Chapter 32

David ducked as a bullet whined overhead. Looking around, he saw that most of his comrades were pinned behind various makeshift cover. From his vantage point he could see numerous civilians wounded and dead. The rest had scattered after the first violent exchange. Risking a glance toward the enemy, he was in time to see the head of one of the security force explode. That would be Julia, he thought. She had to be over half a mile away, as she was set up somewhere outside of the airfield perimeter.

Why didn't they just leave it to her? David groaned, as a fresh wave of bullets slammed into the concrete partition he crouched behind.

The idea had been for Julia to take out the pilots and force the passengers out of the plane. A sniper's bullet, they had reasoned, might miss if they had waited for Kruschev to appear – better this way. Unfortunately Kruschev travelled with smart and effecient security. Instead of running out into the field of fire, after the pilots had been taken out, grenades had been thrown. The civilians had been too stunned to move – while Josh's commandoes had reacted with practiced ease. In the confusion that followed, numerous guards had exited the plane and started firing. They were slowly being whittled down by Julia and the commandoes – but it wouldn't be long before some civilian got on a phone and rang for reinforcements.

At that moment, one of the Commandoes made a break for it, running towards David's position. Diving into cover, Josh smiled at his friend and complained "The best laid plans of mice and men! What!" And then he laughed. Its was behaviour that David had observed before – the Brits seemed to find humour in anything. Personally, all David felt like doing was swearing!

"Look," Josh conitnued, as the bullets whizzed and pinged about them. "Did you see that tanker they were going to refuel the plane with?" David nodded. "Well" Josh drawled, "I think that might just do the ticket."

"Do the ticket?" David figuratively scratched his head. "You mean we get in that death trap and drive it into the plane – creating a God Almighty explosion killing all and sundry?" He was incredulous – all it would need would be for one bullet to be fired at the tanker and - BOOM! This was the plan?

"So, here's the thing" Josh explained, "Its you and me against the dredded Russian Spetznaz. Are you in?" Josh was fishing around in his front shirt pocket. Fishing out a cigar, he sighed and broke it in two. "The condemned's final meal" he explained as he passed one half over to David. Retrieving his lighter he lit up their cigars. "Now if we don't get out of this, I want you to tell Liz she's going to make a great Queen one day."

The cigar was quite good, and David puffed as he made sure his caribine was loaded. Josh waved his hand above his head, then using his fingers counted down from three to one. "Get ready," he warned as he rose into a crouch then made his run for the truck.

"Shit!" David swore as he also set of at a run towards the truck. Josh was two steps ahead of him, when he seemed to stumble. "Damn! Josh! Are you alright?" David asked as he grabed his arm and dragged him behind the dubious cover of the fuel truck.