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

the front door were now dressed in their flameproof jumpsuits with full-face respirator masks to protect against smoke. Each trooper carried two stun grenades, a Glock pistol, and the standard Heckler & Koch MP5 machine gun – capable of firing 800 rounds of 9 mm Parabellum rounds per minute. Each machine gun was fitted with a sound suppressor making it easier for the troopers to hear each other in a noisy environment which would already be overwhelmed with flashbang stun grenades and blast charges on the windows and doors.

Anything that can make the assault on a building where hostiles are expected inside was welcome and had come about from years of experience and practice learning what worked and what didn’t.

Even then, SAS soldiers had it drilled into them to adapt as the circumstances arose. Put down overcoming firepower, cover each other, shoot to kill. The John Wayne wound in the shoulder or the leg was movie stuff…not real life. A wounded man can still return fire, a wounded man can still kill you, so kill him first.

Geoff Middleton was confident he had the men to do the job. Each one knowing where he fitted in to the assault.

Middleton finished the briefing, and everyone broke away to make the last checks and to prepare in their own way. The practice drills were over. Some of the troopers had already experienced real fire situations, only two would be experiencing it for the first time.

‘What do you need from me?’ asked Broad who had been sitting quietly at the back of the room watching Middleton brief his men.

‘Now that you’ve handed over to us it’s the aftermath where we’ll need your help. One of my troopers will be on comms here and you’ll be able to hear the whole thing going down. Afterwards, we’ll pull out quickly leaving the ground clear for the emergency services to go in and clean up. I’ll be first through the front door,’ said Middleton.

‘I’ve already spoken to Mister Lockwood and he’ll have the locals on standby ready to move in with an ambulance and fire brigade. There will be a senior police officer on the ground who knows they’ll have to seal the house and keep the residents tied down. There’ll be a door knock, and statements will be taken.

‘We’ll put out the gas explosion story stating there’ll be a press release when the area is declared safe and some idea of what has happened can be explained. This will give us time to find out where the rest of our friends are in Manchester. We will need similar backup there as well. I’ve informed the powers that be where we are and what we intend to do. We set our watches for 0600 and then with a bit of luck we’ll be able to move on the Manchester address before 11 a.m. If they try to leave before then we have the SG9 team in position to intercept. Good luck, Geoff, I’ll be here until this is over if you need me.’

‘Good, sunrise is 0710 so with any luck it will be all over at the house and if needed I can let your team in Manchester have a few of my men to help there.’

Middleton turned and left to join his men and finish preparing his own equipment.

 

 

Chapter Sixty-one

With five minutes to go before 6 a.m. the police cordon moved in at the top of Kings Road.

The sun was starting to rise but it would be nearly two hours before the light would be strong enough to pick out the SAS team who were now moving in closer to number 2 Henley Avenue. The attending police officers had been told very little. This was an anti-terrorist operation where they were only needed as backup and to stop anyone entering or leaving the road. The officers noticed there was also a fire engine and an ambulance parked up on the main road obviously under the same instructions as they hold back and wait for orders.

A minute before 6 a.m. a Transit van and two blacked out Range Rovers parked on the main road and eight fully combat dressed, heavily armed soldiers all wearing respirator masks left the vehicles and made their way, in twos, down Kings Road.

The police officers knew not to interfere or ask questions… this operation was way above their pay grade.

There was a fine rain falling and the grass, pavement, road, and windows of the surrounding houses glistened in the reflection of the streetlights following the shadows left by the soldiers as they moved forward in crouching positions. The police officers closer to Kings Road could see some of the soldiers were carrying what looked like small window frames. These soldiers had their MP5s on slings over their shoulders while the others moved quietly with their weapons in the raised position pointing and sweeping to the front.

Middleton spoke into his face mike, constantly reporting to Alpha Control the progress of the mission.

‘Alpha Control, Tango Team moving into position, will report when making entry.’

‘Roger, Tango One, waiting out your numbers,’ replied the SAS trooper in the control room.

Jim Broad had covered many operations like this, and it was the waiting that was the hardest. Waiting and hoping for the best. There was always the silence. The straining to hear every word coming over the radio waves. The communication rooms were always quiet at these times, leaving the professionals to get on with their jobs. It was always as if no one was breathing.

The SAS team on the ground had moved into their pre-planned positions: two troopers moved to the rear fence, two to the front downstairs window, and Middleton and three other men to the front door.

Middleton asked for a situation report from the trooper in the van who was monitoring the sounds in the house and was told that