by Andy McNab
‘YES,’ SAID EMILY, GUARDING THE ENTRANCE OF HER ISOBOX SO THAT Asma and Jean could not see past her to its interior. ‘I am indeed coming to the shura. I shall be very interested to learn from the local people how it is to live under British military occupation.’‘Good!’ said Jean cheerfully. ‘We’re here to help you prepare.’Emily raised her eyebrows. Asma thought she looked like a bird that wanted to peck you. Her nose was beaky and her alert eyes were very round.‘And what preparation is necessary?’Asma explained that they would all be sitting on a carpet.Emily shrugged.‘I daresay I shall be a little uncomfortable but I will manage.’‘So, if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly will you be wearing?’ asked Jean.Emily looked affronted.‘I have no plans to change.’They glanced politely at her sleeveless blouse and sensible skirt. Her clothes struggled to contain her ample frame.‘I’m sorry, but you really need a loose, long-sleeved top to cover your arms. And you must cover your legs.’Asma added: ‘We wear combat trousers and that’s all wrong but at least they’re baggy and they hide us. You can’t go in showing your legs, Professor.’Emily’s strong, clever face frightened her. The confidence her intelligence gave the professor was like body armour. It meant Emily had views she was so sure about she wasn’t scared to express them. It meant Emily did not care about her appearance and had no interest in what others thought of her.‘You certainly couldn’t show your young legs but I doubt they will take much notice of an old woman like me,’ Emily said airily.Both Jean and Asma rushed to correct her and Emily weakened.‘Well, we’d better have a look at my clothes then. Don’t stand there letting the heat in.’She stepped aside. After the fierce light outside the isobox seemed gloomy. They could see piles of papers and two computer screens which apparently Emily had been using simultaneously. A bed was pressed against one wall and it was also covered in papers. But the most amazing thing about the office was its temperature. Asma and Jean closed their eyes and felt the delicious and unaccustomed pleasure of air-conditioning.Emily was flicking through clothes on a small hanging rail jammed in beside a computer.‘I have a long-sleeved blouse. But I don’t have a long skirt. And I’m certainly not wearing that ridiculous camouflage stuff. I have no wish to make myself look like a bush.’Asma did not want to open her eyes and reply. She just wanted to feel the cool air soothing her.Jean said: ‘Surely you have something that will cover your legs.’Emily blinked. ‘Why should I? I am not a Moslem.’‘Trousers?’‘Certainly not.’‘Nightie?’‘No.’Asma opened her eyes with an effort.‘Do you wear pyjamas?’‘Well, I do have pyjamas but if you think I’m—’‘You could wear them under a skirt. That’d be better than nothing.’Jean agreed. ‘It won’t look so different from the clothes Afghan women wear.’Emily put her hands on her broad hips.‘I am not going out in my pyjamas.’‘You don’t understand,’ said Jean. ‘To the Afghans this is about your body and not your clothes. They don’t care what you wear as long as you cover up. We can only visit them if we show proper respect. Asma and I always cover our bodies and we drape a scarf over our heads when we go to shuras.’Asma added: ‘We’re out there and we’re women, that’s bad enough for the locals. Uncovered women are just like: no!’‘That view is of course unacceptable to me.’‘Professor, we’re in Afghanistan, we’ve got to respect Afghan traditions.’Emily raised her eyebrows and looked birdlike again. She leaned forward to peck.‘I can’t see how arriving with troops and bombs to kill Afghans is respecting their traditions. However, this obviously matters to you both very much and you know the country and its people. So if you insist, I’ll wear my pyjamas under my skirt. Although I shall feel rather silly.’Jean and Asma were ready and waiting with the military escort before the civilians emerged.‘I’m telling you now so you don’t laugh. Emily will be wearing pyjamas,’ said Jean. ‘She’s got nothing else to cover her legs.’Sergeant Somers of 2 Platoon and his commander instantly guffawed.‘That’s what you mustn’t do!’ Asma told them.The OC looked around the group fiercely.‘The girls are right. It is very important that no one laughs.’Emily arrived wearing pink pyjamas, a grey skirt, a pink blouse and pink headscarf knotted under her chin as well as full body armour and the OC was the first to burst out laughing. Despite glares from Asma and Jean, he was closely followed by the engineer and the 2 i/c. Martyn grinned from ear to ear and 2 Platoon muttered jokes to one another and staggered about stifling laughter. A few took pictures.‘Get on the wagons!’ their sergeant growled at them. And then immediately clamped his hand over his mouth.‘At least all the colours match,’ Asma told Emily kindly.‘And we take our body armour off before we go in,’ Jean said. ‘You’ll feel more comfortable without it.’‘I’m delighted to have brightened up everyone’s day,’ said Emily grumpily.‘It’s all in the interests of building strong local relationships.’ The OC handed her up into the Vector.‘Local relations would be much improved if you didn’t spend so much time peppering them with bullets,’ retorted Emily. Martyn rolled his eyes at the OC and then climbed up behind her.When they reached the tribesmen’s house they were once again welcomed warmly by Asad, his father and brother. In the background hovered a large group of men and boys. Nobody here seemed to find Emily’s pyjamas funny.As they sat down, Asad caught Asma’s eye and smiled. He was every bit as attractive as she remembered him. He was tall, much taller than most Afghans. His features were strong. And his blue eyes in that brown face were startling.‘It is a great pleasure to welcome you to our home again,’ he said warmly.She smiled back, dropped her eyes and told him how honoured the party was to attend the house and meet his family once more. Of course, the officers were supposed to present the greetings and she was supposed to translate them. But you could wait for ever for soldiers to do charm.Emily lowered herself onto the carpet with difficulty and clearly did not enjoy crossing her legs. She was introduced and her role explained and the tribesmen listened politely then turned to Martyn with their questions.‘Is your search for Helmand’s natural resources proving successful?’ Asad asked him.Martyn said: ‘Yes, we’ve had some very interesting results.’‘Is oil everywhere in this region? Or just in one place?’Emily did not intend to be ignored. Before Martyn could answer she said: ‘We are concentrating our activities in the area we believe to be most productive.’Asad’s father nodded and turned back to Martyn: ‘And how can you know from looking at the earth that there is oil and gas beneath it?’Martyn smiled. ‘I’ve been an oilman all my life. I just know, I can feel it, I can almost smell it.’ He glanced at Emily. ‘Although some people need persuading about my hunches.’Emily looked at Martyn coldly and then said to the tribesmen, ‘Naturally our exploration is scientific and our suppositions should be data-based. We carry out an initial rough analysis of the terrain by looking at its predominant geological eras. After preliminary exercises which help us pinpoint where the most likely compression has occurred we do a detailed analysis by, among other less accurate methods, taking seismic readings from the rock.’Asma and Jean looked at each other in despair.‘I can’t translate that,’ said Jean.Asma attempted it and the tribesmen nodded as though they’d understood. Asad asked Asma: ‘Who did you say this woman is?’Asma explained again that Emily was an eminent professor who knew more about geophysics than anyone else in the UK.‘So we can be sure, then, that the site is a true one?’ asked Asad.Asma translated this and Emily nodded vigorously. ‘Certainly!’ She glanced at Martyn. ‘I do not make mistakes.’Martyn grimaced.Major Willingham was impatient. He said: ‘Last time we were here you mentioned that you believed there was a Taliban training centre nearby.’Asad’s father nodded.‘We do believe that. We believe people are coming from all over the world to train at that centre. Some of them even come from England!’The OC ignored this. He asked: ‘What effect are the Taliban having on this area?’‘We live in fear. They arrive at our homes and demand hospitality, they eat our food, take our animals and steal from our shops. They even bring drugs into our households,’ said Asad’s father passionately.‘So you would like the area cleared of them?’‘Yes. We would like them to go
back to their own countries and leave us to our Afghan traditions.’‘Then why don’t you fight them yourselves?’ demanded Emily.‘We are powerless in the face of their international strength.’‘You said you would tell us exactly where the Taliban training ground is. If you do so, we can help you clear this area of their influence,’ said the major. He was trying to appear relaxed, thought Asma, but a slight breathlessness in his voice gave away the importance of the question.‘We have discussed this among ourselves and we can tell you exactly,’ said the father.Asad said something to one of the boys hanging around at the side of the room. The boy ran off and, while they waited for his return, hot, sweet tea was served by old men.Emily tried to take advantage of the break to stretch out her legs but Jean stopped her at once.‘Don’t put your legs forward!’‘Why ever not?’‘It just isn’t OK.’Asma’s face was reddening for Emily. ‘You can stand up, but you can’t stretch out.’The boy returned with a map and everybody pored over it. Martyn was quick to find the Early Rocks.‘Can you tell me anything about that place?’‘It is a very holy shrine,’ said Asad’s father. ‘A great Sufi poet lived at the rocks and when he needed water he drew water from the ground and there has been water ever since.’‘And,’ added Asad, ‘women believe that drinking this water will give them a boy child. In the past it was a very popular location on holy days. But people today realize that these old shrines are more like superstitions than anything the Prophet would have approved. So no one goes there much now.’‘Of course you know it,’ said Asad’s father, ‘because it is near your oil site.’Martyn and Emily looked surprised.‘But how do you know where the oil site is?’ demanded Emily. ‘Has Martyn told you?’The men smiled and the younger brother, who had remained silent until now, laughed out loud.‘This is our world,’ said Asad. ‘We know everything.’‘What is it called?’ she asked.‘The place you visit so often with your box?’Asad’s finger rapidly moved across the flat desert to settle at the edge of a mass of contour lines. He had pinpointed the site exactly. The OC and the 2 i/c exchanged glances.‘It has no name,’ said Asad’s father.‘We should give it one, since it is a place of some significance. What will you call it, Father?’The older man thought for a moment, stroking his beard. Then he said: ‘Allah is bountiful.’There was a murmur of assent from all around the room before Asma could translate.‘Allah is bountiful? That’s the name they’ve given it?’ asked Martyn. ‘Maybe it works in Pashtu but it doesn’t do a lot for me in English.’‘I think what they’re saying,’ said the 2 i/c, ‘is that they regard the oil and gas site as Helmand’s winning lottery ticket.’‘They would be quite right,’ added Emily.‘They probably feel that Allah doesn’t leave a lot to chance,’ said Asma quietly. ‘And I’m sure they disapprove of lotteries.’‘I get where they’re coming from,’ said Martyn. ‘What they’re trying to call the place is Jackpot.’‘Jackpot,’ echoed the OC with approval.‘Jackpot!’ said the 2 i/c.‘OK,’ said Martyn, ‘I’m sold on that. Jackpot it is.’During this conversation Asad had been talking intently with his father. Although it was clear, from the way Emily and Martyn kept rearranging themselves uncomfortably on the carpet, that the visitors were ready to go, the father now spoke to them all. Jean translated.‘We would like to extend an invitation to everyone here today. My daughter is to be married next month. We would be very honoured if you would consider joining our family and friends for the wedding celebrations.’The invitation was received in shocked silence. Even Emily and Martyn looked to the OC for a reply.‘Um, well, actually, we’d love to, really, but we honestly couldn’t . . . I mean, we wouldn’t be able to . . .’He looked helplessly at Jean who looked at Asma.‘You should be flattered,’ she said. She was blushing. ‘I doubt anyone else in the British Army has been honoured this way.’‘I’d certainly love to go,’ stated Emily.Asma said: ‘Sir, it would be an amazing chance to win hearts and minds locally.’But the OC shook his head.‘You know as well as I do that it could be a trap.’Asma stared back at him, her dark eyes wide, feeling offence on the tribesmen’s behalf.The major said: ‘I’m sorry, but it just wouldn’t be safe. And, realistically, how could we come without huge protection? Which would be quite inappropriate at a wedding.’Emily opened her mouth to argue but Jean was already replying.‘Jean’s saying that you really want to accept. But you’d be in trouble for contravening current security procedures,’ Asma explained quietly to the OC. ‘She’s saying you’re honoured . . . you’re sad that our rules prevent it . . . you appreciate this warm gesture of friendship.’The major nodded. ‘Very good,’ he said. ‘Very creative. I can leave it to you girls to say the right thing.’The news was received with apparent disappointment by Asad’s family. Asma was glad that Jean was the interpreter inflicting this disappointment.Driving home, the OC said: ‘I must admit, their invitation seemed genuine enough and I felt bad turning it down.’‘An Afghan wedding would have been a most interesting experience,’ agreed Emily.‘And,’ said the 2 i/c regretfully, ‘Afghan feasts are apparently delicious.’Asma sat quietly thinking how much she would have enjoyed the wedding. When she was a teenager her family had been invited to the occasional Afghan celebration in London but she had known that these affairs were no more than pale imitations and adaptations of weddings in Afghanistan.Suddenly Martyn spoke: ‘I don’t trust those guys.’Everyone turned to him.‘You think the invitation was a trap?’ asked the OC.‘Well listen, I just hated the way he could put his finger right on the map at Jackpot. And he even described the gravimeter. Which means they’ve been watching us and we didn’t know it.’The OC did not miss his chance.‘Perhaps now you understand that the level of protection we offer you is necessary.’He glanced at Emily. She sighed.‘Merely watching us indicates only that they are curious.’Martyn folded his arms defiantly.‘Yeah, well don’t forget the guy’s Saudi connections. I don’t trust any of them, least of all that son.’Asma and Jean exchanged glances but remained silent.The OC said: ‘Well, the main thing is they gave us the information we went for. Now we’ve got the detail on the Taliban’s activities in the area, we can take the appropriate action.’
Chapter Thirty-four
A STRIKE OP ON THE TALIBAN COMPOUND WAS SOON ANNOUNCED. It was too big for R Company to handle alone so another company was flying in from Bastion to help.‘Who are they?’ asked Dave.CSM Kila said: ‘Paras. And most of them have been out here before. So they know what they’re doing.’‘So it’ll be their op,’ said Dave. ‘And we’ll be supporting them.’Kila shrugged. ‘Don’t worry, there’ll be enough action to go round.’The oil exploration programme went on hold while R Company went operational. For once, Emily and Martyn were united. They wanted to get on with their job and there was a public argument in the cookhouse.‘You’re here for us!’ Martyn didn’t shout but his voice was raised. ‘You’re supposed to put our work first. And now you’re telling us we’re on hold while you go fighting.’The OC was tight-lipped. ‘Let me explain again. With such a major Taliban installation so close to this FOB, you soon won’t be able to continue with your work unless we take action.’‘They’ve given us no trouble so far!’ retorted Emily. ‘Although they have no doubt felt the need to defend themselves from your attacks.’The OC gritted his teeth.‘Our intelligence is that there are now many insurgents in this area. They seem to have a direct route from here to various centres of the narcotics trade where they are in frequent contact with troops from our other bases. So this action is necessary for everyone’s safety, not just yours.’1 Platoon gathered in the Cowshed for prayers. Boss Weeks said they would drive to the Green Zone and form part of an outer cordon with the rest of R Company. The Paras and their support would arrive in three Chinooks which would drop them inside the cordon, close to the compound. There would be two Apaches and two A10s on hand at all times. The outer cordon would aim to close in and join the fighting.‘Tomorrow’s operation could turn into a very major and decisive battle. It will demand focus, professionalism and bravery. I want you to know that I am completely confident of the ability of every man in this platoon to
perform under extreme pressure.’Dave, standing at the front next to the boss, arms folded, noted that the boss had just spoken without an um or an er. He was saying what the men needed to hear. And incredibly, for the first time, they were all listening to him.He stole a glance at Weeks’s now grizzled face. His fair hair hung around his ears and that boyish, round-cheeked look had been replaced with sharper, more robust lines.‘This operation is a major offensive. It’s the first time we have been in theatre with another company. And not just any company, but Paras.’‘That’s why they get to take the compound while we hang around on the outside, then,’ said Ryan Connor from 2 Section. ‘Because they’re Paras.’‘The Paras get all the fucking fun,’ said a couple of lads from 3 Section, and all their mates agreed with them loudly.Dave said, ‘You lot don’t own this bit of Helmand.’‘I think you should be very pleased that we’ve got such experienced soldiers alongside us,’ the boss said.‘We’re not going to see much of the action, though, are we, if we’re stuck in the outer cordon?’ called Mal.Dave put his hands on his hips. ‘Got a short-term memory problem, shitheads? We’re catching fleeing insurgents and closing in on the compound to support the Paras. That’s action.’The boss added quietly: ‘The last ambush 1 Section was involved in might be considered enough action for some people, Mal. We were extremely lucky to escape serious injury.’ He glanced at Jamie.‘And let’s keep it that way,’ said Dave. ‘I don’t want any sloppiness because you think the Paras are going to take the brunt of the contact for you. Just stay sharp.’R Company was due to leave the base at 0400. The base was already so busy at 0300 that there was an empty phone slot. It had been booked solidly since the operation was announced and Dave, as usual, had been too late for a place. He hadn’t spoken to Jenny for a week. Or even two.He knew he should stop sorting ammo and grab the phone. His mind was on today’s operation and he did not really want to realign his thoughts with the small domestic world of Wiltshire. The call would be affectionate, but it would have to be brief.When he held the battered handset at last, it felt rare and precious. Not because it could connect him to Wiltshire, but because it was something every man wanted.He dialled Jenny’s number. He was determined that he wouldn’t spend ten minutes apologizing for not phoning before. As the number rang he felt the usual fear that she wouldn’t answer and the usual relief when she picked up.‘Jen!’But the voice he heard was not Jenny’s.‘Dave, is that you?’It was his mother-in-law. Not a good sign.‘Trish! Where’s Jenny?’‘She’s across the road at her friend’s, whatsername.’‘Leanne?’‘Leanne. Is that the one who had something happen to her husband?’‘He got sent home.’‘Not in a coffin, I hope?’Typical Trish. Salt of the earth, always there to help in a crisis and guaranteed never to look on the bright side. Ever since they first knew Dave was coming to Afghanistan she had been darkly hinting at the inevitability of his demise, until Jenny had begged her to stop.‘Not in a coffin, but not in one piece,’ he conceded.‘Well, there you are, then. And they’ve sent him somewhere else now.’This was Trish’s I-told-you-so voice. It was entirely predictable and always entirely justified because nothing bad could happen which Trish hadn’t already anticipated. Some people had hobbies. Trish spent her leisure hours concocting disasters.‘I think he’s gone to Headley Court. Trish, is everything all right with Jenny?’‘No. She’s not good, I’m afraid. She’s been told she needs a lot of rest . . . oh, here she is now. Do you want to speak to her?’He gritted his teeth.‘Well, yes please, Trish.’‘All right, I’ll let you two talk. But, Dave, I must say something. Jenny’s had too much to cope with alone here, and now it’s beginning to show. Who knows what effect this is all having on the baby? We may not know for years but these things always come out in the end.’He rolled his eyes as the prophet of doom droned on.‘You need to reconsider your position, Dave. You’re out there fighting a war no one agrees with or understands while your family’s here without you. Think about it, Dave. There. That’s all I’ve got to say.’‘OK, Trish, I’ll give that some thought.’Trish handed over the phone and he was alone with Jenny. There was a pause and then they both guffawed.‘Christ, your mum doesn’t change, does she?’ said Dave.‘I don’t know what I’d do without her.’‘What’s up, love? What’s happened?’‘I’ve been feeling weird for a while . . .’‘You didn’t tell me.’Ooops. Stupid. How could she tell him if he didn’t phone? He braced himself for her to point this out but she evidently decided not to.‘Well, I’m just about to have a baby, it’s normal to feel weird. But for the last couple of weeks I’ve been getting a bit spaced out and my ankles were so swollen I could hardly move. Then my hands started to swell too and I just felt dreadful. The midwife said my blood pressure was too high. I’ve got to have complete rest. If I don’t get back to normal in a week, I have to go to hospital.’‘But what will they do there?’‘I don’t know. Monitor me, I suppose.’‘Oh, Christ. Is the baby OK?’‘Yes. The worst case scenario is that they’ll have to induce me a bit early.’‘Induce!’‘Dave, don’t worry.’‘Early!’‘Not very. We’ll manage, love. Your mum’s coming to help next week so I know I’ll have a laugh then.’Jenny and Dave’s mother were good mates. Dave just wished he could feel the same way about her mother.‘How’s Vicky?’‘Fine! Everything’s fine.’But he knew everything wasn’t fine. And he knew he was powerless to do anything.‘I miss you. I worry about you,’ he said. He kept his voice even so he didn’t betray his anguish.‘Well, don’t. I’m OK and it’s my job to do the worrying around here.’‘If you were OK your mum wouldn’t be there.’‘All I do is lie around getting bigger. And Mum gets smaller. She’s lost three pounds.’‘How’s Leanne? How’s Steve?’‘Well, you can worry about them if you want something to worry about. He’s been horrible to her. Really angry. Seems to want any excuse to shout at her. As though she planted the bloody IED.’‘I thought he was at Headley Court now.’‘They’re giving him at least two legs, maybe more. One for every occasion. But he’s still horrible to Leanne. He’s on an anger management course or something now.’Dave was aware that around him the base was buzzing with activity. His own men were gathering by the wagons already and sharing cigarettes. The air was thick with anticipation.‘Jen, shit, I’m really sorry, I’ve got to go . . .’He rushed the rest of the call and then put down the phone feeling dissatisfied. He hadn’t been able to tell her that in less than an hour he would be leaving for a big operation. And she had apparently decided not to nag about him leaving the army, at least for now. So they had talked about Steve and Leanne. As usual, there had been more unsaid than said between them. It was better not to phone at all.He walked briskly back to the ammo.