Empire of Gold

Chase jumped—

The skid slammed against his chest. He wrapped his arms round the forward support strut and clung for dear life as the MH-6 went to full power. The helicopter surged skywards, Chase flapping beneath it like a banner.

He turned his face away from the downwash to see the plain wheeling below – and tracer fire rising up after him as more Taliban came out of the pass—

They disappeared in a tremendous explosion as the AC-130 reacquired its targets and, friendly forces now clear, fired its big gun. The blast from the 105mm shell collapsed part of the ravine, burying the Taliban under tons of rubble. More explosions ripped along the length of the pass as the Bofors gunner dealt with any stragglers.

The Little Bird levelled out, flying after the Black Hawk. Chase heard a voice; he squinted up to see the pilot shouting at him from the doorless cockpit. ‘Are you all right, man?’

Despite the fact that he was dangling from a speeding helicopter a thousand feet above hostile territory, Chase still managed a grin. ‘Never better, mate. What’s the inflight movie?’

The Black Hawk landed at the Coalition base, the Little Bird close behind it. The MH-6 had briefly touched down, once both aircraft reached nominally friendly territory, so that Chase could climb aboard; he leapt from the cabin and ran to the larger helicopter. Three men from the Royal Army Medical Corps were waiting, two bearing a stretcher and a third to attend to the wounded Green. He was carried out of the Black Hawk by Starkman and Baine, and quickly whisked away by the medics.

The hostages came next, and were escorted to a temporary building nearby. Finally, the remaining soldiers clambered from the helicopter, Mac ruefully looking after Green. The others were simply relieved to have made it back in one piece. ‘Christ,’ said Bluey, rubbing his shaved head, ‘that was a bit fierce.’

Starkman saw Chase. ‘Damn, almost thought we’d lost you,’ said the Texan. ‘You okay?’

Chase ignored him, eyes locked on another man: Stikes. The captain stepped out, donning his beret and adjusting it to a precise angle. ‘Seven hostages rescued, and it would have been eight if that idiot hadn’t panicked. Not bad.’ He saw Chase step towards him. ‘So Chase, you—’

Chase smashed a brutal punch into his face. Stikes’s regal nose broke with a wet snap, and he fell back against the fuselage. ‘You fucker!’ Chase shouted.

Baine lunged at Chase, but Mac intervened, hauling the Yorkshireman back from the fallen officer. ‘Eddie, for Christ’s sake!’

A hand to his bleeding nose, Stikes pulled himself upright as the other team members looked on in bewilderment. ‘It’s a court-martial offence to strike a superior officer, Chase!’ he cried. ‘You’ll get five years for an unprovoked attack – which you all witnessed!’

‘Unprovoked, my arse!’ Chase said furiously. ‘You pointed a fucking gun at my head!’

‘Eddie!’ Mac snapped. ‘Sergeant!’ Still tight-lipped with rage, Chase stood at attention. ‘What the hell is going on?’

‘This bastard murdered five civilians – five women, sir,’ Chase said through clenched teeth. ‘They were unarmed and tied prisoners of the Taliban, but he shot them – then aimed his weapon at me.’

‘That’s a complete lie, Major,’ Stikes responded. ‘I did no such thing.’

Mac frowned. ‘But the Taliban did have female prisoners. Did you see them?’

Stikes’s cold eyes didn’t blink as he answered. ‘No sir, I did not.’

‘That’s a complete lie,’ Chase hissed.

‘The only non-hostages I saw had been designated as hostiles under the rules of engagement.’ Stikes moved his hand from his nose; red liquid trickled over his lips. ‘Damn it! Sir, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get this dealt with. And then’ – a venomous look at his attacker – ‘I’ll make a full written report so charges can be drawn against Sergeant Chase!’

Mac nodded, and Stikes strutted away. The Scot hustled Chase out of earshot of the others. ‘If you have a grievance against a superior, Eddie,’ he rumbled, ‘there are well-defined procedures. That was not one of them!’

Chase forced his anger back under control. ‘Sorry, sir. I mean, I’m sorry for causing you any trouble – not for decking Stikes! It’s the bloody least that he deserved. He murdered those women in cold blood.’

‘Nobody else saw anything. It’s your word against his.’

‘Mac, you know me. And you know Stikes.’ He gave Mac an almost pleading look. ‘Who do you believe?’

Mac remained silent for a long moment. ‘Eddie,’ he said at last, ‘however this turns out, there will be consequences for you – for your career. The plain and simple fact is that you punched an officer in the face in front of half a dozen witnesses.’

‘I’ll take whatever comes to me.’

‘I’d expect nothing less. But . . . as you say, I know you. And I know Stikes. So when the court-martial comes – which it will, he’s got connections that will see to that – I’ll do everything I can to support you.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

‘And’ – a hint of a smile – ‘I’d be remiss as your commanding officer if I didn’t remind you to get straight on with a full written report of your own, describing everything you witnessed on the mission. Our well-defined procedures are there for everyone’s benefit, not just officers’. If, as a result of that, an investigation is warranted . . . again, you’ll have my full support.’

Chase gave the older man an appreciative look. ‘Thank you, sir!’

‘Well, you’d better get to it, sergeant. In the meantime, I’m going to see if I can find a shower in this bloody hole.’ Mac walked off, then stopped and looked back. ‘By the way, Eddie, you did excellent work tonight. Well done.’