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Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. Acknowledgements ♦ Diolchiadau
  50. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

And then, when the day was dulling, Nefyn filled a bowl with hot water and soap and carried it through to the living room, placed it on a low table which she dragged across the flagstones towards her. He was staring at the fire now, unsure whether he was awake or not, the day folding in on itself around them. Nefyn placed a towel around his shoulders, and pulled his head gently backwards. The water steamed in the cold air as Nefyn began to wash his hair. Unhurriedly, silently. Its matted saltiness relaxed by the water into stubborn curls. Hamza felt the water, warm on his scalp, and was stunned into silence by the gentleness of her touch. A quiet absolution. His vision blurred, and tears fell darkly down his cheeks, but he didn’t move to rub them away. Nefyn saw but did not react, continued to rub the blood that had dried hard and black on his forehead. She rinsed the flannel in the bowl over and over and watched the water cloud with old blood. When she had finished, she dried his face gently, tucked the towel into his collar and pulled his chair closer to the fire so he could keep warm.

14

Host ♦ Mudif ♦ Gwesteiwr

THE LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAT at his desk and waited, wanting to be in situ when Owens arrived. He had spent a considerable time thinking about the different ways in which to handle the guard. He could let things slide, of course, but knowing his character, he would exploit this as a weakness and push the boundaries further. He had no proof that Owens had indeed beaten the prisoner and the fact that Adley was now dead complicated the matter.

However, the advantage he had over him was information. He had studied Owens’s record. Flicked through his file. He was from a council estate. Joined at sixteen. Excelled at the physical side of things and was eager to learn. His only weakness, it seemed, was an unwillingness to let things go. In the Lieutenant Colonel’s experience it was often men who’d never seen active service who treated prisoners badly. Those who had been on the front line usually respected their prisoners more, knowing that one day their fates could well be reversed.