helping to decide your baby’s name shouldn’t be one of them.‘What do you want to call her, then?’ asked Sol.‘One of the old-fashioned names like Ruby or Sophie. I used to like Emily but I’ve gone off that . . .’‘What does Jenny say?’‘She says: no way.’In the cookhouse, over a brew, in the back of the wagons, in the toilets and around the cots, voices could be heard at any time: ‘What the fuck is happening? Where are the fucking Jedi, if that’s what we’re waiting for? When is this operation?’With three days to go until the deadline, tension became acute. Action in the ops room was frantic. But action in the ops room never seemed to translate into action on the ground. Finally, a Chinook arrived.About twelve men ambled out of it, tin teapots hanging from their Bergens. They wore flipflops, shorts and tasteless shirts.‘Yes!’ said Angus, punching the air. ‘It’s them!’‘Looks like the cream of the British Army, teapots at the ready,’ said Jamie.‘And just when I was thinking of lengthening my odds again,’ Finn said.Dave called 1 Platoon into the Cowshed for prayers.‘We’ve been very patient,’ the boss told them. ‘At last, this is what we’ve been waiting for. We’re going to rescue Martyn.’He explained that they would be leaving the base early tomorrow. The SAS would be in the wagons with them, dressed in camouflage to look like the rest of the lads. R Company would help them take the site and the SAS would find the hostage.‘Right. Synchronize watches. In one minute it will be—’The lads looked at each other.‘Er, sir,’ said Dave. ‘You’ve forgotten the prayers.’The boss looked back at him and blinked.‘That’s it. That’s all there is.’‘But . . . where we are going?’ asked Dave.The Cowshed was suddenly still. No one moved a muscle.‘I don’t know. We haven’t been told.’‘Well, is it a very large compound? Is there any kind of internal map . . .?’The boss shrugged.‘I don’t know. It could be the size of Buckingham Palace or it could be a shepherd’s hut.’There was a silence. Dave looked at the lads and every face stared back at him.‘Just take all the weapons you can carry,’ he said. ‘In case it’s Buckingham Palace.’The boss coughed. ‘One more thing. It has been very hard for the British to retain this operation. The Americans wanted to take it over and run it in their own way with their own forces. We don’t agree with their approach and feel it could be detrimental to our relationship with the Afghans. So we’re doing it, and we’re doing it our way with, apart from the Regiment, only the men we happen to have here on the ground: bussing in reinforcements is the kind of manoeuvre that might alarm the kidnappers. I need hardly tell you, then, that if things go wrong there will be a lot of international mud-slinging. Not just this company’s reputation but the reputation of the British Army is at stake.’1 Platoon agreed in the cookhouse afterwards that they didn’t care about the reputation of the company or the British Army. They just wanted to find Martyn.As before any major operation, everyone wanted to use the phone. Twice that evening it was double-booked and fights broke out. Jamie, who had been waiting patiently for his turn, saw that it was not going to come. He walked briskly around the perimeter a few times, trying to walk his worries about Agnieszka out of his system. He faced battle fearlessly. Only his wife could induce this sense of panic.Finally he went back to his cot. Binns and Bacon were there, just leaving for the cookhouse.‘Hey, Jamie, we forgot to finish your story. About the frog!’ They did a few frog impressions to remind him.‘Ribbit, ribbit!’‘Yeah,’ said Jamie, without smiling. ‘I know. I was never in the mood.’‘Let’s finish it now,’ they said.Jamie shook his head.‘No point. I’ll be seeing Luke in a few more weeks.’He was delving in his day sack for something.Binns and Streaky shrugged helplessly at each other.‘Woman trouble,’ muttered Streaky as they left. As soon as they were gone, Jamie pulled out the cellphone Agnieszka had given him. He had to communicate with her somehow. He had to tell her how much he loved her. And to make sure she knew that, however bad she was feeling, he would soon be there for her.He switched it on, glancing constantly towards the door as it found the signal. He was about to start his message when the phone told him he had a message waiting. This surprised him. Agnieszka didn’t want him to use this mobile any more for some reason, so it was strange that she had used it herself.He opened the message.It said: ‘
JENNY DROPPED VICKY OFF AT NURSERY AND THEN PUT THE BABY IN HER pram. She was trying to get herself back into shape before Dave came home and had just been given her post-op all-clear. On the days Vicky went to nursery, Jenny aimed to walk three miles a day, and walk quickly.She liked the crisp autumn air. She liked the way the camp was sleepy on weekday mornings when all the kids were at school. She liked the way the sun shone now: brightly but not oppressively.The fastest route to the countryside was past Agnieszka’s house and she glanced at the windows and thought she saw the Polish girl’s face there. She waved, but Agnieszka was gone.Jenny felt uncomfortable. She should have asked Agnieszka to bring Luke in his buggy on this crisp, clear day: she was one of the few mothers who would enjoy a fast, invigorating walk. But she admitted guiltily to herself that she did not want to share her walk with her.Agnieszka had visited Jenny just once since she came out of hospital and had seemed even more withdrawn than usual.‘Are you OK?’ Jenny had asked her. Agnieszka replied with one of those tight little half-smiles. You never knew what she was thinking.Jenny had spoken to Adi about it. ‘Does she ever see anyone or go out?’‘Oh, yes, I see her around with the buggy,’ Adi had replied. ‘And, you know, you’re too busy to take care of Agnieszka. We’re all too busy.’Adi had been unusually brisk. Jenny wondered if it was because she had also seen Agnieszka with that man. Well, if Agnieszka was having an affair, it certainly wasn’t making her any happier.The last houses in the camp were the officers’, large with big gardens and huge, leafy old trees outside them. And then she was in the countryside. It wasn’t wild countryside. It was shared between farmers and tank drivers so the fields of sheep were crisscrossed by warnings, signs and tank guidance posts.She walked hard and fast. There was no one around today until, when she was just about to turn for home, a runner approached her. He was moving quickly and as he neared she noticed the sweat dripping from his face before she saw that his left leg was made of metal.‘Steve!’He slowed, recognized her, then stopped a few metres past her. At first he couldn’t talk. He bent over, puffing and sweating.‘Hi, Jenny. I got back last night and thought I’d . . .’ His voice disappeared inside his own breath.‘Well, just take your time,’ she said. ‘I mean . . . I saw this bloke haring along but I never guessed it was you!’‘I’m out of breath because I’m out of condition,’ he puffed. ‘Nothing to do with the leg.’He stood upright then walked over to the pram and peered in.‘She’s growing. Looks a bit like her dad, though, and that can’t be good. Got a name for her yet?’Jenny said firmly: ‘Not until Dave’s home.’ She was trying not to peer at the strange, streamlined metal contraption that grew out of Steve’s shorts. ‘It’s amazing you’re running already!’‘Go on, Jen, stare at it. Everyone wants to.’She blushed. ‘It looks strong.’‘Has to be, the hell it’s going to get from me.’They grinned at each other.‘It’s nice you’re home for the lads getting back,’ she said.‘Well, with any luck I’ll be fit enough to run with them.’‘That’s why I’m out today, too. I’m trying to get my figure back before Dave comes home.’‘You never lost it, Jen. Unlike some people who never had it.’She knew who he meant. For a moment she wanted to ignore this but she could not leave her friend undefended.‘Leanne put on a lot of weight after your accident, Steve. Eating was her way of coping.’His face changed. She watched the muscles in it rearrange themselves. Usually so big and open, he was darkening suddenly. He looked angry. He gritted his teeth and his jaw sharpened. He was even a bit scary, she thought. He had never looked that way before.‘Yeah, well, it was a while ago now and she’s had plenty of chance to lose that weight again. But she won’t lose it sitting in front of the TV.’‘It’s been hard for her . . .’‘You think it hasn’t been hard for me? The easiest thing in the world is to sit around and be a couch potato but there’s no way I’m giving in to it. She shouldn’t either.’‘I know you’ve been to hell and back, Steve. I really admire you for having the grit to start running. And because you’re determined to fight again. But Leanne’s been in bits. You’ve got some goals: get walking, get running, get back out with the other lads. Her life fell apart and it hasn’t been so straightforward putting it back together.’He looked thoughtful.‘Goals is a good word, Jen. If we give Leanne some goals that might help her . . .’She decided to steer the conversation away from Leanne.‘Steve, how are you going to feel when the others get back?’His face changed again. Suddenly all the tight, angry lines loosened and he looked less sure of himself.‘I’d sort of like to be there when the bus gets into the square. So would Ben Broom. Ryan Connor’s not ready for that yet.’‘Oh, Steve, that’s a fantastic idea. They’ll be so pleased to see you. I know it would mean a lot to Dave.’‘But he’ll be looking for you. Everyone will be with their family. The lads’ stuff is over for a while when we first come home.’‘You don’t think Dave’s going to walk straight past you!’‘Maybe it’s not the right time.’‘But . . . how will you feel? Seeing them all get off the bus?’Steve swallowed. Jenny watched him again. She did not remember that his face had ever had this mobility before. She had no recollection of the way emotions passed across it like clouds. Perhaps he’d just been better at hiding them. Now he looked vulnerable. His eyes were crinkling and his mouth was twisting unhappily. He looked as though he might cry.‘Steve?’‘I’m not sure I can handle
