me. I listened and heard the creak of floorboards outside the door. Someone was creeping about outside. I tried to lift myself, but it was futile; pain ripped through every part of me as I tried to move. All I could do was lie there, waiting to see who it was and what they wanted.
The door cracked open quietly and a shadowy figure stepped inside, pushing the door closed behind them as softly as they could. Then they walked to the bed and stood over me.
It seems odd looking back, and I don't know what I planned to achieve by it, but I pretended to be asleep, squinting up at the person, hoping they'd go away. But they leant down and put their hand on my shoulder and gently shook me. No point pretending now, so I opened my eyes.
'Who…?' I began.
'It's me, Miss. Sue. Please don't make any noise, there isn't a guard outside your door, but they do patrol and I don't want to take the risk. I have a message for you from someone called Lee. He told me to give you his love and to tell you not to worry.'
In know it's a cliche, but there's no other way of saying it – my heart leapt. I can't remember what I said, it was probably just a mumble of vowels, I was so amazed.
Sue sat on the edge of my bed and whispered softly. 'I was in the courtyard this evening, when I heard someone hissing at me from the bushes. It was a man called Tariq. I knew him when I was stationed in Iraq. It's a long story, but I used to pass messages for him sometimes, to soldiers who weren't happy with the way the general was doing things. My, you could have knocked me down with a feather to see him here!'
She talked with her hands, like a big camp drama queen, her eyes flashed with mimed shock and her mouth formed an O of surprise. 'He told me that he's here with Lee and Lee's daddy. Now, they caused quite a rumpus back in Basra before we left, and it seems they stowed away on a plane or in a tank or something. To be honest that bit confused me. But either way, they're here now and they're coming to rescue you!'
She flapped her hands and gave a little bounce of excitement as she said that, almost squealing. I had to smile. Her over the top Southern Belle act was so at odds with the way she looked.
Finally I managed to speak. 'Lee's here?' I said in wonder. I'd been so certain I'd never see him again, but he was back. The insane boy had actually flown to Iraq, found his father, taken on the American Army, and made his way home. It beggared belief.
'You betcha!' she said with a huge smile. 'He's a little beat up, poor kid, but he's here. Now, if you're still not willing to co-operate with the general by midday tomorrow, then that's when they start torturing your poor friend.'
'Is the general coming back to join the fun?' I asked.
'No Miss, I'm told he'll only be returning when you decide to talk. In the meantime, while you're trying to make up your mind, I have the item you requested.'
She reached into the pocket of her jacket and produced a snubby little gun.
'It's a berretta, Miss. I hope that's to your liking?'
'Does it go bang?' I asked, amazed.
'It surely does.'
'Then it's fine with me.'
'Tariq told me to say that the action will begin shortly before midday, for obvious reasons, and that you are to shoot anybody who comes through that door who doesn't say the code phrase first.'
'And the code phrase is…?'
'Finally, someone with balls.'
I laughed, remembering Mac's final words. 'Yes, it would be.' I hesitated, but I had to ask.
'Sue. I must say, you're quite a surprise. You are the last person I would have expected to find in uniform.'
'I'm a nurse, Miss. I just help put people back together. And the army pays good. Well, it used to.'
'But surely you're taking a terrible risk defying the general like this?'
Sue dipped her head, suddenly serious. 'I had a fiancee. He was in supplies and, oh, he was so sweet to me. And so brave. When the general started giving orders to attack the population in Basra my Josh stood up to him. Led a mutiny. But, well, he didn't realise how far the general would go. Josh was ever so smart but he could be naive.'
'What happened?' I asked softly.
Sue sighed and inclined her head towards the window. 'Like the man on the lawn. Josh was the ringleader and so the general made an example of him. After that most people just fell into line. Some went native, joined the Iraqi resistance, but mostly people were too scared of the general, or they agreed with his methods, or they just couldn't break the habit of obeying orders, even when the orders were so wrong.'
'And you?'
'I bided my time, made contact with those few remaining soldiers I thought I could trust. Waited for an opportunity. We're not all like the general, Miss. Some of us joined the army because we believed we were doing good, fighting for something right and true. I honestly believe that if we can just remove the general and those closest to him, then things will change for the better.'
I gazed at her in wonder. 'Sue,' I whispered, 'you may just be one of the bravest people I've ever met.'
She put her hand on mine, looked up at me and smiled sadly. 'That's sweet of you to say, Miss. I should go now. But you've got your gun and you know the code phrase, so just sit tight and we'll have you free in two shakes of a lamb's tail.'
'Thank you, Sue,' I replied, squeezing her huge, strong hand. 'See you when the dust settles.'
'I hope so, Miss.'
She rose and left. She was so softly spoken, so physically unprepossessing, but so brave and kind. I had a new ally and I had hope. But then I remembered what had happened to the last two people who'd helped me – Barker and Sanders. The people who got close to me kept dying.
I just prayed that Sue wouldn't suffer a similar fate.
Someone else brought me my breakfast, a stoney faced guy who spooned porridge into my mouth without a word. I was strong enough to feed myself now, but I pretended I was still too weak. It might not be much of an advantage, but it was all I could manage.
I watched the sun climb higher, feeling more and more nervous. At quarter to twelve I heard someone shouting outside and an engine revving, then there was an almighty crash, my bed shook, and someone opened fire.
I held the berretta tightly and took aim at the door. Moments later it was flung open and the soldier who'd brought me breakfast backed into the room. I squeezed the trigger and let him have it.
The gun clicked and jammed, a useless chunk of metal. I tried to unjam it, but I wasn't familiar enough with the mechanism to do anything but make an awful grinding noise.
The soldier, unaware of his lucky escape, kicked the door closed and pulled a huge knife from a sheath in his belt. He ran across to my bed, shoved it away from the wall and got between the bedhead and the wall, leaning over me and placing the knife blade to my throat with one hand as he raised his gun in the other.
'I'm under orders to kill you if we come under attack,' he growled.
I heard a voice from outside shout, 'Finally, someone with balls.'
It was Lee.
I tried to shout a warning but the soldier clapped his hand across my mouth and took aim at the door. I bit the soldier's fingers but he didn't let go.
I saw Lee's unmistakeable silhouette through the smoked glass panel on the door as he pushed it open. Then the glass shattered and he flew backwards, out of sight, as the soldier behind me shot him three times in the chest.
Chapter Sixteen
Lee
It was a day's drive back to Groombridge. As Dad drove, the nausea gradually subsided and my sense of
