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  “Good.” Connor glanced at his watch — zero three fifteen. It was time for him to take some tough decisions. “Sparks, contact CENTCOM and inform them that we’ve lost Lieutenant Bradley. We’ll proceed without him. We have to get to that deserted village and conceal ourselves by dawn. There’s simply not enough time to search the whole area. If he’s OK and just lost comms then he knows where to head for. If he’s in trouble, well, there’s not much we can do for him, anyway.”

  They buried their chutes and set off in single file, Danny taking point duty. Connor said nothing but knew all his team were thinking the same as him. If Bradley was dead or injured, it was only a matter of time before the Taliban found him and they would know ISAF was coming. Connor dismissed the thought as it began to snow — hard.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  On the trail

  They’d landed far up the ninety-six kilometer-long Panjshir valley, well beyond the wide expanses of snow-covered fields and leafless mulberry and walnut groves. Ahead lay a barren, desolate landscape and the steep trail to the Khawak Pass, a route across the Hindu Kush to the fertile northern plains. At over 3,500 metres, Connor was relieved he didn’t need to cross it. Even so, he could tell the air was thin — breathing was harder, and his backpack felt even heavier than usual. His team scuffed through shin-deep snow, which sapped more energy. The wind had picked up too, and drove the heavy snowfall into their faces. It felt like being sandblasted.

  They paused as Sparks held a map in front of Connor’s face and shone a small torch onto it.

  “Sir, despite landing about a kilometre from where we intended, we’re making good progress. The abandoned village is half a kilometre further up the valley. We should leave the trail here to get to higher ground. With luck we’ll locate the hidden crevice in the rocks and can sit it out until the meeting with Hamid.”

  At Camp Delta they’d studied recent satellite imagery and old footage taken by drone flights and spotted the crevice on a boulder-strewn ledge overlooking the village. It was ideal. They needed to observe the village before risking entering it. And even if they were sure it was still abandoned, they could only go in during daylight because it was highly likely the Taliban had planted IEDs (improvised explosive devices).

  Connor stared into the swirling snow. At least their tracks would be covered now; that was the first piece of good news. He nodded in agreement. “How’s Ben doing?” His concern at the way Ben had struggled to keep up was growing.

  “Still limping and cursing a lot, sir.”

  “Can he manage the climb?”

  “Guess he’ll have to, sir. I’ll tell Sam to give him a hand.”

  Huddled together, Delta Force sat out the rest of the night in the arrow-shaped crevice about forty-five metres up the mountainside. Although sheltered from the worst of the storm, within minutes of stopping the cold seeped through their uniforms and began to freeze their sweat. Jacko tried out his ultra-thin foil sleeping bag that made him look like a giant roast turkey but soon discarded it, claiming he’d got too hot. Connor repeatedly tried to raise Lieutenant Bradley but all he heard in his earpiece was static hiss.

  The snowstorm had stopped, and in the pale light of dawn Connor studied the village below. The nearest buildings were about one hundred and fifty metres away. Using nearby boulders for cover, Jacko and Danny searched the valley with their binoculars for signs of life. Sam blew warm breath into clasped, frozen hands, and then steadied his sniper rifle on a bed of packed snow.

  Ben had fallen into a fitful sleep and awoke in agony. His ankle had swollen badly. Connor dosed him up with painkillers and joked about the injury — he could tell Ben was scared of being left behind.

  Danny crawled back from the rocks. “Sir, there’s nothing moving out there. And the village looks deserted. Want to do a recce?”

  The meeting with Hamid had been arranged by Bradley for 0900 hours. Connor inspected his watch. They had an hour.

  “Yes. Sam and Sparks, stay here. Cover us and keep an eye on Ben. Danny and Jacko, you two come with me. Leave your backpacks here. We’ll go in light in case we have to move fast.”

  They descended the steep, narrow path, with Connor leading the way. Initial signs were good. The fresh layer of snow on the main trail lay undisturbed. No one else had passed their way. As they approached the village Connor realised why the place had been abandoned. Walls and buildings lay in ruin. Large, circular depressions in the ground indicated that the village had been shelled — probably years ago, Connor thought — by the Russians. “Jacko, go and check out that first building. And, remember, tread carefully. We’ll cover you.”

  Jacko looked across at a snow-filled ditch. If the Taliban had set booby traps, seeing them under the fresh snow was almost impossible. Every step could be his last. It was what all soldiers feared most. Give them a firefight any day, even incoming RPGs, both were preferable to stepping on an IED that, at best, would blow both legs off. But orders were orders. He gritted his teeth and stepped through.

  Jacko entered the roofless house, then emerged after a few seconds. “All clear, sir,” he said over the radio. Carefully, he retraced his steps in the snow.

  “Good work. The meet with Hamid is in the next building. Just to be safe, we’ll use that house as cover and go in around the wall.”

  They were about to move out when Sparks’s voice crackled in Connor’s earpiece. He sounded anxious. “Sir, I can see smoke coming from the building just across from you. You’re not alone down there.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Meeting Hamid

  With his back against the wall of the roofless house, Danny gave Connor a leg-up. Connor scanned the neighbouring yard and saw a building in one corner with most of its roof intact. Wisps of wood smoke drifted up through the gaps. The wooden door was closed. Footprints in the snow led from a hole in a building wall on the far side of the yard. Connor reckoned there was more than one set of prints, but he couldn’t be sure. Otherwise, most of the area seemed clear. He slipped back down and briefed the others.

  “If Bradley got here on his own, he might’ve arrived during the night — Hamid too,” Connor said.

  “They might both be in there,” Danny suggested.

  “Possibly, but we’re not taking any chances. Assume it’s hostile. Jacko, cover the hole in the building wall. Danny, you’re with me. Ready?”

  Connor and Danny moved around the broken-down wall, while Jacko sank onto one knee and, M4 firm against his shoulder, got ready for trouble. Connor and Danny darted across the yard, pressing their backs against the wall of the house, either side of the door. Danny nodded and Connor spun and kicked the door in, M4 ready.

  Inside, Hamid was sitting cross-legged on the dirt floor, feeding wood onto a small fire. A tin of melted snow hung over the flames and was slowly coming to the boil. Connor’s arrival didn’t startle him — he’d heard them coming through the snow.

  Connor swept the room and saw that the man by the fire was the only person inside. He’d hoped that Bradley would be there too.

  The Afghan, wrapped in thick layers to keep warm, had dark hair beneath his turban and jet-black eyes. Connor guessed he was in his mid-forties, but it was hard to tell. “You Hamid?”

  Hamid nodded. “Assalam u alaikum.”

  As Connor kept his M4 trained on him, Danny dragged the man to his feet and searched him roughly, just in case explosives or weapons lay beneath his clothes. Hamid did not protest.

  “He’s clean, sir,” Danny announced, letting go. “Just a thick wad of dollars and these.” He held out a small drawstring bag filled with uncut gemstones.

  Connor clicked on his throat mic. “Sparks, everything all right out there?”

  “Yes, major. Can’t see a living thing.”

  Connor relaxed slightly.

  “I’m making tea,” Hamid explained in Pashto. He gestured towards the fire. Connor nodded and Hamid crouched back down and stared fixedly into the tin of boiling water. “I was expecting Lieutenant Bradle
y,” he added.

  “He’s been delayed,” Connor replied. “So, you know where Mullah Khan is hiding out — and about the meeting ?”

  Hamid nodded. “I have some of the information you and Lieutenant Bradley wanted. Khan arrived a month ago with his men. He is in an old silver mine a full day’s walk from here. It belonged to my family until Khan came. Now it is his. It is well guarded. I am risking much by telling you this.”

  “I know, I know. And the meeting?”

  “Sorry, I have no idea.” Hamid added some tea leaves to the tin. His hand was shaking. “I have risked so much,” he repeated.

  Hamid glanced up and instantly the major saw the helpless look in the man’s eyes. Connor knew something was wrong. The pieces suddenly fell into place: the multiple tracks in the snow; the fact that Hamid had a bag of uncut gems and a wad of US dollars. Connor realised Hamid had already met with Bradley! The cash proved it. But Bradley was nowhere to be seen.

  Connor’s reaction was swift. He knocked Hamid to the floor and kicked the tin of boiling water off its hook to put out the fire. “Code Red!” he shouted into his mic. “It’s a trap!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Bradley’s fate

  With the barrel of Danny’s light machine gun against Hamid’s head, Connor demanded answers. “Where is Lieutenant Bradley? What has happened here?”

  “Please,” Hamid begged. “I was betrayed. Mullah Khan learned of my meeting with the lieutenant. Khan has my family. He will kill them if I don’t do as he asks.”

  “Where is Bradley?” Connor yelled into the Afghan’s face.

  “I came yesterday, before it grew dark. Three of Khan’s men followed me. Lieutenant Bradley arrived a few hours before dawn. He was exhausted and in great pain. His arm was broken. He didn’t explain why he was hurt. He wanted to wait. Said others would come. He must’ve meant you.”

  “And?”

  Hamid gazed down at the floor. “Khan’s men took him outside and killed him.”

  “Where are Khan’s men now?”

  Hamid shrugged.

  “What about Bradley’s body?”

  Hamid looked up and went out through the door and pointed to the mound of snow the opposite side of the yard.

  “Show me!” Connor snapped angrily.

  “Sir, everything all right, down there, over?”

  “Sparks, you and Sam keep us covered. We’ve got to check something out. Hamid’s here and says Khan’s men have killed Bradley. There were three of them, maybe more, current whereabouts unknown. Keep your eyes peeled and monitor the airwaves in case they’re watching and planning an attack, over.”

  “Copy that, major. I’m scanning as we speak, over.”

  Cautiously, they crossed the snow-covered yard. Jacko remained crouched by the wall, continually surveying the rooftops, walls and doorways. Hamid stopped next to a huge snowdrift. “He is in there, major.”

  Close up, Connor could see drag marks. There was blood too — lots of it. “Did they place an IED? Is it booby-trapped?”

  Hamid shook his head.

  “Danny, check it out.”

  Danny climbed up, and looked over the edge of the drift. A rusting metal turret stuck out of the snow, and he quickly realised it must be an old Soviet tank. Carefully, he peered inside the turret. “Oh, Jesus! He’s in here, sir.” They had bound his hands and cut off his head. Danny reached down and lifted out Bradley’s bloodstained helmet. “His radio’s broken too. Do you want Jacko and me to get him out?”

  “No. Wait.” Connor was thinking hard. “Hamid, do Khan’s men know about us?”

  “I don’t think so. I spoke to Bradley in English. The others only spoke Pashto and Dari. I tried to warn Lieutenant Bradley, but by the time he realised, it was too late.”

  “So, we may still have the element of surprise on our side. Good. Danny, show Hamid our map. He can point out the location of that silver mine.”

  Hamid studied the map at length but he was a simple man and struggled with understanding the scale and contour lines. He couldn’t point to the mine’s location with sufficient certainty to convince Connor. “Right, there’s only one alternative,” Connor snapped. “You’re going to lead us to it, Hamid.”

  “But they will kill me and my family if they see me with you.”

  Connor grabbed him sharply by the collar. “That’s the least of your problems. Do as you’re told and you might just live. But double-cross us and so help me I’ll make sure the first bullet in my rifle has your name on it. Jacko, get the others down here. And tell Sparks to inform CENTCOM that we’ve located Bradley. We’ll leave his body where it is. When our mission’s complete they can send in another team to extract him.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jacko responded, adding under his breath, “and maybe they’ll be coming for our corpses too.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Night strike

  Hamid led the way. He said it was best to keep off the main trail. Instead, they followed the path of the river.

  “I don’t trust Hamid,” Sparks snarled.

  “Neither do I,” Connor responded. “But we’ve little choice. My biggest worry is whether Khan’s men know about us. Hamid said they didn’t but we can’t be sure.”

  Danny joined in. “If they knew we were coming wouldn’t they have waited and taken us on?”

  “Maybe. Or, they decided it was more important to warn Khan that we’re onto him.”

  After a two-hour march, Ben suddenly wilted to his knees and collapsed face down in the snow.

  “Ben’s exhausted, sir,” Jacko declared.

  “Just let me rest for five minutes,” Ben said, sipping on some water. “I’ll be fine.”

  Connor was uncompromising. “Five minutes, then we move out. Sam, make him eat a couple of chocolate bars to give him a burst of energy.”

  They carried on up the valley in the direction of the Khawak Pass, with Ben leaning on Jacko for support. An hour before dusk, Hamid led them away from the river to higher ground. They found themselves on a trail overlooking a village.

  Connor’s eyes narrowed. He could see movement and smoke. Through his binoculars, he observed two Taliban with rifles keeping lookout on the roofs. Several other armed men were wandering about in the central yard. He handed the binoculars to Hamid. “Recognise anyone?”

  “Yes. The three men in the yard. They are the ones who killed Lieutenant Bradley.”

  Connor felt the adrenaline surge and quickly made up his mind. He tied Hamid’s hands and sat him down. “Ben, you’re staying here with Sam. If Hamid tries to make a run for it, shoot him. The rest of you, come with me.”

  Under the cover of darkness, Connor led Danny, Jacko and Sparks towards the village. Their night-vision equipment gave the world a strange, eerie glow. Connor and Jacko were armed with silenced M4 carbines, while Danny and Sparks carried FN MK48 light machine guns. Crouching against the wall, close to the courtyard, Connor whispered to Sam over the comms. “We’re in position. Update us on current insurgent locations, over.”

  From the mountainside, Sam peered through the infrared sight of his silenced M110A1 semiautomatic sniper rifle and scanned the village.

  “Two still on the roof. Both sitting down, cross-legged. I’ll take them out on your command, sir. Just one target in the yard, to your left. Others have gone indoors. Door to building on your right is open and I can see activity inside. The two doors opposite are closed but there is light coming from both houses.”

  “OK. Confirm line of sight and then on my count, over,” Connor replied, signalling Danny and Jacko to move silently to the opposite wall.

  Sam lined up the crosshairs of his sight with the first Taliban on the roof. He knew he’d have to take out the second insurgent quickly. “I have the shot, sir, over.”

  “Three, two, one.”

  Sam exhaled to relax and squeezed the trigger, absorbing the recoil. The Taliban keeled over. Quickly, he panned his rifle left in a movement he’d practised a dozen times in pre
paration. Then two rapid shots and the second lookout slumped forward. “Clear, clear, clear… over.”

  Connor and his team gritted their teeth and rushed into the compound. The lone Taliban standing outside turned in surprise. Jacko fired and the man dropped.

  Danny and Sparks kicked open the doors of the houses. The men sitting inside making IEDs were taken completely by surprise.

  At the same time, Connor headed towards the open door clutching a grenade. He tossed it inside, spun round against the wall and braced himself for the blast. The building shuddered and dust billowed out through the door and window. He leapt into the doorway and stepped inside. Amid the swirling dust a dozen Taliban lay on the floor. Connor heard a groan. One of them was still alive. Connor saw a bloodied hand reaching for a rifle and he didn’t hesitate. A double tap, two shots in rapid succession, and the room was still.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Hamid’s village

  Connor had just finished securing the area when Sam’s voice crackled in his earpiece.

  “Sir, there may have been a third lookout. I saw someone running away,” he said. “I couldn’t get a clear shot, over.”

  Connor cursed. He knew it was a race against time now. “Sam, bring Ben and Hamid down here. We’re moving out. We have to locate that mine and call in the air strike before the alarm is raised, over and out.”

  Hamid was vague about how long it would take to reach his own village and the silver mines. He kept peering at the struggling Ben, and wondered why on earth they didn’t just leave him behind. He thought the Americans foolish. The Taliban, he reckoned, wouldn’t hesitate to leave a wounded man behind on such a mission. And he wondered if such ruthlessness lay behind the Taliban’s success.

  An hour into their march the wind rose to a howl and buffeted their every step. It whipped up the snow and pelted them. Despite Ben abandoning most of his heavy kit, every agonising step took him closer to exhaustion. When he collapsed for the third time, he pleaded for Connor to leave him to rest. “Sir, I’m holding you back. I don’t want to be responsible for the failure of our mission. You go on. I’ll take my chances.”