“I want to be informed the minute she leaves,” I said, and nodded towards the door, indicating that he was dismissed. He left quietly, and I sat down as I picked up the phoned and dialled.
“Hello?” the voice answered.
“Is everything in place?” I asked.
“Yes. The call’s been made.”
“Very well. There is one more thing. I’ll deal with the handover of the Tatem girl,” I said.
“Why? We need to check the buyers are ok with this?”
“I wasn’t asking permission; I was telling you what is going to happen. She and I have some unfinished business. After that the buyers can have her. It won’t matter what state she’s in by the time they’re done,” I replied. After a brief pause to contemplate my order, the voice at the other end of the line answered.
“Very well. It’s your decision.” I disconnected the call and threw my phone down on the desk. A man as powerful as I was didn’t wait for what he wanted, he fucking took it. I wanted the bodyguard dead and the Tatem girl under me, begging to join him. All I had to do was make it happen.
Tom
The chopper hovered high above the freezing waters, the rotors a blur but for a reflection of the moonlight. The precisely designed blades curved specifically to reduce radar splash and noise. Normally, I lived for moments like that. The adrenaline pumping through my veins, the spray of cold water on my face reminding me of how alive I was, how ready for the moment I’d be given the go sign to repel into the darkness. The stealthy whir from the Black Hawk was so different from the sound of the unmarked Blue Thunder or the growl of the supporting armed Apache Gunship we’d been using for training in recent months. Maybe that’s what it was. The unfamiliarity, the departure from the norm that was making my gut twist.
We’d repeated this fucking drill more than ten times since we’d arrived, and I still wasn’t happy. It was taking too long for the team to repel and clear the deck. We only had two days to nail this, and I was determined we’d get it right, even if that did make me the most unpopular guy on the bird. Finally, the green light to descend lit. Pulling on the rope to double-check the anchor connection, I was about to give the command to drop rope, when the radios blew up and all hell broke loose.
“Jesus H. Christ, tell me I’m not seeing this,” Will said to me. We all gathered round in silence to watch the carnage. High-definition cameras, telescopic lenses, mobile phones. Every convenience of the modern age all combined to bring death to your doorstep. The media, so hungry to be the first to deliver the ground-breaking news with the most graphic footage, rarely stopped to consider whether they should. There were some things once seen, couldn’t be unseen. I’d been witness to so much shit in my life, I was desensitised to most of it. But the images of young children, their little bodies limp and lifeless, most blackened with soot and some burned, as they were carried from the wreckage was something that would live with me forever.
“Same fuckers?” Eli asked.
“They haven’t claimed responsibility yet, but it’s the same M.O.,” Crash replied.
The room was silent. There was no bravado. No grandstanding, testosterone-fuel rants about what we were going to do to these fuckers when we caught them. There was only horror and the pain of watching innocence die. A generation of children would never be the same. The ones who died, the ones who survived, and the ones who watched it all live and uncensored around the world were forever altered.
“Any word on why they’ve called us back if we’re not on the ground?” Will asked.
“Davies is in with the brass from the military and MI5. The meeting was called before the attack happened. As far as I can tell, MI5 have some major intel. My best guess after today, is that they’ll want to act on it quick. I reckon an operation is in the pipeline,” I replied.
After all these years, I’d learned to rely on my gut. Maybe it was an awareness born of discipline and training. Perhaps it was just intuition. Whatever it was, it filled me with a sense of foreboding. Our objective was to end this siege of terror. My priority was keeping Sarah safe. I didn’t know when one became more important to me than the other, but that was the way it was. If luck was on my side, I’d never have to choose between them.
The room was filled with both SAS and MI5 teams that made up the task force. As usual, we stuck to one side and they kept to the other. Most talked amongst themselves until Lieutenant Colonel Davies walked in with his staff and addressed everyone.
“Gentlemen, you’ve all watched today I’m sure, the horrific and senseless act of violence that took place in our capital. We understand that the entrances and exits to the school were barricaded from the outside and firebombs thrown through many of the windows. Although it has become mandatory following recent events for all schools to be fitted with sprinkler systems, this institution is located in a deprived area with funding problems, and the installation hadn’t yet been completed. Whether this is the reason it was targeted is uncertain, but there is no doubt that this deliberate and inhumane act was intended to cause maximum possible loss of life. Despite the certain risk to emergency service personnel, I’m told that over thirty of the first on scene firefighters battled courageously to save as many children as possible. Eight of those firefighters were killed by the explosive device that detonated during the rescue, which also collapsed part of the building. In total, more than a hundred people are confirmed dead, mostly children, with many more unaccounted for.
“This represents the most catastrophic terrorist event to have taken place on British soil in the last thirty years. I have no words to describe the sort of people who would choose to target the weak and the vulnerable, but it’s clear that when humanity dies, all that’s left is evil. Albert Einstein once said that the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. Well, gentlemen, we will watch no longer. As of this morning, we believe that we have pinpointed the location and time of the next delivery of firearms and explosives to the terrorist cell responsible for these attacks. In a coordinated night assault, Alpha Team A will follow the buyers after the exchange and take out the cell, while Alpha Team B will target the Russian delivery agents. We believe that within this cache of weapons will be enough explosives to take out half of London’s financial district. The operation, which is to be known as Operation Sceptre, will take place seven days from today. I don’t need to tell you that an attack like that would cripple this country’s economy and lead to a devastating loss of life.
“After today’s events, the prime minister wants to send a clear message to any terrorist operating on British soil. There will be no arrests here. No mercy. The SAS do not take prisoners. Your orders are to wipe out this terrorist cell entirely. We want a quick, clean operation with zero casualties to our personnel. When it’s done, the PM will address the nation, and if we are successful, this joint task force between our two departments will become permanent with SAS personnel operating on a rotational basis as per standard protocol. I can’t tell you how important this operation is to the security of our nation. Defending this country is our only priority. Do your job well, gentlemen, so that none of us ever have to see the bodies of our burning children again. May God be with you all.” With that, he stepped back, and headed towards the briefing room.
“Sir, may I speak with you a moment?” I asked, rushing over to catch him.
“If you must,” he said with a deep sigh, “but I have a feeling I know what you’re going to say.” He gave a nod to his staff team, who stepped away to give us some privacy.
“What’s going to happen with Miss Tatem’s security?” I asked.
“So as not to arouse any suspicion before the operation takes place, Alpha Team A will continue to offer the young lady our close protection services until Mr Devaney’s last visit on Friday. Thereafter, all security will be withdrawn. After all, the Russian gang will have been eliminated and any remaining personnel on the Russian payroll will be rounded up when we sei
ze the cargo of incoming shipments as they hit port,” he replied wearily.
“With all due respect, sir, that leaves Miss Tatem completely vulnerable. She’s put herself at great risk to give us the intelligence we need to make this operation a success. There’s no way we can hit a Russian unit of that size and not expect any retaliation from the families, and the first person they’re going to come after for retribution is Sarah,” I protested.
“Miss Tatem,” he corrected.
“What?” I said, in confusion.
“You said Sarah. Her name, as far as this regiment is concerned, is Miss Tatem. I’ve warned you before about getting too close to this asset. We’re very grateful to her for her patriotism, but the SAS are not a witness protection service, son. If she feels that our withdrawal after the operation leaves her in a vulnerable position, she can apply to MI5 or the Metropolitan Police for close protection services. If that isn’t sufficient, I’m sure they’ll offer her witness protection. Regardless, that’s not for you to worry about. You have five more days of close protection to say your goodbyes and get your head on straight. After that, I want to know that you’ve severed all connections and that you’re back in the game. Tom, you’re one of my most experienced and trusted officers, well on the way to promotion if this goes down right. But I need to know I can depend on you. I’d hate to have to replace you, but I will in a heartbeat if I think for one minute that you’re compromised,” he said. The implication was abundantly clear. Follow orders and stay on the job, oppose him and I’d be packing my bags.
“Yes, sir,” I replied, through narrowed eyes and gritted teeth. Seemingly appeased, he smiled and gave me a condescending tap on the arm before skulking back to his staff flunkies. I walked over to the window and sliding my phone out of my pocket, I scrolled through the camera feeds at the house one more time. Rubbing my thumb across the grainy image of Sarah’s face and reassuring myself that she was safe. Reluctantly putting it back into my pocket, I folded my arms defensively as I stared out into the distance and considered my options.
“What was that all about?” Will asked, having followed me with the rest of the guys. I looked at them all gravely and wondered how many of them would share my concerns.
“Brass is pulling Sarah’s security. We have until Friday with her, then we’re back at Hereford for tactical training and operational prep. After that, she’s on her own as far as they’re concerned,” I replied.
“Fuck!” Eli said. Will knew best what Sarah meant to me, but of all the team, Eli had become closest to her.
“The Russians will kill her. Even if we cut the head off the snake, as soon as those shipments start getting seized, they’ll know she snitched. After that, it’ll be open season on her. It’s how they teach people not to fuck with them.
“It’s not going to happen,” I vowed. “No fucking way am I hanging her out to dry on their nod. If they won’t protect her, I will.”
“What’s the plan?” Crash asked.
“I’m not letting them take me off point. If I’m not involved, I don’t know what’s happening. Without intel and resources, I can protect her even less. While Sceptre goes down, I guess I’ll set her up at my place. Nan will keep an eye on her until we get back, but I don’t know where we’ll go from there,” I replied.
“Listen, you need help keeping her safe while you figure things out, I’m there,” Eli offered.
“Same here,” said Crash.
“I hate to be the bearing of bad tidings, but I don’t think there’s going to be an opportunity for that. Davies knows you’re attached to this girl. Once this is over, my guess is we’re all getting shipped somewhere else for a posting or training, so he can put some distance between you both. He’s going to make her even more of a sitting duck than she already is,” Will added as the voice of reason.
“You’re right,” Eli agreed. “The press would have a field day with this story, and God knows how they’ll spin it. If we pull off this op, the SAS is going to come out of this looking squeaky clean, and Davies isn’t going to let anyone mess with that.”
“I’m actually surprised he hasn’t separated you both already,” Will added.
“He’s given me a week to break it off with her and get my head on straight, which is bullshit. He just doesn’t want to tip his hand to the Russians. If I get her away from here, somewhere remote, I can protect her, but I can’t do that here. Even if I could, I’ve got a couple of years left on my ticket before I can punch out,” I replied, referring to the length of time I had on my contract before I could leave the army.
“You’d do that?” Will asked in surprise. “You’d leave the regiment for her?”
“To keep her alive, I’d leave the fucking army,” I replied without hesitation. It was easy enough to say the words, but deep inside I knew I meant them. This girl was special. Like no one I’d ever met before. I didn’t know if you could ever really pinpoint the exact moment when you knew you’d fallen, and I wasn’t the sort of person to over-analyse that sort of stuff. What I did know was that she was mine. Mine to protect. Mine to hold. And nobody, not Lieutenant Colonel Davies, not the British Army, not even the fucking Russian mafia, was going to take her away from me.
“That’s fucking huge!” Crash exclaimed, looking shocked.
“When you know, you know,” I answered. “Look, leaving you guys wouldn’t be my first choice. Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure you boys could last a week without me there saving your arses. But I’ve found something worth fighting for. And Davies isn’t asking her to stay at home while I go off to war. He’s asking me to turn my back and run, when the only thing that’s right is to stay and fight.”
“Well, they can’t fire us all, can they?” Eli said resignedly.
“I’m pretty sure that if we fuck this up, they’ll fire the whole fucking regiment,” Will replied. “But fuck it, Reaper. I’m in anyway. Who needs a pension?”
I didn’t have much faith in people. Besides Nan and my brief and fleeting relationship with my step-father before he died, I’d never had much reason to. But time after time, each one of the team had given me their loyalty as easily as they put their life in my hands.
“Thanks, man. That means a lot. But I can’t ask you to do this. You guys all have long careers ahead of you. Eli, I know you send money home to help your sister out with her kids,” I said.
“All the more reason to do it. If we can’t protect our family, what the fuck are we fighting for?” he asked.
“Fuck it,” Crash answered. “If it all goes pear-shaped, I might give stripping a go. I’ve got the body for it, and Nan’s always asking me to shake my arse for her.”
“Have at it,” I replied, without missing a beat. “Two weeks as Nan’s bitch boy and you’ll be begging to come back.”
“Worried she’ll marry me and that I’ll end up with your inheritance?” he asked jokingly.
“Nah, I’m more concerned that your battered, broken body won’t be able to handle it as her sex slave. Ever wondered how the last three husbands died?” I asked, chuckling at the horrified expression on his face.
“What about you, Brit?” Crash asked him.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve got the better body for stripping, but I’ll pass on being Nan’s bitch boy thanks. The real money’s in the private sector. Four special forces guys with our combined experience would make a fortune in security. It’s where half the regiment go before retirement anyway,” Eli replied.
“Or I could write a book,” Crash suggested, looking pensive as he contemplated his retirement options.
“About what?” Eli asked.
“If Sceptre goes down like it’s supposed it, I’ll write about that. Throw in a British heiress and a bit of romance. Bound to be a bestseller,” he replied.
“You so much as think her name, and me and you will have problems,” I told him.
“Relax, Reaper. Jeez, I’ll make her a Lexi or something. Write her in as an heiress whose yacht was used by the Ru
ssians. I’ll save the day and we’ll live happily ever after. Course, I’m you in this bit of fiction,” he said, nodding his head to indicate it was me he was talking about.
“You realise that a publisher will want some big words in this masterpiece of yours. You can’t just use all the little ones,” Eli said.
“And if it’s fiction, there’s no pictures either,” Will added.
“You guys are fucking buzzkills, you know that?” he replied moodily, as though we’d just stripped him of his New York Times bestseller.
“Private security it is then,” Eli said happily, as though our future careers had all been settled on. It didn’t occur to anyone that we might not make it out of this operation alive. That wasn’t how the SAS worked. As far as we were concerned, we were infallible. We were the bogeyman. Ghosts in the night who despatched evil men to hell before we evaporated in the shadows. We didn’t fear death. We were death.
“I appreciate the support, and I really hope it doesn’t come to that. Let’s just see what happens this weekend. If everything goes well, I’ll have a sit-down with Davies. Maybe getting another medal or two for our hard work will help loosen the stick up his arse,” I said, eliciting a few chuckles.
“Sounds sensible, which is completely unlike you,” Will retorted, and I gave him the finger, which was just the moment that Dickless Masterson approached me. He coughed awkwardly to get my attention.
“Might I have a word?” he asked. I nodded towards the guys, and they left us to go and pack up their kit. The sooner I was on my way back to Sarah, the better as far as I was concerned.
“How can I help you, Mr Masterson?” I asked, my tone loitering somewhere between frosty and arctic.
“I’m aware that we don’t have the best working relationship, but we both care for the same woman. So for her sake, I think you’re going to want to hear what I have to say,” he replied cryptically. And for Sarah’s sake, I nodded in agreement.
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