyes still on Radha.

The men backed towards the shop’s door and slipped out onto the street.

Jackal hovered at the entrance, glaring at Yasmin, Radha and Mahmoud. ‘This isn’t over.’

‘Turn the sign to “Open” on your way out,’ Radha said. She waved the gun and Jackal obeyed, flicking the sign over so violently it banged against the glass.

‘I’ll see you soon, Yasmin,’ he said, before disappearing into the bustle outside.