“Don’t be ridiculous, Jan. You saw a big dog and in the half light it looked like a wolf.”

“No, I tell you, I know what wolf looks like. I’ve seen one before. And this was a wolf.”

“What’s the problem, Tony?”

“Jan’s refusing to go out on guard duty, because he says he’s seen a wolf.”

“Let me put it like this, Jan. Either you go out and face your mythical wolf or you face me and my factual gun. Which is it to be?”

“I’ll go. But there was a wolf.”

***

An hour later

“Right, we’ll be moving out in ninety minutes. Any problems out here, Roger?”

“None whatsoever. The lorries are all loaded and ready. Although Bernie said he was sure he’d heard a wolf howling.”

“What did you say to that.”

“Laughed at him and told him not to be so ridiculous.”

“Bloody Jan, spreading rumours. You were quite right.

***

Another hour later

“For fuck sake, Chris, you seem jumpy tonight. We’ve gone over the plans several times, there’s no way it can go wrong. What’s got into you?”

“Nothing, it’s just I thought a caught a glimpse of a wolf out of the window a couple of minutes ago.”

The table reverberates from a fist being slammed down on it.

“For the last time, there are no wolves here and, therefore, no-one has seen or heard a wolf. And I will personally knock the lights out of the next person who mentions that animal. Do I make myself understood?”

“Yes, boss!”

***

Then, after a further thirty minutes

They throw open the door, ready to depart, and as they do so the werewolf bounds in, knocks the boss flat on his back and proceeds to stand over him and wash the man’s face with his tongue. In the ensuing chaos it is easy for Section D to capture the rest of the ringleaders, before the werewolf is called off the boss, who is helped back onto his feet and handcuffed.

“You see,” Adam Carter says, “you were warned. Although you were right, it wasn’t really a wolf, just Ambrose, who is a very large and very friendly dog.”

The boss makes a growling sound in his throat, but Ambrose trots over, sits in front of them and bares his teeth. The boss is silent.