Tested by Fire by David Costa (the little red hen read aloud TXT) 📗

The recording equipment in the troop van had picked up the whole conversation. Jim Broad realised he’d been holding his breath throughout the short clip of conversation. What he’d just heard only confirmed everything he already knew about the type of people he’d been dealing with they couldn’t let them leave the house, a suicide bomber let loose on a public street didn’t bear thinking about.

The voice that had given his statement of preparation for death spoke again.

‘Now, brother, let us get some rest, our battle with the infidel begins in the morning.’

‘Allah be praised, brother.’

‘That’s the downstairs lights out and a light coming on in the front upstairs,’ reported a trooper who had eyes on the front of the building.

‘Tango One, can you come back to control, we need to discuss an assault on the house tonight,’ said Broad.

‘Roger, Alpha Control, I’m on my way. I’ve ordered daylight aerial photos of the target house they should be there now can you have them available when we get back?’

‘They are here, and we’ve uploaded them onto the big screen.’

‘Roger that, I’m on my way.’

Jim Broad phoned Reece and brought him up to date with the details of the conversation. Reece answered the call on the second buzz of his phone which had been on silent but sitting on the dash the light had lit up the car interior. His Casio watch said it was 0230.

‘So, what happens now, boss?’

‘What we’ve heard, means they’ve forced our hand. We can’t let them get out of that house to mingle with the public and we can’t have a standoff situation lasting who knows how long before the press gets on to it and help tip off their friends. In that scenario they could also phone the others tipping them off. I intend sending in a troop assault team on the house about 6 a.m. to take them out of the picture, from what we’ve heard and from what we know this is not going to end well for us unless we take the upper hand now.’

‘I agree, boss, when you go in let me know. We will be ready for any movement here; these people need to be stopped whatever it takes. We also need the caretaker here right now. I need to talk to him and find out who we have here, there’s at least three in there so we might need backup ourselves when we move on them. I’m sending you the number displayed on the building’s door as the emergency contact number so you should be able to track him down.’

‘Leave it with me, I’ll let you know how I get on. I’ll also be getting the police to give us a secure zone to work inside to deal with both locations and take care of civilians.’

When the call finished, Reece noticed that Steve Harrison had brought the seat up from the recline position and had been awake during the phone call.

‘Sorry, did I wake you?’

‘No, I’ve been trying to sleep but I never can in these situations, I get some extra energy from somewhere I don’t know.’

‘By the look of things, the troop are going to hit the house in Irlam before daylight. I hope we can talk to the caretaker here before then and work out where our friends are staying.’

‘If we do find them what then?’

‘We have some time to prepare an assault but if they get news that we’ve hit their house in Irlam we might have to move quickly, we can’t let them escape. From now we start to prepare. I want everyone in their vests and armbands on and the H and K out of the boot we might just need the heavy firepower before this is over. I’ll go over and tell the others. You stay here and keep watch.’

Reece walked across the square and getting into the back seat he found that April was asleep in the front passenger seat, waking when Reece opened the car door.

Reece quickly brought Grey and Cousins up to date, telling them to prepare their equipment just as he’d told Harrison.

‘When the caretaker gets here, we need to have a quick chat with him. In the meantime, Steve and I’ll pick up Mike as arranged. April, if the caretaker arrives before I get back, have that chat.’

‘Are you OK with bringing her into a dangerous situation?’ asked Grey.

‘She’s lived with dangerous situations all her life. Even with his face change I believe she could still identify Costello and if she gives us that advantage, the risk is worth taking. I’ve talked to her about the risk, now that Costello knows she might be working with us her days are numbered if we don’t get him first. Our job now is to keep on the ball and get these people. The boss will be pushing the police to give us a secure zone for us to work inside and to stop civilians getting involved.’

‘Will they know we’re inside their zone?’ asked Cousins.

‘That’s the plan, but I don’t know when they’ll take up position, so keep alert.’

Chapter Sixty

Middleton and his assault team studied the aerial photos identifying all the approaches to the Irlam house and the buildings surrounding the target area. The rear garden was surrounded by a five-foot wooden panel fence, difficult to get past but not impossible.

Middleton was thankful that the setup of the house was similar to the one at the SAS base and training ground that was used for assault drills and training. The fact there didn’t appear to be any innocent civilians made the choice easy, a hard assault through the front door and window with two soldiers covering the back door in case of an attempted escape.

Every member of the team, including Middleton, who would go in through