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.If the people at the convent have had a message about our escape, they could be out like a swarm of bees at any moment.Before we commit ourselves anywhere else, I need to talk to the Kremlin.Where’s the best place for a temporary LUP? Pav? Phil?’‘Back up on that ledge at the RV point.Apart from anything else, it’s a great OP, with a view down over the pans and the river.If anyone’s coming, we’ll see them.’‘That’s it, then.Let’s go.’‘What about this?’ Mart pointed at the aircraft.The thing was knackered.Without fuel, it had no future.We couldn’t hide it, and even if we tried to burn it, the tell-tale skeleton would remain.‘Leave it,’ I said.‘It’s done its job.’Half an hour later we were up on the ledge, with the vehicles cammed up between two thorn bushes.As Phil had said, the outlook was brilliant: through binoculars we could see baboons feeding on the river bank, hippos feuding in the water, crocs crawling out onto sandbanks to bask in the sun.If any vehicle had moved, we’d have spotted it at once.When I first looked into a mirror, I got a shock: my left eye was nearly closed, my mouth stuck out in a pout, and much of the rest of my face was covered by Mart’s dressings.My ribs were bruised black and blue all down my left side, but a check showed none was broken.I made a quick inventory of the weapons and equipment we’d lost: one pinkie and all its gear, including the Milan post and half a dozen missiles; two 203s, two pistols and six badly needed jerricans of fuel.Needing to re-equip myself, I dug out Andy’s watch, which I’d stowed in the mother wagon for safekeeping, and took over Whinger’s 203, commando knife and GPS.I still had the Colt.45 which I’d taken off the white mercenary.‘Eh, Stringer,’ I went.‘Any joy with the satcom?’‘Yeah, it’s fine.Didn’t you hear? The Kremlin told us about Pretorius and so on?’‘Oh yeah.What was wrong with it?’‘I took the handset apart and found a wire had broken inside.’‘No wonder the bastard wouldn’t work.So you’ve been through to Hereford?’‘Sure.’‘What’s the buzz?’‘We asked for an exfil.There’s a Herc on its way down.It’s going to stage through Harare and wait for us to call it in.’‘What’s its ETA?’‘Dunno yet.We need to get confirmation.’I thought for a moment, then called, ‘Phil, where’s the good map?’‘It was in your pinkie.’‘Ah, shit.What about the other?’‘Here.’ He brought it over.‘What are you looking for?’‘Place called Ichembo.Somewhere to the west.Christ, there it is.I found it straight away.That must be a sign.’‘A sign of what?’‘That we’re supposed to go there.’Phil shot me a hard look as he asked, ‘What is it?’‘The dump where these nuclear warheads are lying.’By the time I’d got sorted, Andy’s watch was reading 0745.‘What time will it be in Hereford?’ I asked Stringer.‘Minus two – 0545.’‘Let’s go through to them.’‘What, now?’‘Yeah.I need to catch up on things.’This time the satcom worked perfectly, and in a few seconds I was talking to a signaller in the Comcen at Stirling Lines.‘Who’s the Orderly Officer?’ I asked.‘Max Davidson.’‘Oh, right.’ I’d met the man – a tall, sandy-haired rupert who’d recently joined from the Parachute Regiment – but I hardly knew him.‘Put him on, then.’‘There’s been a runner sent to get him.He was talking to the DA in some dump called Mulongwe.’‘Christ, that’s us.I mean, it’s to do with us.I’ll hold.’From where I stood waiting, I could see the body-bag in the back of the truck.I was thinking, we can’t take Gen with us in this heat.We’re going to have to bury him, and then, if we can, come back for him later.‘Orderly Officer speaking,’ said a Scots voice in my ear.‘Hello.Geordie Sharp here.’‘I’ve just been talking about you.’‘What was the buzz?’‘You’re blacked,’ said Davidson, jokily.‘Great! What have we done?’‘You attacked the Kamangan government forces without provocation and ran away.Now you’re deliberately fomenting civil war.’‘Like fuck we are.Listen, you’ve not swallowed any of that shit, I hope?’‘Of course not.’‘I’m glad to hear it.Reality’s different.The Alpha commander suddenly turned round and told us to bugger off
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