Also by Andy McNab
THE LIAM SCOTT SERIES
The New Recruit
The New Patrol
The New Enemy
DROPZONE
Dropzone
Dropzone: Terminal Velocity
BOY SOLDIER (with Robert Rigby)
Boy Soldier
Payback
Avenger
Meltdown
OTHER NOVELS:
Aggressor
Battle Lines (with Kym Jordan)
Brute Force
Crisis Four
Crossfire
Dark Winter
Dead Centre
Deep Black
Detonator
Exit Wound
Firewall
Fortress
For Valour
Last Light
Last Night Another Soldier (Quick Read)
Liberation Day
On the Rock (Quick Read)
Recoil
Red Notice
Remote Control
Silencer
State of Emergency
The Grey Man (Quick Read)
War Torn (with Kym Jordan)
Zero Hour
NON-FICTION:
Bravo Two Zero
Immediate Action
Seven Troop
Sorted!
Spoken from the Front
The Good Psychopath’s Guide to Success (with Professor Kevin Dutton)
Today Everything Changes (Quick Read)
Andy McNab was a covert ops commander in the SAS and the British Army’s most highly decorated serving soldier.
Besides his writing, Andy now advises intelligence agencies in the UK and US.
For more information about Andy and his books, visit www.andymcnab.co.uk
RHCP DIGITAL
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First published Doubleday, 2016
This ebook published 2016
Text copyright © Andy McNab, 2016
Front cover artwork and design copyright © Stephen Mulcahey, 2016
Cover photography copyright © Jonathan Ring, 2016
With thanks to Ben Jeapes and David Gatward
The moral right of the author has been asserted
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978–1–448–19781–1
All correspondence to:
RHCP Digital
Penguin Random House Children’s
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL
ACOG – Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight providing up to 6x fixed power magnification, illuminated at night by an internal phosphor
Anti-tank rockets – man-portable rockets designed to be able to defeat armoured vehicles. Usually they are less capable than anti-tank guns and missiles, but are useful against various targets including buildings and fortifications
Army Reserve – formerly the Territorial Army or TA, this provides trained soldiers who work on a part-time basis to support the regular army
CQR – Close Quarter Recce
Flash-bang (stun grenade) – a non-lethal explosive device used to temporarily disorientate an enemy’s senses
Foxhound – Patrol vehicle specifically designed and built to protect against the threats faced by troops in Afghanistan
Fusiliers – an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen’s Division
Glock 17 Gen 4 – lightweight and accurate pistol with a magazine capacity of 17 9mm rounds
GPMG – General-Purpose Machine Gun, nicknamed the ‘Gimpy’; belt-driven
IED – an Improvised Explosive Device, which can be placed on the ground or used by suicide bombers; sometimes activated by remote control
Infantry – the British infantry is based on the tried and tested regimental system which has proved successful on operations over the years; it consists of a number of regular battalions. The British infantry has a strong tradition of courage in battle
Insurgent – a person who fights against an established government or authority
Intel (INT) – army term for intelligence: information collected on, for example, enemy movements
Intelligence Corps – one of the corps of the British Army. It is responsible for gathering, analysing and disseminating military intelligence, and also for counter-intelligence and security
LASM – Light Anti-Structures Missile; a rocket launcher designed to be discarded after launch
MI5 – a British intelligence agency working to protect the UK’s national security against threats such as terrorism and espionage
MoD – Ministry of Defence. Their aim is to protect the security, independence and interests of our country at home and abroad. They ensure that the armed forces have the training, equipment and support necessary for their work
MP5 – 9mm submachine gun built by Heckler & Koch
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization: an organization whose essential purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means
NCO – Non-Commissioned Officer, like a corporal or sergeant
No. 8 Temperate Combat Dress – this replaced the No 5 and 9 Dress, in what is known known as the Personal Clothing System. It is based around a Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) windproof smock, a lightweight jacket and trousers with a range of ancillaries such as thermals and waterproofs
PE – Plastic Explosive
PRR – Personal Role Radio: small transmitter-receiver radio that enables soldiers to communicate over short distances, and through buildings and walls
Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) – provides support (e.g. vehicle parts, tools, ammunition and rations) to the Army, both in peacetime and on operations
RPG – Rocket-Propelled Grenade
SA80 – semi-automatic rifle made by Heckler & Koch, the standard British Army rifle
SAS – Special Air Service, tasked to operate in difficult and often changing circumstances, sometimes in absence of guidance and within situations that have significant operational and strategic importance
Screws – a prison nickname for a warder
Special Branch – units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces. Acquire and develop intelligence, usually of a political nature, and conducts investigations to protect the State from perceived threats of subversion
‘Taking Point’ – Assume the first and most exposed position in a combat military formation
UGL – Under-slung Grenade Launcher, fitted to SA80
Warrior – a series of British armoured vehicles, originally developed to replace the older FV430 series of armoured vehicles. A highly successful armoured fighting vehicle, the Warrior can be fitted with enhanced armour and is continuously being updated
YOI – Young Offender Institution, a type of British prison intended for offenders aged between 18 and 20, although some prisons cater for younger offenders from ages 15 to 17, who are classed as juvenile offenders
Sean’s breath condensed in the air. It was a frosty January morning outside, and the gym hall was cold enough to double as a morgue, which was a comparison he didn’t want to make. The screws had told him and a dozen other lads, all of them in their gym kit, to stand in a line. He knew them all by sight. Sean was surprised so many had turned up. There had been nods and grunts when they all set eyes on each other – the closest any of them were going to get to something like, Hi! How are you? There was a faint air of embarrassment hanging over them.
Time was something they all had plenty of, but Sean didn’t know anyone who would spend it here without serious persuasion. He wondered if the others had been through anything like he had to motivate them.
With Sergeant Adams, apparently, it was being knifed into a coma. With Sean, it was seeing a friend dangle from a pipe. All his life Sean had made a conscious effort to be more like Gaz – and apparently being like Gaz could lead to that.
No. Not going to happen.
The dull clank of the gym door closing was followed by measured footsteps as Sergeant Adams came to stand in front of them. He was flanked by two other men, both seriously muscled. All of them wore pale green T-shirts and camo trousers, with their names marked in black on the left breast.
The sergeant’s voice echoed around the gym. ‘First of all, well done to all of you for turning up. This was by invitation only. Some of those invited declined the offer. That’s their decision, this is yours. You’ve already made a change to who you are and what you’re about.’
If this was just going to be a motivational chat, Sean thought, then he was going to walk.
‘The fact is,’ continued the sergeant, ‘that an initiative like this doesn’t work if people are forced to do it. The army is for volunteers only. Conscription’s no good. We want to work with people who want to work with us. That way, we can achieve something, and so can you.’
Sean was getting fidgety, and he wasn’t the only one.
‘So if you’re ready, I will hand over to Corporals Edwards and Grant.’
The bigger of the two corporals stepped forward.