The group had been discussing something between themselves for over half an hour when Ashildr noticed the time was edging close to 10am. The charred remains of Mike's workstation were still smoking slightly. There was an acrid smell and taste of burnt plastic in the air.

The two guards by the door were stood with hands on their guns, fingers resting above the triggers. The shorter of the two had his gun pointed squarely in her direction. The taller man had his gun resting on his chest diagonally.

At 9.55am she noticed Delta and Charlie making their way over towards where she was sat. Her hands were loose in the cuffs, waiting for the ideal opportunity to break free, or obtain something useful.

"Looks like your friend-" Delta started, a wide smile on her face.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you," Ashildr said impassioned, rolling her eyes, "she's not my friend."

"Whatever she is, it looks like she doesn't want to save you," she sneered. The clock ticked over to 9.56am.

"Of course she doesn't," nodded Ashildr, "I told you, she wouldn't save me, if you'd used a lost child, a homeless puppy or a kitten you might have had a better chance," Ashildr smirked.

"We'll give her the benefit of the doubt for the next four," Charlie paused, "three minutes, shall we?"

"She won't save me, I don't know how many times I have to tell you," mused Ashildr, unblinking. She stared into Delta's eyes.

"A few more minutes and we'll know for sure," said Charlie. "Victor, come over, Mike, bring your box, we may need to do another announcement shortly."

"She also won't give you the money," goaded Ashildr to Delta, still glaring at her.

Delta moved towards Ashildr, putting her hands on the armrests of the chair again, moving within an inch of her nose. "She will give us the money," sneered Delta, "we will make her. Even if we have to kill you in the process." Ashildr could feel Delta's breath on her own face as she spoke and could smell a faint hint of a floral perfume. "Even if we have to kill everybody in this place. There are thousands of people just like her in here today, able to donate an amount with nine figures. By the end of today, I'll have two hundred trillion credits, more than I could ever earn in over a billion lifetimes," she grinned widely.

"What are you going to do with the money?" asked Ashildr. Victor, Mike and Charlie were huddled together, presumably deciding who would say what.

"I'll be able to have anything I want," smiled Delta. "I'll be able to live like some of the people who are here, the sort of people who can afford to gamble a million credits on red or black and wave it away as a bad day at the office if they lose."

"You will turn into the person that you most despise," pointed out Ashildr.

"And I will not bat an eyelid," snapped Delta. "I've had nothing for all of my thirty four years-"

"Thirty four years! Wow, that is a long time," said Ashildr sarcastically. "I thought you were older. Maybe you should try a few millennia in my shoes."

"It appears the deadline has come and gone," said Charlie, returning to them both, stroking his chin whilst yawning.

"I wouldn't take it personally," said Delta, still leaning over her. "Maybe she's forgotten... should we jog her memory Charlie?" Delta stood up and away from her.

"She will stop you, whatever you do to me," Ashildr warned, "it's kind of what she does these days."

"What? Someone who lists her special skill as 'I can name all of the Sugababes?'" Delta snorted. "Please... give us some credit."

Ashildr agreed with her completely, but decided to raise an eyebrow silently in her direction. "Do not underestimate her," Ashildr said blankly.

"Delta," said Charlie, pulling her back by shoulder. "Leave her." He turned to Ashildr. "If you do not stop talking we will have to make you. Is that understood?"

Ashildr smirked back at him, not speaking, if only to goad Delta.

"Good," Charlie nodded, scratching his stubble as he pulled away. "I'm glad we have an understanding."

Mike stood with the camera pointed at them, Victor had his arms folded next to him. Charlie moved to Ashildr's right, putting his left hand heavily on her shoulder. Delta stood to her left.

"Let's get this over with," said Charlie, "this is distracting from our main mission. Mike, if you would, please."

A bright light emitted from the small grey box Mike was holding, dimming down to nothing after a few seconds.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the TCM, we have an announcement," said Charlie.

"It appears that the person we are seeking, Barry, has not donated money or handed themselves in at an information point," said Delta in the harsh American tone. "This is very disappointing news as it is now 10.05am the deadline has not been met. We were hoping it would not come to this."

Charlie pulled out a dull grey handgun from his right pocket and aimed it at Ashildr's right temple.

"We here at the Anti-Greed Alliance are understanding," said Charlie, "which is why we are going to give Barry one more hour to make themselves known."

"At 11am, if we have not heard from you, we are going to put this one," Delta said, as Charlie pressed the gun harder on Ashildr's temple, "along with a large detonation charge into the Volito and see what happens... when it goes bang." Ashildr could sense that Delta was smiling.

...

"Err, what's the Volito?" asked Clara, watching the small screen in the dashboard, the pod was still travelling at breakneck speed in the same direction, no end in sight.

"You don't know the Volito?" said Kodey, pulling up as far forward as his seatbelt allowed him. "It's the tube when you can go and float out in space. My daughter loves it," he said quietly, "loved it," he corrected himself.

"Ohhh," said Clara, remembering Tim had told her about that earlier. "So they're threatening to send her out into space, floating away basically?"

"Seems that way," said Francis, steering to avoid a large metal box on the floor and then returning to the original route. They were all thrown quickly to the left hand side, Clara clung on to a handle on the dashboard.

Clara watched as Ashildr looked directly at the camera, completely unfazed by what was happening, raising a small smile.

"Shoot me then," said Ashildr on the screen. She held up her left hand, inviting the man on the left to shoot her before folding her arms, leaning back in the chair.

"Hang on," said Clara, noticing something. "No..." She let out a small laugh.

"Don't say another word," the blonde woman on the right warned, reaching for something on her stomach, patting it down.

"Looking for this?" said Ashildr smiling widely, holding a gun in her right hand. "Sorry, I think you'll find this is mine now," she pulled on the cartridge on the top to load it. The video feed began to shake around.

Ashildr leaned forward standing up quickly, turning her back to the screen, pointing the gun between the woman's eyes. The grey haired man had his gun trained on Ashildr's head with his right hand. Ashildr backed up off to the right of the screen, as two soldiers dressed completely in black rushed from the left. The video feed went hazy, there was unmistakable sound of a gunshot and then the screen turned black.

"See, I told you," said Clara, impressed, pointing at the screen, "she can look after herself," she smirked.