CAMP RUSSELL, TARIN KOWT
‘Hey man, can I come in?’ asked Terence, who had moments before seen Sam walking to his accommodation block and followed him over.
‘Sure, what’s up?’ asked Sam. He hadn’t even closed the door fully when Terence had knocked.
Sam’s room was like all the other single rooms at either end of the corridors, designated specially for the officers and senior NCOs, except that he had no pictures or posters on the wall. Nor were there any magazines or books. It was like a prison cell. The room contained only a bed, with a single blanket, a wooden wardrobe and a small table.
Terence sat on the edge of the table facing Sam. ‘I heard that Matt is going after Rapier on foot.’
‘Yeah, that’s what I heard, too.’ Sam opened the wardrobe, taking out a PT shirt, ready to get changed.
‘Well, that’s just stupid. I mean, that’s close to a thirty kilometre round trip. You know it’s fifteen kilometres to the Mirabad Valley from here?’ Terence shook his head to reinforce the idiocy of it all.
‘Well, that’s not exactly correct, mate. It’s twelve k to his target, as I recall,’ Sam replied as he undid his boots and placed them square against the wall.
‘Either way, Sam, he’ll be a sitting duck out there.’ Terence watched as Sam folded the laces inside his boots and then placed a curled up sock into each boot in turn.
‘I think he’s taken that into consideration. His deception plan has him going out to the Teri Rud after they make it look like they are on their way to Patrol Base Wali. I’ve seen the plan, he’s breaking up into teams and coming at the compound from all directions and then the ANA are going to do a soft knock on the compound, so no forced entry.’
‘Sam, that might sound like a good plan, but they’re going after a known IED specialist. They will have no fire support from their vehicles and with their force broken into parts they won’t be able to sustain any injuries, let alone a guy stepping on an IED!’
‘I wouldn’t worry about that too much, Terence. We don’t even think that he is using that compound. It’s probably just a come on.’
‘A what?’
‘A come on. You know, a compound that they want us to hit so they can organise a counterattack, and remember, that’s what the CO actually wants.’
‘Jesus man, that’s just insane! Are you listening to yourself?’
Sam thought about what he was saying and felt the guilt wash over him. ‘Shit, you’re right,’ groaned Sam. ‘With Matt now walking out there, they might be gone for ages, with no protection.’
Terence watched as Sam put his socks and boots back on and then bloused his trousers over them.
‘Why can’t they just drop in there with the birds, get it over and done with? I can react from here in Bushmasters if something pops up, or the birds can come back and get me – we can be there in twenty minutes. There are so many other ways to do this than those guys strolling around IED Alley,’ said Terence. He stood up and took Sam’s shirt out of the wardrobe and handed it to him.
‘Maybe we should go and see the CO, outline a case,’ said Sam, taking the shirt and putting it on.
‘I think that’s best, Sam, I really do. He’s a reasonable man, right?’
‘Ah, no, Terence, no, he’s not.’