It was 1pm by the time the doctor told us it was OK to see Aquil. He had started him on rehab treatment for his forced heroin addiction, and was also giving him fluids to help him recover from the shock, as well as some of the physical injuries he had sustained during his three-year ordeal.

The room was in semi-darkness as Jason and I entered. Aquil looked nothing like the evil terrorist I’m sure Jason was expecting; tucked into the white sheets, he looked more like a scared little boy.

I pulled a seat up next to his bed and motioned for Jason to do the same.

“Hi, Aquil,” I said in a soft voice, trying to employ my best bedside manner. “This is my friend, Jason.”

Aquil moved his eyes to look over at Jason, who gave him a cheery wave. I knew how hard it was for Jason to get the idea of Aquil as a wanted man out of his head, but at least he seemed willing to try. At that moment, I loved him for it, and had to drag my focus back to Aquil and our questions. It was the only way we were going to catch Warick, after all.

“Jason and I need your help, Aquil,” I continued. “Do you remember when we were talking in the car and you told me that their next attack had been moved forward?” Aquil nodded weakly. “Well, we want to try and stop them before they hurt anyone else. But to do that, we need your help.”

Aquil closed his eyes and a solitary tear trickled down his cheek.

“Aquil,” I persisted, laying my hand gently on his arm.

“They think I don’t hear them,” Aquil said suddenly, his voice little more than a whisper. “So they talk around me, like I’m nothing. Talk about what they are going to do. What they have done.” He swallowed hard as his voice started to crack. I gave his arm an encouraging squeeze.

“You were the one who saw my messages about the attacks?” he asked suddenly, opening his eyes. Jason and I both nodded. “My uncle teach me Morse code when I was a boy.” More tears started to flow. “I don’t even know if my uncle is alive or dead any more. Any of my family. Is my mother here?” he asked, alarmed, his attention wandering.

“No, Aquil, she isn’t here,” I told him gently. “But we have sent word to tell her that you’re safe. She knows you’re alive.” Aquil smiled. I could sense Jason was becoming impatient, but I had to go slowly. This young man was fragile, damaged. If I pushed too hard, he might stop speaking to us altogether.

“The next attack, Aquil,” Jason interrupted. “When is it?” I glowered at him and poor Aquil shrunk back further into the covers.

“I’m not involved in attacks! I know nothing about the attacks!” he shouted hoarsely, and turning to me, he added pleadingly, “You say you believe me!”

“I do believe you, Aquil. We all believe you.” I shook my head at Jason, and he sat back in his seat, reprimanded. “But you said you know something about when the next attack is happening? Maybe you know a little more than that? Something that we could use to stop them?”

Aquil relaxed a little, keeping his eyes on me. “Today is Tuesday?” he asked. I told him yes. He thought for a moment. “Then the attack is today.”

Jason and I both stiffened in our seats. The attack could be happening at any minute; in fact, it could already have started and all this might be too little, too late.

“What time, Aquil?” I asked, trying to keep my voice as calm and reassuring as possible. He held up three fingers. “They rob shops at 3pm. After they steal, then they blow up building. Kill those inside.” He swallowed hard, trying to stop himself from crying. “No witnesses, Warick says. He always says, no witnesses.”

Jason took his phone out of his pocket, raising his eyebrows at me, as if questioning whether it was OK to make the call. I hesitated. Did I trust him now? Did I trust that he was going to call the authorities and not tip Warick off that we knew he had changed his plan? I felt sick to my stomach, torn between wanting to trust Jason and wanting to do everything in my power to make sure we caught Warick.

I shook my head and took out my own phone, instead, dialing Billman’s number. Jason was confused, but then realization dawned, and he just looked terribly hurt instead. If my suspicions were unfounded, I told myself, I would make it up to him later. If he’d let me.

“Billman?” I said when she answered the phone. “I have Aquil Siddiqui here with me. He’s being very helpful, but I want to put you on speakerphone so you can hear his intelligence and make sure we react as soon as possible.”

I placed the phone close to Aquil. “My friend Alana is on the other end of this phone,” I told him, wincing at using Billman’s unfamiliar first name. “She is in charge of a lot of people who can get to Warick before his next attack.”

“You arrest him?” Aquil asked. I replied yes, and heard Billman say the same from the speakerphone. “If you let him go, he will get to me, I know it.” He was becoming agitated again; I had to find a way to calm him or he wasn’t going to be able to help us. I could see the doctor was becoming fidgety in the corner. The last thing I needed was for him to tell us we had to stop the interview.

“He will tell you lies—he will tell you it was all me, but I am innocent! I tell you, I am innocent!”

“Aquil,” Jason interrupted. “I promise you that this man will not escape. I promise that you are safe now.” He paused. “And we all know you are innocent. You are not going to be punished for something you did not do. Especially when you are being so helpful to me and my friend.” The two men looked at each other, and I saw Aquil nod in relief.

“So, the attack is at 3pm,” I repeated, more for Billman’s benefit than Aquil’s. “Do you know where? There are a lot of diamond merchants here in Antwerp—you understand it is difficult for us to watch them all. If you can tell us anything that you heard them say, then it might help us to narrow it down.”

Aquil shook his head, and, for an awful moment, I thought he was going to say that he didn’t know where the attacks were going to take place. “The names here are strange,” he said finally.

I tried to encourage him. “Anything you can remember will help us, Aquil. Anything at all?”

He looked at me with a helpless expression. “They said something about a handle I think? And then the shop next to it. They want to hit them both at the same time, yes? Steal more in one go.”

A handle? What did that mean? I looked at Luc, who stood in the doorway, hoping his local knowledge might be of some use, but he just shrugged helplessly.

There was a quiet cough from the doctor in the corner of the room. Please, I thought, don’t stop us talking to him now. Just when we were getting somewhere…

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said. “But there is a diamond shop called Groothandel on Pelikaanstraat in the city center. And I think it is in the same building as another diamond seller.”

I looked at Aquil. “Groothandel?” I repeated carefully. “Is that what you heard?”

He nodded, and I grabbed the phone from the bed. “Did you get that, Billman? Groothandel on…” I looked over at the doctor for help with the unfamiliar street name.

“Pelikaanstraat,” he said again.

I repeated it for Billman.

“Got it,” she replied. “You and Jason get to the scene. I’ll arrange for local back-up, but I want you two on point, if you think you’re up to it.”

I looked over at Jason. Part of me was still unsure whose side he was on; unsure whose side he had ever been on, to be honest. But if that was the case, wasn’t it better that I stuck by his side? Kept an eye on what he was up to?

“We’re up to it,” I told her, as we stood up to leave.