climbed into the front passenger seat. He took a swig of water from a bottle as Baxter’s men left the first building empty-handed.
Lieutenant Jacko Alvarez rested his arms on the steering wheel and groaned resignedly. “Major, I think we’re in for a long day.”
Connor nodded. “Sparks, see if you can get hold of Colonel Khalid on the radio. I think he’s hellbent on becoming a hero.”
“Yes, sir.”
A deafening explosion rocked the street. Jacko leaned forward and gazed straight ahead at the cloud of smoke rising over the old town. “Quite possibly a dead hero, sir.”
“That’s what’s worrying me. Sparks, any luck?”
“I’m through, sir,” Sergeant Sparks announced from the back of the vehicle. “Khalid’s alive and in the central square. A car bomb’s taken out four of his men and the rest are pinned down by Taliban snipers. His personnel carrier’s out of action, too. Took a hit from an RPG. I’ll get CENTCOM to patch through a visual feed to us.”
Connor and his team studied the small screen on Spark’s comms gear. Amid rising, acrid smoke from burning vehicles they could see Khalid and two of his men crouching behind a low wall.
“Hell! There’s no time to mess around. We’d better go get them.” Connor leaned out and yelled at a sentry. “Move that wire barricade, marine.”
“I have a bad feeling about this, sir,” said Jacko as he started up their GMV. “We could be walking into a trap as well. We all heard Jabir Hassani swear he’d get his revenge against us that day we captured him.”
“Just drive, lieutenant… Danny, you’re up top. Point that M2 at anything that breathes… Sparks, tell Khalid to sit tight. And see if you can get air support to lay down some suppressing fire around the square. Those snipers need distracting… Ben and Sam, keep your eyes peeled. Knowing Jabir’s men, I bet these streets are littered with IEDs.” Connor swung round his M4 carbine and released the safety catch. “OK, guys, time to go hunting.”
CHAPTER FOUR
IED strike
Jacko drove steadily for the first fifty metres, but hit the brakes when Connor raised his hand. Baxter was emerging from a building. He gave Connor the thumbs up as an escapee with his hands cuffed behind his back was dragged out of the doorway. “Three hundred and forty-six to go, major.”
“Hey, Baxter, want to see some real action?” Connor shouted.
“Yes siree, major, sir.” Baxter grinned.
Connor quickly briefed him. “So, you and your men secure this street and follow us towards the square. You’re our backup, sergeant. This is going to be our exit route. Maintain radio contact with us at all times. Getting Colonel Khalid out of here isn’t going to be easy.”
Connor instructed Jacko to edge forward slowly. Sporadic small arms fire could be heard coming from the square ahead. But that wasn’t what worried Connor most. It was the eyes staring at him that gave him a sinking feeling; eyes peering out of windows, eyes of men in the street, on balconies, on bicycles and mopeds. Who was friend and who was foe? It was impossible to tell.
Danny aimed the GMV’s swivelled, topmounted M2 machine gun threateningly at anyone who came too close. He yelled at them to back off. This wasn’t the time for winning hearts and minds. Any one of them could be a suicide bomber.
Sam spotted him first. “Man on balcony to our right holding a mobile phone, sir.”
“Goddamnit, major, he’s got an accomplice, too,” Ben added. “On the roof. He’s carrying a camcorder.”
Connor understood — a bomb was waiting for them, to be detonated remotely by phone signal. The horror would be captured on video and no doubt uploaded to extremist websites. But, where was the bomb? His eyes darted left then right, before settling on a battered old truck parked up some forty metres ahead. If it was packed with explosives, they were in big trouble.
“Jacko, back up. Now!”
They had to move fast or else risk becoming
Lieutenant Jacko Alvarez rested his arms on the steering wheel and groaned resignedly. “Major, I think we’re in for a long day.”
Connor nodded. “Sparks, see if you can get hold of Colonel Khalid on the radio. I think he’s hellbent on becoming a hero.”
“Yes, sir.”
A deafening explosion rocked the street. Jacko leaned forward and gazed straight ahead at the cloud of smoke rising over the old town. “Quite possibly a dead hero, sir.”
“That’s what’s worrying me. Sparks, any luck?”
“I’m through, sir,” Sergeant Sparks announced from the back of the vehicle. “Khalid’s alive and in the central square. A car bomb’s taken out four of his men and the rest are pinned down by Taliban snipers. His personnel carrier’s out of action, too. Took a hit from an RPG. I’ll get CENTCOM to patch through a visual feed to us.”
Connor and his team studied the small screen on Spark’s comms gear. Amid rising, acrid smoke from burning vehicles they could see Khalid and two of his men crouching behind a low wall.
“Hell! There’s no time to mess around. We’d better go get them.” Connor leaned out and yelled at a sentry. “Move that wire barricade, marine.”
“I have a bad feeling about this, sir,” said Jacko as he started up their GMV. “We could be walking into a trap as well. We all heard Jabir Hassani swear he’d get his revenge against us that day we captured him.”
“Just drive, lieutenant… Danny, you’re up top. Point that M2 at anything that breathes… Sparks, tell Khalid to sit tight. And see if you can get air support to lay down some suppressing fire around the square. Those snipers need distracting… Ben and Sam, keep your eyes peeled. Knowing Jabir’s men, I bet these streets are littered with IEDs.” Connor swung round his M4 carbine and released the safety catch. “OK, guys, time to go hunting.”
CHAPTER FOUR
IED strike
Jacko drove steadily for the first fifty metres, but hit the brakes when Connor raised his hand. Baxter was emerging from a building. He gave Connor the thumbs up as an escapee with his hands cuffed behind his back was dragged out of the doorway. “Three hundred and forty-six to go, major.”
“Hey, Baxter, want to see some real action?” Connor shouted.
“Yes siree, major, sir.” Baxter grinned.
Connor quickly briefed him. “So, you and your men secure this street and follow us towards the square. You’re our backup, sergeant. This is going to be our exit route. Maintain radio contact with us at all times. Getting Colonel Khalid out of here isn’t going to be easy.”
Connor instructed Jacko to edge forward slowly. Sporadic small arms fire could be heard coming from the square ahead. But that wasn’t what worried Connor most. It was the eyes staring at him that gave him a sinking feeling; eyes peering out of windows, eyes of men in the street, on balconies, on bicycles and mopeds. Who was friend and who was foe? It was impossible to tell.
Danny aimed the GMV’s swivelled, topmounted M2 machine gun threateningly at anyone who came too close. He yelled at them to back off. This wasn’t the time for winning hearts and minds. Any one of them could be a suicide bomber.
Sam spotted him first. “Man on balcony to our right holding a mobile phone, sir.”
“Goddamnit, major, he’s got an accomplice, too,” Ben added. “On the roof. He’s carrying a camcorder.”
Connor understood — a bomb was waiting for them, to be detonated remotely by phone signal. The horror would be captured on video and no doubt uploaded to extremist websites. But, where was the bomb? His eyes darted left then right, before settling on a battered old truck parked up some forty metres ahead. If it was packed with explosives, they were in big trouble.
“Jacko, back up. Now!”
They had to move fast or else risk becoming
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