Chapters (45)
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Prologue
- 2046
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- About the Author
A soldier on fire runs past Harry screaming for his mother. Two more chase after him, desperate to save their comrade. Harry fires from the ground, killing the two, but leaving the burning man to draw more of his comrades out. Another bomb drops. Harry grins at the bravery of the pilots flying into the barrage of anti-aircraft fire that must be rattling them in their seats. That grin freezes in horror as the leading plane is hit with an explosion of flame high in the sky and a shriek as the aircraft breaks apart to plummet down through the air.
The third U-boat detonates and this time Harry feels the rain of seawater coming down. Three boats destroyed. The town is already on its knees. No matter what happens now, this is victory. This is testament to training, fortitude and a willingness to hold your nerve. Thousands of Allied lives saved and the ships bringing food and supplies will get to British shores, bringing desperately needed resources to the starving population.
The only problem is Harry is still alive. He was not meant to get this far. No one actually said it was a suicide mission, but it was obvious. The fourth U-boat blows. He grins while trying to think of what to do now. An idea forms. If you can get to the boats then you might, and I emphasise you might, get out. He goes for it. Grinning with the audacity of the attempt. Running flat out, he jumps over the dead bodies and veers round the still-burning man. Booming anti-aircraft guns firing. Lights strobing the sky. Small arms still give battle and in that noise is the unmistakable sound of Sten guns. British Sten guns firing short, staccato bursts. How the hell the commando teams on the boats are still alive is beyond Harry. The U-boat explosions should have got them. The returning fire from the Germans should have got them. But that noise is unique.
Ditching the German machine gun, he works to strip the heavy coat from his frame, letting it drop in his wake. His arms pump. His feet pound the ground as all around him houses blow apart from bombs falling from the sky. Flames everywhere. People screaming orders and through them all he runs with a wry grin that maybe, just maybe, he can get away and get that pack of smokes Tom owes him.
In the water only two of the commandos’ wooden-hulled fast boats remain from a fleet of seven sent in and those two boats whizz back and forth giving the Germans something to aim at while the divers freeze in the water, fixing the charges to the last U-boat.
Harry runs down the steps on to the lower wall and through the Germans kneeling to return fire.