Insurgency by Alex Shaw Read Free Book Online Page A

of blue.
    “How is Styles?” Rockbridge asked with actual concern for a change.
    Gonzalez shrugged. “Still asleep but sweating some, sir. Doc thinks he has a fever.”
    “As I thought the Pentagon says it’s a no go on transferring him to Moscow.”
    “So the politicians are gonna let one of my boys die?”
    “Perhaps, but they want to send a team to check exactly what he has. They do not believe that it is Ebola, in fact they don’t believe the Russian.”
    “They said that to you?”
    “No Gonzalez, that’s a little above my pay-grade. I’m just filling in the blanks. Fact is Styles stays here until the medical team arrives.”
    “Friggin great.”
    “No, fucking awful.”
    Gonzalez turned to look at Rockbridge, surprised by his turn of voice.
    “I have opinions too soldier; just don’t care to air them.”
    “Maybe you’re not such a …”
    “Dickwad?” Rockbridge knew what some of the Delta boys had said about him. “Look I’m sorry we can’t do anything more for Styles, but if your men can’t get to Black’s body today I’ll formally request that JSOC give the go ahead for a dozer or something, whatever it is they need to excavate the site.”
    Gonzalez looked skywards again. One moment they had been a successfully mopping up the Talibs and the next one of his boys was crushed to death, buried in a collapsed cave. He crumpled his can and hurled it across the compound. “Shit man, what a way to go.”
    “You know you’ve got to pick that up?”
    Gonzalez gave Rockbridge one of his stares but before he could say anything there was a shout from the watchtower on the perimeter wall. “Major, sir you’ve got to see this!”
    Rockbridge and Gonzalez climbed the steps that had been made in the wall. “What is it soldier?”
    The US infantryman pointed. “I see it sir, but I don’t believe it. Over there.” He handed his binos to the CO of the firebase.
    “Is that one of ours?”
    “I think so sir. I think it’s one of your Deltas sir.”
    “Give me those, sir.” Black took the glasses from Rockbridge. “Peter Pan? It’s Friggin Peter Pan!”
    “Black?”
    “Yes. That’s Black all right.” Gonzalez focussed the lens. In the distance a figure was swaying as it walked towards them through the bleak desert, a desert which stretched for miles in every direction. “How the hell did he get here?”
    Rockbridge shook his head. “I don’t know and I don’t care. But he made it and that’s all that counts.”
    Within a minute Gonzalez was on a jeep racing to intercept Black who was still some two hundred meters away. He pulled up abruptly, causing a cloud of dust to lift.
    “About time, Sarge.” Black said weakly before collapsing.

THREE: Pasaband District, Ghowr Province, Afghanistan
    “Tell me who it was that betrayed me?”
    Sitting crossed legged, Ghulam Ali, the Afghan warlord regarded Dratshev with narrow eyes. He exhaled a puff of smoke from his traditional pipe and waited as it rose slowly to the ceiling of the hut. “It was a long time ago; my memory is not what it once was.”
    Dratshev dropped a bundle of US dollars at the Afghan’s feet. “Who betrayed me?”
    “I remember now. It was Krasnov. He gave away your location to my enemy, the enforcer - Hakim who in turn attacked you.”
    The Russian held grudges. Hakim too would pay with his life for the years of research lost, but he would suffer much pain first. “Where is Hakim?”
    “I forget.”
    Dratshev threw him another bundle of notes. “Where is he?”
    “He has joined the glorious Afghan National Army. I believe he is at the new base, not far from here.” There was a silence as Ghulam Ali chomped on his pipe. “I have given you information about the ISAF forces, I have told you about the discovery of the cave. I have kept my side of our agreement Dratshev, now it is your turn.”
    “I will see to it immediately. Bring me a Shahid.” Dratshev used the Arabic word for martyr.
    “What? You expect me to