ACV's 1 Operation Black Gold (39 page)

CHAPTER 39

We were gathered round a delivery.  The Welsh man had arrived with my pistol.  With it came a holster, silencer, cleaning kit, 4 mags and a box of caseless ammo.  He left moments before Samantha turned up.  Her Land Rover pulled up to a muffled groan from someone.  The tension started to build.  Reginald came in holding the doors open for her.  She was struggling with a large cake.  ‘Help me someone.’

Davie M cleared a space on the coffee table.  ‘A peace offering.’  She stood looking rather sheepish shuffling her feet.  Suspicious glances flitted back and forth.  ‘I’ve been a right shit to all of you this last week.’  She shrugged casually.  ‘This PMT is just bloody murder.’  Laughter erupted. 

‘That’s a fucking cracker.’  Abie roared.

She came over, shoved her hand up my back and retrieved the knife.  I jumped about a foot in the air.

‘Nae like you to get a fleg when lassie whips it out for ye Jim,’ cawed Ali.  I scowled furiously at him which just made him laugh all the harder.  I bit back an angry retort.  Fuck it, let them laugh, it was so rare to catch Samantha in a good mood these days.

She was blushing furiously as she cut large slices and handed them out.  I got the last piece balanced on the knife.

‘Thank you.’  It was nice too.

‘I’ve some mail from General Pearson for you.’  She retrieved two letters from her map pocket and handed one to Abie the other was for me.

‘Open it for me will you, my hands are covered in cream.’

‘I can’t its marked TOP SECRET.’

‘For god’s sake you’ve had it all night haven’t ye?’

‘Yes I suppose.’  She seemed a little nervous about its contents.

‘I never said read it.’

‘Here you go then.’  She stuck it on the end of the knife with a cheeky grin.  It felt stupid holding it above my head trying to read it and balancing my piece of cake on it at the same time.  Judging by the laughing, it must have looked stupid too.  It was great news but Abie beat me to it.

‘Oh hey, this is from the Prime Minister.’

‘Whit?’

‘Let’s see?’

‘Get taé fuck, it’s mine.’  He jumped away from grasping hands, hiding it behind his back only to have it snatched by Grizz on the way past.  ‘Geez it back ye big gype.’

Grizz ignored him and carried on reading.  ‘He’s no shitting either,’ Abie managed to snatch it back.

‘Well read it out,’ came the call.  It wasn’t by any means a strange request.  It hadn’t taken us long to get back into the habit of reading each other’s mail, which nine times out of ten seemed more interesting than your own.

‘Gié me a minute will ye?’  He finished reading it through first.  ‘He’s wanting me to organise that fitbá day a fortnight after all the troops get home as a part of a moral boosting effort.  Listen to this, ‘I am aware of the supreme effort the new ACV unit is making in its effort to become combat ready in such a short time,’ he looked up, ‘Jim fits an ACV unit?’

‘Fucked if I know.’  No one did.

Abie shrugged, ‘fuck it, disná matter.  Where was I, oh aye; record time.  I am also aware of the extra effort you make in maintaining and training Scotland’s premier football team.’  I thought he was going to bust with pride.  ‘Please accept my deepest gratitude for your endeavours in keeping these difficult times seem as normal as possible.  Yours sincerely Peter Grey.  PS You wouldn’t have a buckshee signed photo for my grandson Peter and a spare ticket for the day in question, I will look forward to meeting you in person.  PG.’

He was a bit overwhelmed, we all were.  ‘Look he actually said buckshee.’  The letter was passed round ‘Whit’s in yours Jim?’  Abie asked as he carefully folded his back up.

‘I canna tell you its top secret.’  I had to duck as objects were slung at me.  ‘OK-OK, It’s from Andrew, fit’s the one thing we need most but haven’t got enough of?’

‘Time.’  Buff answered the question.

‘Well that’s exactly what we’ve got; the yanks have put any offensive action back for a month anyway.’  All in all it was a good day that one, but fate’s a sassy bitch and was never one to leave us in peace for long.  As her hands reached into the early hours of the morning she dug her heels in, grabbed our strings, and yanked back on them fine style.

CHAPTER 40

Boy woke me up with a jolt; he was on his feet at the bottom of the bed hissing at the door.  His posture was frightening; it frightened me anyway.  I got up and peeked through the curtains.  Someone was struggling with the lock on one of the new one tonnes.  A dark instinct prevented me from rapping on the window to scare him away.  I quickly put my trousers on, strapped on the pistol and woke Buff. 

‘Whit?’

‘Shh, we’ve intruders.’

He swung his legs out of bed and grabbed his trousers.  ‘Why, what are they after?’

‘The motors.’

‘Christ, is it joy riders?’

‘Nah,’ I plucked the pistol from the holster loaded, cocked it and slapped it home.  ‘I don’t think so.’  The inside door opened noiselessly, I crouched down and watched the man through the glass panels of the front door.

Buff slid up behind me.  ‘What’s happening?’

‘One man still trying to get into the one tonne.’

‘Are ye sure it’s nae a joy rider?’

‘He’s too big and broad to be a teenager and he’s wearing dark clothing.  I don’t like this; stay down, if I catch him grab some ó they plastic ties from the store to bind him with.’

‘OK.’

I stood quickly and opened the door.  ‘Stand still.’  The figure froze.  ‘Step away from the vehicle and place your hands behind your head.’  He dipped into a crouch, a weapon gleaned in the moonlight.  My muscles jumped and two shots crashed out into the night.  I looked down at the pistol in my hand in amazement.  The man had been flung backwards and lay spread eagled by the vehicle.

‘Jesus Christ Jim.’

‘Shut it, stay down.’  Boy was at my feet, his warning growl dancing up and down my spine.  Both our heads came up as some cinders crunched underfoot.  I almost missed the second man; he dove out from behind the one tonne, light flashing from his hand.  The doorframe on my left exploded and splinters stung, I swayed right firing.  I clearly heard my rounds smack into his body sending him spinning in mid-air, he hit the ground with a thump and lay still.  There was uproar in the room.  ‘Shut up and get down,’ I roared.  I was obeyed reluctantly.

‘What the fuck’s going on, whose he shooting at?’  A voice whispered fiercely at Buff.

It was then I realised only the sound of my weapon had been heard.  Silencers.  ‘Buff go into my locker, in my plastic tray there’s a card wee that boy Graham’s number on it.  Tell him we’ve had armed intruders.  Shots have been exchanged and there’s two men down, theirs.’

‘Right.’

I looked down at Boy but he was sitting quietly at my feet cleaning his paws, but I still wasn’t happy.

‘Hey Jim do you know your bleeding?’  Asked Grizz.

‘Let me through,’ Davie W protested.

‘Keep him down until the area’s cleared.’  A vehicle started up down the road.  I raced over to the one tonne and climbed on to the roof.  A car raced past doing almost sixty with no lights on.  I snapped off four shots.  It swerved, clipping the kerb and bounced up out of control into a lamppost.  The driver came through the windscreen, his head impacting the post with a sickening crunch.  I jumped down and approached it cautiously checking the interior then round the far side.  It was clear. 

I ran back inside.  ‘OK the area’s clear, Davie you’d better come with me.  There’s three men out there, two are shot, the third came through the windscreen of a car and hit a lamppost.  The Glencourse guards bound to have heard the shots and will be on their way so put on a jacket and T.O.S.  We don’t want to be shot by our own boys.’

‘What about your arm?’

‘Just a few splinters in it, they need you a damn sight more than me.’  I pulled out a few of the biggest and put my jacket on then my T.O.S and shoes.  Davie followed me outside.  Abie took a step out the door.

‘Abie if you come out here and fuck up any forensics, I’ll shoot you next.’

‘Sorry Jim.’  He backed off.

‘That boy’s on his way Jim.’

‘Right, thanks Buff.’

Davie quickly pronounced the first two dead.  We reached the third when the guard ran up throwing out the usual challenges.  ‘Cut the crap and get your arses up here,’ I shouted back with my hands in the air.

‘It’s OK it’s only some ó they nutters that run around we the stretchers, oh Christ!  Sorry sir.’

‘It’s á right man, I’m only glad to be recognised.  Who’s in charge?’

Their NCO stepped forward, ‘I am sir, Cpl Elric.’

‘Right, I want this place cordoned off, two men at the entrance of the housing estate, two at the bottom of the road.  Turn everybody away except MP’s and the police, if anybody asks tell them there’s a gas leak.’

‘Right sir.’

He detailed off four men and doubled them away then came back.  ‘Now what’s happening sir?  We heard shots.’

‘We’ve had armed intruders after the new motors.’

‘Aw fuck!’  Exclaimed one of his men inspecting the mangled remains at the bottom of the lamppost.

‘Guard it, don’t look at it.’  His NCO growled.

Davie had been waiting patiently.  ‘They’re all dead Jim.’

‘Damn it.’

Graham wasn’t long in turning up.  He immediately took charge and ordered in more men who eventually took over from the guard.  They left with the normal national security lecture ringing in their ears.  Andrew wasn’t far behind, looking as fresh as a daisy as normal.  I filled him in on what had happened.

‘Sounds like an American espionage team.  I wonder how they caught onto them.’

I shrugged.  ‘I’ve no idea.’ 

Detectives had arrived and started doing their detective thing.  Army and civilian, when they were ready one approached the first man.  He picked up the pistol with a pen and sniffed at it, just like they do in the movies.

‘This weapon hasn’t been fired.’  He popped it into a plastic bag held open by a college.  Kneeling down by the body he spoke into a tape recorder; describing his actions and what he found, ‘two entry wounds in the middle of subject’s forehead,’ he turned the head, ‘exit wounds on back of head.’  He turned the tape off.

‘Christ, this is some shooting, are you sure you never executed him?’

‘Positive, you’ll find no powder burns on his face if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘Funnily enough, that’s exactly what I was thinking.  You realise we’ll have to check?’

‘Be my guest.’

He carried on searching the body.  ‘No wallet, no identification, no documents of any kind.  There doesn’t seem to be any labels attached to the clothing either.’  I noticed Andrew nod to himself. 

They moved onto the next body following the same procedure.  He held up the second pistol and sniffed.  ‘This one’s been fired.’  They put on a big lamp and searched for the brass casings.  They found four and marked where they lay before bagging them, he moved onto the body.  ‘Look at this, two shots to the forehead in almost the same place as the other.  I thought you said he was moving?’

‘He was; he dove out from behind the wagon.’

‘And you hit him in mid-air?’

‘Aye that’s right.’

He inspected the scene meticulously, measuring the splatter patterns.  The distance between them and the body, the marks he made when he hit the ground, everything.  Eventually he stood back.  ‘Either your one hell of a shot laddie or that’s the flukiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.’

‘It’s amazing what you can achieve when you’re scared shitless.’

‘Well, you can go back inside for now, but we’ll need to talk to you later.’

‘Why don’t you go in and have a nice cup of coffee Jim.’  Andrew gave me a reassuring pat on the arm.

‘Oh fuck,’ I screamed as the pain hit me.

‘Right that’s it, no more of this hero bullshit, get your arse in there now till I get a look at that arm.’

I turned on Davie snarling, ‘Whit, whit did you say to me you fucked up piece of shit.’

‘Oh wow, that arm must really hurt.’  He grabbed me by the scruff and forced me back inside laughing.

Now the lights were on I could see the blood that had soaked through my jacket and ran freely down my arm.  Andrew’s friendly pat had set it off again.  ‘Shit!’  I exclaimed as blood dripped from an already red hand onto the carpet.

‘Take the jacket off and let’s have a look at it.’

‘Yuk!’  Exclaimed Abie as usual.

A gash a lot deeper than I’d realised ran along my bicep.  It was accompanied by a heap of splinters.  The sight of it came as a bit of a shock.

‘Fritz to get me a first aid kit.’

‘OK Davie.’

‘Why didn’t you say you-were hit man?’

I looked up into Davies face.  ‘The truth, I just never realised.’

‘Well it’s going to need cleaned and stitched.’

I didn’t like that idea at all.  ‘Fit’s wrong we a plaster, could I no just gié it a wee wash in the shower, and slap ane on.’

He grinned wickedly at me   ‘Do I tell you how to go about killing people?’

I actually had to think about that for a second, ‘eh!  Nope.’

‘Then don’t tell me how to do my job or I’ll use the staple gun on you.’

‘Aye, like fuck ye will.’

‘Lt Murison.’  One of the detectives appeared.  Davie turned, opening up his view so he could see my arm, which in reality looked a damn sight worse than it was.  ‘Christ you’re wounded, you never said.’

‘That’s right and I’m trying to treat him so please leave and you get rid of that cat.’  Boy had jumped up for a pet.

‘Why, he’s no dein anything,’ I protested.

Davies’s face turned an impressive red. 

‘I’ll take him,’ Abie intervened hastily before Davie exploded.  He gave him a moiré and Boy was on his feet and after him like a shot.  He never got the chance to cool down, an endless stream of people coming in to view the “Wounded man,” drove him to distraction.  The air turned blue fast.  Mind you, I didn’t help any. 

‘Ow, fit the fuck are ye dein?’

‘Shut up ye whining fat bastard.’

‘Your bedside manner’s fucking horrendous Whitton.’

‘Shut the fuck up Murison.’

Davie Mac produced a coffee.  ‘Thanks Davie,’ but as I tried to take a sip Davie decided to remove another splinter.  I jumped half a foot in the air spilling as I went.  ‘Ach, for God’s sake I’m burnt now.’

Davie was growling, ‘if you don’t shut up, I’ll sew your lips closed.’

‘Try it and I’ll reach down your throat and pull ye up a new set of ear flaps.’

An hour later my head was buzzing, an endless line of detectives firing the same questions at me, had resulted in a monstrous headache.  ‘OK gentlemen that’s enough.’  Davie W tried to call time but was getting nowhere.  I tried to stand, but the adrenalin rush that had kept me going was gone now and I was feeling the slightest pain.  I sat back down to find out what was wrong with my feet.  I slipped a shoe off.

‘For God sake Jim.’  Davie had noticed they were lacerated.  ‘How the hell did they get into this state?’

‘Eh, I think I forgot to pit ma shoes on till I came in and got you.’

‘Did ye wipe your feet before ye pit them on?’

I slapped the heel hard and a number of small sharp stones rattled out.  ‘Sorry Davie.’

‘Right, that’s it.  Davie, Grizz get these clowns out of here.’

The police were mercilessly bundled out, military and civil alike.  Threats filled the air until Grizz produced his warrant card.  Things quietened down sharpish after that and Davie was able to bind my feet in peace. 

Andrew who’d escaped the evacuation wandered over.

‘Couldn’t you have stopped that,’ Davie accused.

‘I’m not allowed to interfere with an investigation old boy.  My job starts when they’re finished.  I am curious about one thing though.’

‘Fire away.’

‘Where did you get the pistol?’  The question was directed at me.

‘Ah, I was wandering when someone would ask that.  Let’s just say I swapped a good story for it.’

‘I see, so basically it’s totally illegal?’

‘Of course it is.’

‘Oh dear, never mind; may I have a look at it?’  I removed it from the holster, cleared it and handed it over.  ‘Ah yes, 9 mm caseless, magnetic slide, 16 round magazine as standard, semi auto, full auto or 3 round bursts, comes complete with holster cleaning kit and silencer.  Standard SAS issue I believe, they nicknamed it ‘silent night.  We get a conversion kit with it, which turns it into a short-range sniper’s rifle.’