Epilogue

The para office was bleeding, it looked like both of my rounds had exit wounds so that was good for him.

Band-aid bandaged up the wounds as we all looked on.

“You’re an officer in the parachute regiment,” The British Intel officer said,” How the fuck did this happen!”

The officer grimaced with pain and shook his head.

“There are plenty of us in the British and American armed forces and sooner than later you will see more and more of us stand up and be counted.”

Ship and I looked at each other. I was sure that we both wanted to put a round through the twat’s face.

Phil and Dave and their team arrived seconds late.

“You cunt.” Phil said when he saw who the spy was, “You led us into battle and all the time you were working for the Taliban.”

He moved forward and it took Sacka and me to hold him back...

We took him back down the hill as his team helped Band-Aid to get the wounded man onto a starcher. The para’s carried him down to the convoy and he was slipped into the back of one of the Warrior trucks.

Our team walked back to camp with the two intel lads. Nothing was said as we walked back to our quarters. Ship rang the boss as the rest of us stripped off our kit.

“The boss wants us back in Hereford for a debrief” Ship said. The lads cheered.

“He said to tell you all you did well and he owes you all a beer” he continued.

“When are we off?” Sacka said.

“He is arranging transport; we should be leaving at lunchtime.”

“Happy Days!” Band-Aid said and we all bumped fists.

“Right time to eat!” Sacka said and led us out of the tent.

We went to the Yank canteen. The Delta force lads were walking out as we were walking in.

We stopped and there were fist bumps all around.

“Good work boys,” one of them said and they all nodded their agreement.

“Right place right time lads” Ship said with a smile.

We joined the queue and filled our plates with bacon, hash browns and eggs. Coffee mugs were filled and we sat down to eat. There was a buzz around the canteen. People looked at us but no one came over to ask the obvious question.

After eating we went to our tent and packed up our kit, then it was time to shower and await our transport.

The Intel Majors came over and thanked us for our hard work. It looked like the Para Major had told them about the threat of an IED but had sent them to the wrong hill, he had also told them not to tell us as he was sure one of us was the traitor.

“So, what happens to him now” I asked.

“He will be patched up and sent back to England for a court martial and he will be pumped for info” The British intel major said.

“Should have slotted him there and then!” Sacka said he was only saying what we were all thinking.

He had set up an ambush for Taff and his lads, he had led his own lads into a battle that was a set-up.

We chatted with the intel lads for half an hour more before they told us they had a team’s call with their bosses. We shook hands and they left us to it.

We all walked over to the canteen for coffee. We only had an hour’s wait before a runner told us our transport was ready. We loaded our kit onto the chopper and waved goodbye to Taff and Mich.

Twenty-four hours later we were driving through the gates of the SAS regimental headquarters in Hereford. We had a debrief with the Boss plus some SAS head shed officers and three Para officers and two blokes in suits that were obvious secret service bods.

Mugs of coffee and tea were served and we were all quizzed on what had happened. Once the non-SAS guys had left the boss told us that the para’s were being brought home later that week. He thanked us for our hard work and gave us two weeks’ leave.

We all got pissed in the camps bar that night. The following morning, we met for breakfast, shook hands, and went our separate ways. Sacka was heading up to Scotland. I was heading to Birmingham to see Asmaan and Damsa. Band-Aid had family in London and he went to the train station with Ship, he was off to Bristol.

We found out much later that the Para major had been radicalised and joined the army as a sleeper. He was questioned and then handed over to the Yanks and no doubt had been shipped out to Guantanamo Bay detention camp, I would lose no sleep over him, he would get what he deserved.