Minute 86.
Barnsley 0. Nottingham Forest 1.
Kai Sora stood over the free kick deep in his own half. He looked like a man waiting for a bus in a storm. He was annoyed.
Arthur Milton was shaking next to Michael.
"Launch it Boss," Arthur whispered. "Just hit it into the mixer. Pray for a mistake."
"No," Michael said. "We do not pray. We plan."
Michael put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. It was a sharp piercing sound that cut through the noise of the crowd.
Kai Sora looked at the bench.
Michael made a shape with his hands. He pulled an imaginary rubber band back.
It was a tactic they had practiced only once in the warm sunshine of Los Angeles. It was risky. It was dangerous. Doing it on a muddy pitch in Nottingham was insanity.
Kai nodded. He adjusted his wet hair.
Forest were expecting a long ball. They dropped deep. They put their giant defenders on the edge of their own box.
But Kai did not kick it long.
He turned around.
