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Authors: Andy McNab
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steel resisted a little against bone.
I pushed in harder, my war face now just inches from his as we both screamed at each other. The bayonet forced its way past his ribs and rammed all the way home into his chest. He gave one long scream as his knees buckled and he fell backwards, pulling me forward with him . There was no way I was going to let go of my rifle.
It was then that I realized my bayonet was stuck in his chest. My rifle was practically standing upright all on its own now that theTali was down on the ground.
‘What you doing? Leave him! Come on!’ Si’s voice hovered between exhaustion and panic.
‘I can’t get it out. It’s stuck in his ribs!’ Si took hold of my rifle’s grip, putting his hands on top of mine.
‘Pull, Briggsy, pull!’
We pulled together, wiggling and twisting to pull the blade free. There was another squelch and a rasping noise as the bayonet slid out stiffly from between two ribs. I stood stock still, watching the blood drip slowly down the blade.
Si’s voice cut through my daze. ‘Run, Briggsy, run!’ More rounds came from all directions. I scanned every shape ahead of me but still couldn’t see him. ‘Where’s Toki?’
‘Keep going!’ Si was panting so heavily he could hardly speak. ‘Do as he said, the RV!’
I increased my speed to catch up with Si and we ran the last ten metres together to the edge of the field. In the distance, I could hear the two Apache attack helicopters approaching. I scanned the horizon but couldn’t see them. It didn’t matter.
They would arrive soon and sort this drama out good style. I scrambled quickly into the cover of the ditch, and slid down the mud until I was up to my knees in cold water.
Chapter Sixteen
The two of us crouched in the ditch, our helmets sticking up over the top just enough for us to make sure no Talis were following. Not that we could have shot them anyway.
Si was right next to me, still panting after the run. ‘Mate,’ he whispered in between gulps of air. I turned my head. The sweat dripping down his face was turning the streaks of mud to a wet paste. He gave me a big grin, his jagged white teeth flashing against his shiny skin.
‘Happy days or what, we made it!’
I grinned and nodded, but to be honest I didn’t feel the same relief. I could only focus on one thing. ‘Where’s Toki?’ We looked back at the field, scanning every inch of maize.
‘Look!’ Si’s arm shot out as he pointed. ‘Edge of the maize. Half left.’
Sure enough, there was Toki, bent forward with Flash’s body draped around his shoulders. I jumped and waved my arms in the ditch.
‘Toki, quick. Over here!’ As he looked up to hear where my voice was coming from, hehitched Flash further up his shoulders and headed towards us.
‘Woah!’ Si gripped his weapon tightly but remained stock still. ‘Talis!’
Four Taliban had sprung out of the maize. They didn’t appear to be taking aim with their AKs, but were running straight for Toki, and they were catching up with him fast.
Like Si, I too was frozen to the spot. Couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, could only look on in terror. Si’s voice came through in short, sharp, terrified bursts. ‘Mate, what do we do? What do we do?’
As the Taliban closed in on Toki and Flash, they began to scream out. It sounded like Indians attacking a wagon train in one of those old black and white westerns. Toki dropped Flash to the ground and looked wildly about him. He swung his weapon up, ready to fight, his bayonet glinting in the early morning sun. ‘Come on, you bastards! Come on!’ he screamed back at them. He had worked out what was happening before we did.
I felt Si grip my shoulder. ‘They’re not shooting …’
My eyes didn’t leave Toki as he stood over Flash. A wave of panic spread through me.
‘That’s because they’re trying to take him!’
As I watched Toki stand his ground waiting for the Talis to come to him, something shifted within me. It began to rip
I pushed in harder, my war face now just inches from his as we both screamed at each other. The bayonet forced its way past his ribs and rammed all the way home into his chest. He gave one long scream as his knees buckled and he fell backwards, pulling me forward with him . There was no way I was going to let go of my rifle.
It was then that I realized my bayonet was stuck in his chest. My rifle was practically standing upright all on its own now that theTali was down on the ground.
‘What you doing? Leave him! Come on!’ Si’s voice hovered between exhaustion and panic.
‘I can’t get it out. It’s stuck in his ribs!’ Si took hold of my rifle’s grip, putting his hands on top of mine.
‘Pull, Briggsy, pull!’
We pulled together, wiggling and twisting to pull the blade free. There was another squelch and a rasping noise as the bayonet slid out stiffly from between two ribs. I stood stock still, watching the blood drip slowly down the blade.
Si’s voice cut through my daze. ‘Run, Briggsy, run!’ More rounds came from all directions. I scanned every shape ahead of me but still couldn’t see him. ‘Where’s Toki?’
‘Keep going!’ Si was panting so heavily he could hardly speak. ‘Do as he said, the RV!’
I increased my speed to catch up with Si and we ran the last ten metres together to the edge of the field. In the distance, I could hear the two Apache attack helicopters approaching. I scanned the horizon but couldn’t see them. It didn’t matter.
They would arrive soon and sort this drama out good style. I scrambled quickly into the cover of the ditch, and slid down the mud until I was up to my knees in cold water.
Chapter Sixteen
The two of us crouched in the ditch, our helmets sticking up over the top just enough for us to make sure no Talis were following. Not that we could have shot them anyway.
Si was right next to me, still panting after the run. ‘Mate,’ he whispered in between gulps of air. I turned my head. The sweat dripping down his face was turning the streaks of mud to a wet paste. He gave me a big grin, his jagged white teeth flashing against his shiny skin.
‘Happy days or what, we made it!’
I grinned and nodded, but to be honest I didn’t feel the same relief. I could only focus on one thing. ‘Where’s Toki?’ We looked back at the field, scanning every inch of maize.
‘Look!’ Si’s arm shot out as he pointed. ‘Edge of the maize. Half left.’
Sure enough, there was Toki, bent forward with Flash’s body draped around his shoulders. I jumped and waved my arms in the ditch.
‘Toki, quick. Over here!’ As he looked up to hear where my voice was coming from, hehitched Flash further up his shoulders and headed towards us.
‘Woah!’ Si gripped his weapon tightly but remained stock still. ‘Talis!’
Four Taliban had sprung out of the maize. They didn’t appear to be taking aim with their AKs, but were running straight for Toki, and they were catching up with him fast.
Like Si, I too was frozen to the spot. Couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, could only look on in terror. Si’s voice came through in short, sharp, terrified bursts. ‘Mate, what do we do? What do we do?’
As the Taliban closed in on Toki and Flash, they began to scream out. It sounded like Indians attacking a wagon train in one of those old black and white westerns. Toki dropped Flash to the ground and looked wildly about him. He swung his weapon up, ready to fight, his bayonet glinting in the early morning sun. ‘Come on, you bastards! Come on!’ he screamed back at them. He had worked out what was happening before we did.
I felt Si grip my shoulder. ‘They’re not shooting …’
My eyes didn’t leave Toki as he stood over Flash. A wave of panic spread through me.
‘That’s because they’re trying to take him!’
As I watched Toki stand his ground waiting for the Talis to come to him, something shifted within me. It began to rip
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