Read Online Street Soldier by Andy McNab - Free Book Online

fuck?’ That had been Sean’s involuntary reaction when he saw Copper’s bulk straining against his gym kit, standing in line with the rest of them. He had mostly succeeded in avoiding Copper since their argument inthe canteen, and with only a week to go before Copper’s sentence was up, Sean had been hoping he could make it all the way through without any more encounters.
    Copper had winked. ‘Someone’s got to keep an eye on you, Seany.’
    Now Copper was smiling. It didn’t make Sean feel any better about what was about to go down. They were both wearing boxing gloves. Sean was surprised by just how heavy they were. They seemed to drag his hands towards the ground.
    Adams continued to brief them.
    ‘As soldiers, you need to be able to manage your ability to draw on something that most people cannot comprehend – to switch from calm to mental in a beat.’
    Sean noticed Copper’s grin get even wider. Fuck , he thought, the big bastard is going to kill me . . .
    ‘You have a minute in the ring with your opponent. It is not a question of winning or losing. Instead, this is about not quitting. You get knocked down, you get back up and pile in. You get smashed on the nose, you retaliate, harder. Best defence is attack. You will be nervous. You will get hurt. But it’s just sixty seconds. Get in there and fight. That’s all there is to it.’
    Sean took a slow, deep breath. The sergeant’s pep talk had done nothing to make him feel any better.
    ‘Ready?’ Adams asked.
    Sean nodded. Copper nodded. Of the two of them, only Copper was smiling. The sergeant bumped his fists gently together as a sign. Sean held out his gloves; Copper knocked his own gloves against them. Technically it was the same as shaking hands, but the gleam in Copper’s eye was still there.
    ‘When I give the word, you fight,’ said Adams. ‘Fists only. No biting, kicking, head-butting; if your man goes down, you let him get up again. Keep it clean, above the belt. And just keep going.’
    He stepped back. ‘ Fight! ’
    Copper was into him like a freight train, and Sean was barely able to get his hands up in time to block the attack. He fell back, dodging as best he could, arms in front of his face for protection. Copper was relentless. Sean knew the rest of the lads were cheering them both on, but he couldn’t hear them. The only sound he was aware of was thud-thud-thud , Copper’s fists pummelling into his arms. He had to do something, but what? He’d been in fights, but most times it was little more than a quick exchange of blows, then a lot of running away. Here, there was no escape.
    Copper kept going, his fists arcing in left and right, left and right, always aiming for the face, giving Sean no opportunity to drop his guard. And that was how Sean saw his chance. There was no variety to Copper’s attack.It was just all in, no change of target or punch. No jabs, no crosses, just bang-bang-bang .
    Sean ducked his head, and Copper’s swing from the left went wide, exposing his side. It wasn’t much, but it was enough, and Sean was in. He drove his right fist hard into Copper’s ribs. Copper gasped and the steady rain of blows faltered. For the first time he moved his arms to protect himself, instead of just attacking, but he had worn himself out and he was slow. All Sean had done so far was protect his skull, and he was still fresh. So he pressed home with his attack, hammering in with another heavy crunch to the ribs. Copper woke up just enough to change what he was doing, but his shot went wide again, a right jab that just scraped Sean’s forehead. Sean stepped in, thumped a hammer blow to Copper’s stomach, then another. He kept himself coiled up, then launched an uppercut to Copper’s jaw. It connected. Copper went down hard.
    The sergeant blew his whistle and Sean heard something he had never expected to hear. Lads around him actually applauding and cheering his name.
    ‘ Hark-er! Hark-er! ’
    The corporals were attending