ACV's 1 Operation Black Gold (36 page)

‘Yes, perfectly,’ she looked back at me.  Hate filled her eyes.

Sam appeared, ‘yes what is it?’

‘This young lady has something to say to you.’

She didn’t look very comfortable with this at all.  ‘There isn’t really any need for this; I’m quite used to it.’

Gail smirked as I turned on Sam.  ‘I find your lack of self-respect deeply disturbing Lt Bryce, how do you expect other juniors in rank to respect you, or obey your orders if you don’t respect yourself.  That will change, as of now, starting with this.’  I think the reporter actually felt sorry for her, her apology seemed genuine enough.

‘Thank you.’  She seemed to be about to apologise back but a hard look from me sent her scurrying back to the office.

It was just as I turned back, that I thought I heard a click.  Tiny and almost imperceptible her eyes lingered momentarily on the rifle strapped across my chest.  I almost panicked, here I was standing in front of a reporter with a weapon on the country’s most secret list and the bitch had just taken a photo of it.  The thinking machine went into hyper drive.

‘What.’  I looked down at rifle then back up into her eyes; I could see the hunger hidden in their depths.

‘Is that a new rifle?’

‘Hardly, want to play with it.’  I unclipped it and thrust it into her arms.  She gasped, automatically grabbing it.  ‘I sent one to my nephew for his Christmas last year.’  The shock of what I’d just done passed quickly to be replaced by one of utter disbelief.  With the battery out and unloaded, it closely resembled and felt like.

‘A toy, it’s a toy.’

I snatched it back before she managed to get a good look.  ‘Aye, that’s right, I’d let you keep it but Woollies closes early today and I wouldn’t be able to replace it.’

‘But, but what are you doing –.’

‘With a toy gun,’ I cut her off.

‘Yes.’

‘I can count myself lucky this thing actually fires even if it is only light.  Do you realise how many rifles the army actually has left at home?’

‘No.’

‘About one for every fifty men if you’re lucky.  There are men running around here with pieces of rifles with bricks tied to them to simulate weight.  It’s fucking disgusting.’  I turned and walked away.  ‘Oh by the way you’re on MOD property, piss off before I have you arrested,’ I shouted behind.

‘You’re a complete and utter bastard,’ she shouted back.

‘Oh, I’m a lot worse than that lassie.’  I told myself quietly. 

I went into the office.  ‘Samantha.’

‘Yes.’

She wasn’t looking very happy, but I was past caring.  ‘Get onto General Pearson and tell him to call you back on a secure line.  When he does tell him I’ve perpetrated a security breach, a bad one.  If he asks what it is just tell him it’s about the new weapons.  I’ll try and cut this debrief short and get over there as soon as possible to explain in detail.’  I left without looking for an answer.

I made for the roaring that was coming from the kitchen.  The big fellow was still strapped to the stretcher and Abide was bending over him, pinging his nose.  Every ping was rewarded by a bellow of rage from the giant.

‘What the hell are you doing Abie?’

‘Just giving this big ugly cunt something to girn about.’

‘For God’s sake leave him be will ye.’

‘I have to protest.’  Started the umpire.

‘Shut it,’ growled Davie McAllister.  He and Grizz had him cornered unable to help his companion.

‘You two, let him go and you release your man.’  I decided I was in severe need of a coffee.

The umpire released his man and was able to prevent him from getting to Abie who had found himself a nice little clear space from where he was goading the giant.  ‘Wanker,’ he gestured.  The umpire was able to restrain his man right up until Abie gave him the famous Moiré.  That did it.  The umpire went spinning.  The fight lasted seconds.  Abie did what he did best.  A flying header stopped the man in his tracks; landing lightly on his feet, he kicked him hard between the legs.  The giant crumpled but Abie wasn’t finished with him yet.  He took a few steps back and let fly.  ‘It’s a fucking goal,’ Abie screamed, as he dashed across the cookhouse, ending up at the hot plate on his knees.  The rest of them cheered him on while I hid behind my hands groaning.

‘What the hell’s going on now?’  Davie Whitton appeared with Fritz for the debrief.  He had been in the stores retesting the blood.  The umpire was standing over the body of his bleeding comrade in shock.  Davie rushed over pushing him out of the way.  ‘Was this you again Murison?’

‘No, it fucking wizná, why do I always get the blame?’

‘All my own work,’ Abie accepted graciously.

‘Then go get that new scanner from the stores.’

‘Eh.’

‘Just move your arse, Abie.’  Off he sloped muttering under his breath.  ‘Chef.’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Get me some crushed ice please.’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Help me get him on to the table.’  Davie and Grizz obliged.

The umpire wandered over.  ‘They’re big boys,’ I warned before he started on me.

He picked up a cup of tea.  ‘I believe this is the part where were supposed to have tea, cakes and a friendly chat, get to know one another sort of thing.’

‘Aye and show us the error of our ways.’

‘Something like that,’ he admitted taking a sip of tea.

By the time, the helicopters had dropped off Kenny and the last lot of SAS men the battle lines had been drawn.  The giant Tony had regained consciousness and was sitting up watching Abbie warily, Davie ordered him to lie down while he did a scan on his head.  It was instantly assumed we had dropped him.  Abbie standing up and brazenly admitting he had done the dropping hadn’t helped matters any.  Especially after it became known, it had happened in a fight.  Tony’s Oppo made a move towards him.

‘Leave him be Brian it was a fair fight,’ the giant growled.

‘Bollocks!’

‘Dead gen man, he decked me fair and square.’

‘You expect me to believe that?’

‘I don’t care what you believe,’ Davie interrupted, ‘I’m trying to work here.’

The umpire butted in, ‘sit down Brian its true I saw it.’

‘OK boss.’

There was silence for a while as they watched Davie work on their friend.  The tension was almost palatable as we watched the small white box move around his head on a white plastic frame.  Davie was taking notes as he adjusted focus on an LCD screen.  ‘You’re a boxer aren’t you?’  He asked with confidence.

‘That’s right doc, heavy weight.  How did you know?’

Davie turned the screen towards him.  ‘Do you see these dark patches here?’

‘Is that my brain?’

‘What’s left of it, the dark patches are lesions caused by repeated blows to the head.’

‘So!’

‘So your boxing days are over big fellow.’

‘No way Doc, I’m turning pro when I get out.’

‘No you won’t.  This will have to be confirmed with better equipment of course.  I’ll need your name rank and number.’

He reeled them off automatically.  ‘Will they throw me out of the SAS too?’

‘I don’t think so, if you stop now you should be in no danger.  They won’t throw you out or RTU you.’

‘Who the fuck are you to say what’s, what?’ interrupted Brian.

‘I’m the man who may have to remove a bullet from your brain one day.’

‘Then again, maybe he winna,’ added Gigs.

Bedlam erupted again; my lot were laughing and the SAS men shouting their anger.  ‘This is getting us nowhere,’ the umpire shouted over their heads, managing to quieten his mob down a bit, but mine were still jeering.

‘They’re only fucked off cos we whipped their arses out there.’  Gigs jibbed.

That started it up again.  ‘ENOUGH.’  My voice cracked across the room.  There was enough menace in it to quieten everyone.  ‘Mr. Umpire.’

‘Andy, Andy Duncan.’

‘Well since we’re doing introductions.’  I introduced my lot round then he his.  There were no happy handshakes.

‘We came back here today to give you an evaluation of your performance but, as you outperformed us, maybe you would like to judge us first.’

‘OK, from start to finish it was shite.’  That brought catcalls from my lot and roars of indignation from the SAS.

Samantha popped in with a message and the noise levels dropped sharply.  ‘Gentlemen, Lt Samantha Bryce.’  Calls of rage changed to those of admiration.

She flushed prettily.  ‘You’ve to stay here; he’s going to come over.  He’ll wait next door for you if you haven’t finished here.’

‘Thank you.’  I smiled.

‘Can I stay?’

‘Why not, you’re as much a part of this unit as anybody else.’  She grabbed a chair and squeezed in between Nommy and Grizz.  ‘Now where was I?’

‘I believe you were telling us our performance was shite,’ Andy prompted helpfully.

‘Aye right,’ there was no shouting this time, probably due to the presence of a lady.  ‘I asked for an exercise that would tax our abilities.  This didn’t even come close.  So either Kenny didn’t do his job properly or you ignored him.’

‘Ah yes Kenny wasn’t as fault there, we decided his assessment of your abilities a little wide of the mark.  That’s why we set you only a small exercise.’

‘You did.’

‘Afraid so.’

‘OK that’s fair enough; well I’ve no intentions of telling you lads where you went wrong you’ll be doing enough of that yourselves.  What I want to do is tell you what we’re trying to do here and when you get back pass it onto your mates.  But before I start is there any questions you want to ask on the exercise.’

‘I’ve got one for you boyo.’

I’d noticed the small Welshman brooding quietly.  ‘What is it Taff?’

‘I was a wounded enemy soldier and you topped me, is that your SOP’s?’

‘No, that’s something we’ll deal with on the ground as the situation arises.  With any luck it’ll never happen, our main concern is evasion.’

‘What if you can’t evade?’

‘Then we’ll fight.’

‘What if you get caught?’

‘Cut the crap and get to the point will ye.’

‘Will you top the patent?’

‘What the fuck for?’

‘You might have been ordered to.’

‘Andy is this likely.’

He shrugged, ‘It’s always possible.’

‘Well boyo?’

‘Well what, it’s an order that might never come through and one I’d rather not consider until it does.’

‘Not good enough I need to know if you can put a bullet through my head if you have to.’

‘Whit is this gung-ho day.  Have you ever considered using a cover story?  You could cart air force coveralls into your shelters and if we get caught we could pass you off as the door gunner of a shot down copter.’

‘That’s a good idea Taff, we could work on that.’  Andy put in an effort to try and side track the Welshman.

‘No,’ he stood up and approached me.  ‘I want to know if you can shoot a wounded man.’

‘What,’ I was beginning to get annoyed.

‘You did it easily enough with blanks, but would you really have the balls to do it for real.  Because if you don’t, don’t do it on bloody exercise.’

I was beginning to simmer nicely now.  ‘Don’t worry your pretty little head about that one my little Welsh friend.  If today’s job had been for real you would be very, very dead.’

‘Wonderful, just what I wanted to hear, but I’m sure you’re very good at that, telling people what they want to hear.’  His sarcasm turned to anger.  ‘I don’t want to bloody hear it, I want to know it.’  He pushed his face into mine angrily.  ‘If I’d been lying there wounded could you have shot me?’

‘If I had,’ I snarled back, ‘you wouldn’t have been the bloody first.’  We were face to face.  The only sound in the room our laboured breathing.

He took a slow step back his eyes widening.  ‘Yes,’ he exulted, ‘It’s you, isn’t it?’  He looked over the rest of us.  ‘So this is what they’ve done with all of you.’  He turned back to me and pointed.  ‘You were the one.’

‘What are you on about you dozy Welsh git?’  Andy asked.

‘Don’t you see it’s no bloody wonder they ran circles round us out there.’  He kicked a chair across the cookhouse.

‘Settle down for fuck sake,’ one of his friends told him.