Chapter 39

“What would you say to our inviting the hooligans over,” Terry asked the next day “the girls were so supportive and so were the boys for you.”

“That’s a great idea darling. I should have thought of it,” he said.

A big smile lit up her face “I’m so glad you think so,” she paused, “they arrive tomorrow.”

He looked confused, “Tomorrow, how did you arrange that so fast?”

“I got in touch three days ago, and, to quote Jeremy, told them to get their arses over here.”

“Why you devious little witch,” he said reaching out for her, she skipped away running down the garden with him in hot pursuit. He caught her on the beach with a rugby tackle.

“Not here,” she murmured conscious of his arousal, “the sand gets everywhere.”

“It won’t get where I’m going,” he said pulling down her shorts.

They picked them up the following afternoon with the two cars. He prepared the drinks while they dashed upstairs to change. Soon the girls were in a huddle showing off their engagement rings, while the boys were at the bar.

“I’ve not had a chance to thank you guys for covering for me at Brize,” Robert said.

“Forget it Robbie,” Tim replied, “It’s only what you would have done for any of us.” They moved over to join the girls.

“So how was the flight over?” Robert asked.

Julie glanced at Carol, a wicked smile on her face. “Well one couple, not mentioning names, have become members of the mile high club.”

Carol, her face flushing, looked daggers at Tom who shook his head. “How the heck did you know?” She demanded.

“I was outside the loo wanting to use it,” Julie purred.

“Well,” said Bill, “so long as it was the mile high and not the pudding club, what harm is there.”

Robert glanced at Terry quickly, but she was laughing along with the others.

He received the telephone message on their fifth day on the Island from Alan at Renton. Bob James was dead. A SAM, surface to air missile, had got him, and the A10 had exploded, killing him instantly according to Alan.

“But how have they managed to get their hands on SAMs?” Robert asked.

“Intelligence is not sure at the moment, it could be they have some Stingers left over from the one’s the Yanks gave them when they were up against the Russians. Although the boffins think after all this time most of them wouldn’t work. Or they’re getting them from an arms dealer, if so they can’t have many, they would cost a fortune. At the moment every member of the coalition’s secret services is pulling out all the stops to locate the supply and plug it.”

“Do you want me to return?” Robert asked.

“No” Alan replied, “The aircraft are grounded at the moment; we are modifying them against that sort of attack. Robbie, the enemy specifically targeted the A10s they want their revenge for loss of the opium. They are gloating that they have downed a Cobra on the transits that we have intercepted. Will you inform the others? The papers are already running the story over here.”

He walked slowly back to the pool, they were all laughing and joking, he paused watching them, knowing what the reaction would be to the news.

He saw Terry glance at him the smile on her face fading as she looked at him. The others fell into silence at his approach. He sat down and began to reiterate what Alan had told him. He watched Terry’s face as he spoke. It paled, and he could see her fighting to hold back the tears. When he had finished he looked at the others, the girls’ dismay written across their faces; the men, grim but determined. No one spoke for several minutes, while each digested the news in his or her own way.

Finally Tim spoke, “So ok, they may have a few SAMs, but we’ve been trained to deal with them. Bob was unlucky, he didn’t know they had them, but we know now. We will be prepared for them, so nothing has really changed.”

Terry looked at him her bottom lip trembling. “Bobby is that true, what Tim said?”

“Yes darling,” he said, “We have all been trained on how to avoid them and besides any that they can get their hands on must be ancient by now. Perhaps I’m guilty of being too complacent regarding that threat.”

“Stow it Robbie,” Bill said, “no one imagined that they had them.”

They broke up, Bill walked down to the garden with Julie, his arm around her. Tim and Tom took their girls upstairs, leaving him with Terry.

Terry fought desperately to hold back the tears. “He doesn’t need that,” she thought, “I have to be as strong as he is. “Did Bob have a wife?” She finally asked, taking control of her voice.

“No, he had a girlfriend and a mother, his father died some years back. I’ll have to write to them.”

She nodded not trusting her voice. Several second passed, finally she said. “What happens if someone fires at you with one?” I need to know, Bobby.”

He studied her face, so beautiful and yet so sad. “They have probably beefed up the radar now along with the threat monitor. As soon as one is fired the radar picks it up and the monitor displays it giving you range and speed of approach. It can release chaff or flares. The chaff confuses the guidance’s systems whilst the flares give out a hotter heat signature than the engines. They can be deployed automatically or manually.”

‘But what happens if they fail, you have no defence then?”

“The SAMs that they have will be shoulder fired; they only have a limited endurance. So we can out-fly them. The great thing about the A10 is that it can turn on a five pence piece, a missile can’t, it goes too fast, when it misses you it loses contact and runs out of fuel.”

“But it has to miss you first,” she said her voice rising.

“Darling I’ll take on a SAM any day over a machine gun, and even they are not that accurate.”

“So you are not that worried about them,” she said her voice fighting to keep under control.

“I’m more worried, that you are worried,” he said truthfully.

“Thank you for explaining darling. I feel better when I know what you are up against. I’ll talk to the other girls and explain, if the men haven’t already told them.”

The mood around the dinner table was subdued that night. Terry had gathered the girls and had a long talk with them, which seemed to have lifted their spirits a little. Finally Robert decided something had to be done.