The Division Collection

by Angus McLean

  He wasn’t sure whether they would get all five vehicles on board the first chopper or whether it meant the second one would have to land too. A second later, the problem was solved anyway.

  He felt Katie grip him harder and heard an explosion behind them. He instinctively slowed and looked back. One of the DPVs was on its side and in flames, the fourth vehicle turning back for it.

  Moore spun hard and motored back to help.

  The enemy technicals were still three or four hundred yards away, but he knew that gave them only seconds.

  The commander and driver of the fourth DPV were already out and going for their buddies when the Polaris pulled up. The gunner kept up suppressing fire with his Mk19 while they tried to pull the crew free.

  Moore joined them, recognising Todd’s bloodied face as he was pulled free from the flaming vehicle. He didn’t seem to be hit but he was definitely out of the game. The gunner, Marko, had been thrown free when the vehicle went over and one of the D-boys rushed to him. He was clutching his leg and writhing in pain.

  Moore and Katie joined the third operator – Moore couldn’t recall his name immediately – who was trying to pull the driver clear. It was Jerry. He was out cold and limp. The flames were at the back of the DPV but working their way steadily forward. The D-boy produced a knife and slashed the driver’s harness, but it was obvious his legs were trapped in the mangled front of the DPV.

  ‘Stoppage,’ called the gunner on the other DPV, ‘I could do with a hand, guys. These assholes are persistent.’

  Katie didn’t hesitate. She unslung her M4 and ran to the rear of the wreckage, taking a knee and starting to squeeze off shots.

  ‘That’s some girl,’ the operator beside Moore commented as they both pulled at the steering wheel.

  Moore grunted and pulled harder. He could see they were making headway. The Mk19 started up again. The other Delta operator – Moore thought it was Joel – hustled past with the sniper/gunner over his shoulder. Even from a fleeting glance Moore could tell the guy’s leg was badly busted.

  ‘Need your bike,’ the guy who might have been Joel called as he went past.

  Moore nodded; it made sense. He put his weight into the steering wheel, hearing the gunner call out again.

  ‘We got two of the technicals down, boys. Still got three comin’ at us though.’ He fired off a burst of grenades. ‘It’s getting’ pretty hot up here.’

  With a final grunt Moore and the other operator – Bobby, he remembered now – twisted the steering wheel aside far enough to clear the tops of Jerry’s legs. They each grabbed an arm and hauled at him, sliding him free and clear of the vehicle.

  Moore left Bobby to it and joined Katie, who was swapping magazines. She flashed him a grin as she slammed a new one home and worked the bolt. Three spent magazines were in the dust at her feet.

  ‘All good?’ she asked.

  ‘Wait for the call,’ he said, unslinging his own weapon. ‘Looks like you’re having fun.’

  ‘Fuck yeah!’ She triggered a burst for emphasis.

  ‘Take a breath,’ he said. ‘Breathe and focus.’

  He could see she was high on adrenaline and feeling bulletproof. He’d been there before; the thrill of battle was intoxicating. It was also dangerous, and the last thing he needed was for her to do something stupid and get herself killed.

  He could see the last three technicals less than two hundred yards away now, guns blazing and dust clouds billowing behind them. The two others from the fire base were also close behind now. He saw an RPG streak through the air, then another, and another.

  He realised the insurgents had turned their attention to the giant Chinooks and were trying to scare them off. They probably figured that if the big birds disappeared the ground troops left behind would be easy pickings. They were probably right, but there was no way Moore was going down easy.

  He triggered a burst towards the enemy and turned as he felt a slap on the back. It was Bobby, the operator he’d been working with.

  ‘I’m taking Top and Jer in the DPV,’ he shouted over the din of the Mk19 and Katie’s M4. ‘The ATV’s gone already. You guys gotta leg it, okay?’

  Moore nodded.

  ‘We’ll try and get one of the vehicles back for ya, but move your asses now!’

  Moore nodded again and slapped Katie’s shoulder. He jerked his thumb towards the waiting chopper. ‘Let’s go!’

  Together they turned and ran for it, the Chinook a couple of hundred yards away. Rounds were flying overhead from the Delta boys and the guns on the choppers. As they came clear of the wrecked DPV more rounds came overhead in the other direction as the insurgents tried desperately to bring them down before they reached safety.

  A hundred yards out now and his lungs and legs were feeling it. His mouth was dry and gritty.

  An RPG streaked past, wide of the Chinook, and more bullets punched through the air. The first Chinook lifted off and the rotor wash from the closest machine was blowing a massive shit storm all around them.

  ‘Keep going!’ Moore rasped to Katie, giving her a push ahead. He turned and brought the M4 up, triggering off half a dozen short bursts at their pursuers. He moved his grip down to the 203 beneath the barrel and squeezed off a 40mm bomb for good measure, unable to see much but hoping for the best, before turning and running again.

  He could see the loadie at the tail gate shouting and waving at him, and at least a couple of the D-boys unleashing covering fire over his head.

  He reached the tail gate of the big bird as it started to lift off and he threw himself up, scrabbling for a hold and feeling hands jerking him to safety. The tail gate began to close and he staggered to a seat against the wall, Katie flopping down beside him. He looked at her as the Chinook thundered into the sky, unable to hear a damn thing over the rotors.

  Her hair had come loose and was framing her face, which was streaked with sweat and dust. Her fatigues were filthy. She held the M4 nose-up between her feet. She was grinning.

  She held a hand out for a low five, but Moore ignored the gesture, looking past her to where the team medics were tending to their wounded.

  Todd seemed dazed but okay, sitting up and having a dressing taped to his forehead. His sniper/gunner was on his back with one of the boys stabilising his broken leg. The medic and another operator were occupied with Jerry, who seemed to be semi-conscious and in pain. The medic had ripped his pants legs open and was tending to his legs. Moore pushed up and made his way over, standing out of the way. Katie joined him, and they watched for a minute, the soldier known as Knees watching from the other side.

  Knees leaned over and the medic spoke into his ear. The Hispanic soldier’s face was solemn as he nodded and straightened up. He saw the two Kiwis and came over, leaning in close to be heard.

  ‘Can’t feel his legs,’ he explained. ‘Could be nerve damage. Hopefully it’s only temporary.’

  Moore nodded. He could feel the concern in the man’s voice.

  ‘Won’t find out til we get him down and into the base hospital.’ The Delta operator looked at each of them in turn. ‘I hope it was worth it, huh?’

  Moore nodded again and straightened up. He knew words were no use right now. Warriors hurt like anyone else. He gripped the man’s shoulder and pulled him in.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said simply.

  Knees gave a short nod and went back to his team. Moore guided Katie back to a seat. She wasn’t grinning now, and he knew that the reality of combat had just hit home for her. It wasn’t all Hollywood action where everyone went home afterwards, joking and laughing. Soldiers bled and broke and died.

  They sat in silence for the rest of the flight.

  Chapter Forty One

  ‘The sniper team had no idea about that tunnel,’ Pat explained at the debrief. ‘We got no idea where it goes, it may have gone off into a wadi or even to the mountains, who knows. Maybe they got a bunker down there. Whatever it was, it’s gone now.’ He gave a grim smile. ‘Soon as you all got t
he hell outta there we sent some gunships in and they blew the shit outta it.’

  He saw the concerned look on Katie’s face.

  ‘The villagers were all gone, scarpered for the hills after your battle.’ He stroked his short beard. ‘Who knows how many of them were sympathisers and how many were just your average villager? My money’s on all o’ them bein’ sympathisers, otherwise why would they have a tunnel?’

  ‘What’s the sit-rep on the boys, boss?’ Knees asked from behind the two Kiwis.

  ‘AJ’s got a badly broken femur,’ Mike replied, speaking for the first time. His tone was sombre. ‘Jerry’s got a broken tibia and sounds like some nerve damage, hopefully it’s only temporary but we have to wait and see.’

  Moore felt his gut tighten.

  ‘Todd’s concussed, he’ll be fine just needs a rest up.’

  Katie gave a heavy sigh and reached for her water bottle. Moore sat back, his thick arms crossed across his chest. He held the major’s gaze.

  ‘Any concerns about the intel you got?’ he asked.

  Mike paused before passing the baton to Pat with a nod.

  ‘Pat?’

  The intelligence officer stepped slowly forward.

  ‘We are revisiting what we have,’ he said cautiously. He put up a hand to hold Moore at bay. ‘I know where you’re coming from buddy, believe me I do. But what we had was solid. We had to act on it, okay?’

  ‘I’m not questioning what it appeared to be,’ Moore replied evenly. ‘I’m asking if you’ve looked a bit deeper now.’

  ‘What exactly are you saying, Mr Moore?’ Mike asked, rocking back on his heels and looking pensive.

  ‘I think we were set up.’ He looked from the major to the spook. ‘Someone has jerked our chain.’

  Chapter Forty Two

  As soon as the US Air Force Hercules rolled to a stop on the runway Moore and Katie were up and moving.

  The crew quickly had the tailgate down and were already ready to unload the anonymous pallets of cargo they had brought with them. RAF Northolt was dark and unwelcoming, just as it had been every other time Moore had been there – maybe arriving in the middle of the night didn’t allow the base to put its best foot forward.

  He waved his thanks to the crew and led the way down the ramp, seeing headlights sweep across the tarmac as he reached terra firma. He stepped aside and waited with his bag at his feet, Katie joining him and dropping her own bag.

  A non-descript dark Renault pulled up and the boot popped open. Nobody got out and in the dark he could only dimly see two occupants. Moore tossed their bags in the boot and slammed it shut. He took the seat behind the driver.

  Vince watched him in the rear view mirror, his dark eyes cool and expressionless.

  ‘Home is it?’ he asked, then glanced pointedly at Katie in the mirror. ‘Or a hotel?’

  Moore got the distinct impression he was in the dog box with his mate, the feeling confirmed a second later when Nga half turned in her seat and also looked at him. She looked as pissed off as her husband, but said nothing – yet. He knew it would come.

  ‘My place thanks mate,’ Moore said, hoping to break the ice but failing miserably. ‘Thanks for coming out.’

  ‘Nothin’ better to do,’ Vince grunted and gunned it towards the gate.

  Nga looked over her shoulder at him again. Even in the darkness he could see real anger in her eyes. ‘Been talking to Ari,’ she said bluntly, and Moore felt his stomach drop. ‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘that’s right.’

  ‘Am I missing something?’ Katie asked pointedly.

  ‘No,’ Moore replied awkwardly, ‘just something at work.’ He knew she knew he was lying, but there was nothing he could do about it right now.

  He sat back, feeling Katie’s eyes on him across the back seat. He stayed silent, staring out at the darkness instead as they were waved through by an MOD guard at the gate and headed back towards London.

  The buzz from the contact in Iraq was now gone, replaced with the weight of depression he thought he’d put behind him. He bunched his fist and pressed hard against his thigh. He could feel the waves of anger coming from the front seats.

  He knew they were disappointed in him and he felt like a fool – a stupid, immature fool. Moore rarely let his guard down properly, and as a consequence he had few close friends. Vince and Nga were in that select group, and he knew he had let them down.

  The Renault pulled up at the kerb outside Moore’s flat. Vince popped the boot and stayed in his seat. Nga passed over a Jiffy bag containing Moore’s personal effects without a word.

  Moore got out, deliberately walking to the door without his bags. He unlocked and shut off the alarm before turning to Katie, who had arrived behind him with her bag and a quizzical look.

  ‘Go and make yourself at home,’ he said as coolly as he could manage, ‘I’ve just gotta talk to these guys. I’ll be up in a minute.’

  She nodded and went in. Moore went back to the car and got in the backseat, bracing himself for it.

  Vince gave him a frosty look in the rear view mirror. ‘Been busy bruv?’

  ‘Look…’ Moore began, but Nga turned in her seat and cut him off.

  ‘What the fuck, Rob?’ she snapped. ‘You been rooting McGregor’s missus? Seriously?’

  Moore looked resigned. ‘Ari found something?’ he asked. ‘Does McGregor know?’

  ‘Ari came to me,’ Vince replied. ‘He found texts and after your little visit to him, asking questions, he put two and two together.’

  Moore groaned. ‘Why’d he come to you?’

  ‘Well,’ Vince said, giving him a pointed look, ‘we’re supposed to be mates, eh? He thought he’d better make sure of his facts before he said anything to old Gingernuts.’

  ‘So he’s told him?’

  ‘No,’ Vince said, ‘not exactly.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Nga said, giving him the full force of her glare, ‘your mate here saved your arse for you. Ari’s fobbed it off with McGregor, said he couldn’t find anything.’

  ‘And McGregor bought it?’ Moore frowned. ‘Doesn’t explain her having the phone though.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that either,’ Vince cut in, jerking a thumb at his wife. ‘Your little bit of fluff had a visit from Mrs Masoe, who laid out a few home truths to her.’

  ‘She’s told him she’s unhappy in the marriage and had been on a dating site. She was going to use the phone for arranging to meet someone, but never followed through with it.’

  Moore wondered if McGregor would really swallow that one. It was the modern equivalent of the oldest lie in the book. Nga caught his look.

  ‘She knows better than to deviate from that story,’ she said firmly. ‘She’s got too much to lose if she fucks this up.’

  Moore raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting.

  ‘But don’t worry, you weren’t the only one,’ Nga told him, and he felt a slight kick inside. ‘Looks like she’s been a busy girl.’

  He kept his mouth shut and hoped his face gave nothing away. He couldn’t say he was surprised, but it didn’t mean there wasn’t a sting in the tail.

  ‘And he’s bought it?’ he managed.

  ‘He believes it because he wants to believe it,’ Vince told him. He twisted in his seat now to look back at his friend. ‘I don’t know how it’s going to iron out, but for now things are heading in the right direction.’ He jabbed a finger at Moore, his eyes hard. ‘But don’t ever fuckin’ put me in that position again bruv, yeah?’

  Moore nodded, full of embarrassment and relief. ‘Sorry mate. Both of you. Thanks for what you’ve done.’ He shrugged. ‘I screwed up big style, and I’m just lucky to have mates like you guys.’

  Vince tossed his chin towards the flat. A light was on upstairs now.

  ‘Better go attend to your contact,’ he said.

  Moore opened the door and started to get out, pausing when Nga called to him.

  ‘Oi,’ she said. He poked his head back into the car.

&
nbsp; ‘Go get yourself checked out,’ she told him, poker faced. ‘Before your teeny-weeny falls off.’

  Fair call, Moore decided, closing the door with a wry smile.

  Chapter Forty Three

  The day was shaping up to be fine and clear when they arrived at New Zealand House later the next morning.

  Anyone who believed England didn’t get good summers was clearly retarded, Moore decided as he led Katie in the side entrance. It felt like they had barely slept and although they had stopped for coffees on the way from the Tube, he was lacking energy.

  They had been woken by a text from Jed Ingoe at 6am, telling them to be in the office by nine for a briefing. Sure enough he was waiting in the conference room when they arrived. Moore had paused just long enough to raid the stash of protein bars in his office before they made it to the briefing. Ingoe looked a million bucks in a fitted black suit with a subtle pinstripe and a discreet navy blue tie against a grey shirt.

  He watched the two of them closely as they entered the conference room, standing to shake hands first with Katie as he welcomed her before gripping Moore’s hand and nearly cracking a bone. He was much smaller and several years older than Moore but there was not an ounce of fat on him and, having seen him in action, Moore knew him to be hardest man he had ever met.

  They sat across the table from him and he folded his hands in front of him. There was a glass of water and an iPhone to one side with two pieces of paper and a pen in front of him. Jedi slid these across to Katie.

  ‘Before we go any further, these are two things I need you to read and sign. One reminds you that it is an offence to disclose the identity of any member of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, under the NZSIS Act 1969. That includes both myself and Rob here. The second stipulates that everything you have learned or participated in since becoming involved in the investigation to find Natalie Oldham is subject to the Official Information Act 1983. Okay?’