For the next fifty minutes the team took turns keeping watch over the stronghold. They worked in pairs in half-hour rotations. Two guys on OP duty while the other two guys got some kip. Despite the exhaustion each of them was feeling, they found it impossible to switch off. They were too wired, restless. Like trying to sleep after knocking back a crate of energy drinks. Only Loader managed to get a proper rest.

Then a cry went up from the northern parapet.

‘Vehicles coming this way,’ Webb said.

Mallet and Loader shot up and hurriedly took up their observation points. Bowman looked beyond the treeline at his two o’clock. He saw a large dust cloud stirring close to the horizon.

‘Another load of Machete Boys?’ Loader asked.

Webb paused as he focused his sights on the dust cloud. ‘Doesn’t look like it,’ he said finally.

‘What can you see?’ Bowman said.

‘Buses,’ Webb replied. ‘Three of them. Look like school buses.’

Loader grunted. ‘Bit fucking weird.’

Mallet said, ‘Is there a school round here, Major?’

‘If there is,’ came the reply over the radio, ‘it’s the first I’ve heard of it.’

‘More vehicles inbound.’ Webb was giving a running commentary as he observed the dust cloud through the Schmidt & Bender scope. ‘I see four of them. An SUV. Looks like a Land Cruiser.’ He paused again. ‘A pickup, two personnel trucks. Looks like a substantial force heading our way, guys.’

Bowman felt his guts drop. Mallet rushed over to the north-facing parapet and trained the .50 cal sights on the convoy.

‘Army trucks?’ Loader said. ‘I thought the major said there’s no local garrison in the vicinity.’

‘There isn’t,’ Bowman said. ‘Apart from the platoon at the airfield. And they’re under orders not to abandon their posts at any cost.’

‘Major, are we expecting any friendlies in the area?’ Mallet said into his mic.

‘Let me check,’ Mavinda replied.

Webb watched the dust cloud.

Bowman and Loader scanned the flanks.

Mallet waited thirty seconds.

Then he said, ‘What’s the news, Major?’

There was a long beat before Mavinda replied. ‘Negative,’ he said. ‘There are no friendly forces in the area. Repeat, no friendlies.’

‘So who the fuck are these guys?’ Loader wondered.

Webb said nothing.

Bowman swallowed.

Mallet said, ‘They’re not friendly soldiers. It’s the KUF. They’re here. Them and their Russian advisers.’

Thirty

Thirty

Bowman looked on as the KUF convoy approached the stronghold from the west. The dust cloud migrated south as the vehicles motored past the village towards the T-junction. The convoy hit the metalled road, and the cloud promptly disappeared behind the broad belt of trees to the north-west of the estate. After a short while, Bowman heard the low distant growl of diesel engines, steadily growing louder as the rebels neared the main road opposite the estate.