He sat outside Manchester Station on double yellow lines with the blue lights flashing, no one bothered him, he saw Taff and Colin come onto the street. Out the car, he called them over, seeing him, they quickly had their kit in the boot and were gone. Dave kept the blue lights on for the rest of the journey, occasionally he would put the siren on to move cars out the way.
They arrived in Mallaig, just after 16:00, Taff and Colin pulled on balaclava’s, Dave parked as near to the trawler as he could, they were quickly on board, Dave returned a few minutes later having parked the Range Rover. It didn’t take long before they were moving out the harbour. The captain came to see them in the mess room, “we should arrive just as it is getting dark, we will switch off our beacon around ten miles away, the sea should be calm, once you have gone, we will move away, returning around an hour before dawn, the beacon will be working, it will look like we are fishing, all the lights will be on, it will give you a target to aim for.” Taff asked if they would let him know when they were thirty minutes away. The time was spent eating, sleeping and checking weapons, a rating came in saying they were thirty five minutes from the island. They made their way up onto the deck, Dave was given instructions on how the RIB’s engine worked, there was a stiff breeze, the sky was darkening. The three of them were all in black, Taff and Colin each had a black backpack, they both took out their night vision goggles, Dave already had his pushed up on his head. The island was now off to the starboard side, it looked black, the only features visible against the night sky were the pillboxes. Someone shouted there were ten minutes to go, the three of them climbed into the RIB, it was lifted off the deck by a crane, slowly it was moved over the port side and lowered to be just above the sea, Dave started the engine, they dropped further until the RIB was in the water, Dave increased the speed until it matched the trawler. The connections to the crane were released, Dave moved away from the trawler, it was now much darker, clouds obscured the moon, he pulled down his goggles to allow him to see. Letting the trawler pull away, he made for the island, they were about a mile away. The view through the goggles took a time to get used to, there were three pairs of eyes looking for the landing point. He slowed the engine right down, they were barely moving, Colin hit Dave’s leg, “it’s here,” his voice was barely audible. The engine was cut, seconds later, they were out the boat and on the island, Dave climbed out as well, the water was cold, he pulled the boat onto a tiny bit of shore with no rocks, he tied it up, away to his right, Taff and Colin were slowly making their way up the old staircase. Dave sat back in the boat, his gun was out from its holster, all he could do was wait, he knew it would be a long night, in his pockets were bars of chocolate.
The climb in the dark was slow, birds were nesting everywhere, the smell was terrible, it took them almost an hour to reach the top, they lent against the pill box to recover, birds squawked and moved about, their burrows were trip hazards. Taff signalled to Colin he was going to circle the concrete structure to make sure it was empty, it could be a place to leave their kit. Colin saw him through his goggles, he was motioning him to come over, he pointed to a key hanging on the outside wall and then to the door. Colin nodded, he took out his Glock, Taff also had his ready, taking the key, he unlocked the padlock, there shouldn’t be anyone inside, however they were taking no chances. The metal door swung open easily, there was a smell, it was different from outside, Taff knew there was someone inside. The door was pushed open fully, there guns were pointed at two people lying on the floor. “Who are you,” Taff asked in a low voice? “Harry Travers and Simon Hewson,” Colin asked if they were SBS, one of them said yes, “we’re not a rescue party, we’re here to recce the island, others will follow. Where is the other one, I thought there were three of you?” “He didn’t make it.” Taff asked how many were on the island, “Maybe twenty to thirty, there could be more, we were held in the tunnels before we were put in here.” “Are they armed?” “Everyone carries, it’s like a private army, who are you?” “The good guys,” “there is a radar installation on the top of here, they come out to clean it every day, we are brought food and water at the same time.” “Can you fight, no injuries?” “Just give us a gun, we will help you.” “OK, not now, we want to look round, I think we will be back within a couple of days. We need to be quick, we only have a few hours.” “There is a path, it saves you tripping on the nests. Not sure if there are any guards.” Taff thanked them and said he would lock the door again, but would return within a couple of days. The ground sloped down as they followed the path, the amount of nests lessened, the last one hundred yards they crawled along. Colin who was behind, pulled at Taff’s leg, looking round, he saw Colin motion towards his right, there was a low wall Taff hadn’t seen. Resting, leaning against the wall, they looked round planning their next move. Through a gap, they tried to see if there were any guards, it all looked quiet. Taff looked at his watch, he said there was only around an hour before they would have to head back. Taking off his backpack, his knife was pulled from its sheath, returning to the path, Taff crept down to the small bay, he initially didn’t see anyone, a hiding place was found in amongst the blue barrels. The wooden hut next to him was in darkness, studying the other one about twenty five yards away, he saw a light. It came from a screen, he wondered if it was from the radar on top of the pillbox, whatever it was, it showed up two people in the room, one looked out into the darkness, the other he suspected, would be looking at the screen. He looked back to where he had come from, further along were a row of steel doors, through gaps, he could see light. He counted five, there may have been more, this was where the sleeping quarters he guessed would be. He had to move, he could sense the darkness lifting, it wouldn’t be too long before it would be light. He chose his moment and made his way back to Colin, there was no need for the goggles now. They returned to the pillbox as quickly as they could, the climb down to Dave took longer than the ascent, birds were now flying from the nests, he could hear cursing and swearing as they neared him, his gun was ready, the backpacks were thrown into the dinghy, “let’s get the fuck out of here.” The engine was started, about half a mile off the island, Dave could see the trawler around a mile away, it was lit up like a Christmas tree. Once onboard, Dave said to head back to Mallaig, Colin and Taff stripped off, showered and changed. The captain said to use his dining room to talk. Taff said what he had found, Dave made notes, a plan was forming, between the three of them they came up with a final plan. Taff and Colin slept, at 08:30, Dave went to find the Captain, “I have to start making plans, is there a way to call London from here?” “Yes, you can use the phone on the desk, it works as normal. The first call was to Sally. “Gather up a laptop and all your paperwork, put it in the briefcase or a box, dress in overalls, bring clothes and more overalls for us both, you will need a Glock, go to Olivia’s, wait there, you will be picked up by helicopter from Garats Hay and taken to Hereford, you need to be familiar with a different gun and night vision goggles, then you will be brought up here to join us. I have to make this happen, but it will be quick, do you understand everything I said?” Sally said she did, Dave finished by saying he loved her. Next it was the Brigadier, he quickly said what had gone on and what had been found. Explaining what was needed regarding Sally, he asked for that to be done first, there had been no questions asked about why, only agreements. Dave said he would phone in fifteen minutes for the next part of what he required. Jane Goodley picked up her phone immediately, “it’s on for tonight, I need £80k to pay my men, it may be less depending on how long the operation lasts.” “David, you have to explain to me what is happening,” “we are going to kill the bad guys who point guns at us, the rest will be captured, not much to it really.” “More details please,” “There will be six of us, Sally and myself, my two men and the two SBS men who are being held. Any more and we would be falling over ourselves, as usual, a lot of it will be made up as we go along. Sally will be in Hereford shortly, she needs training on the Colt C8 or the Uzis they have there if they will let us use them. A helicopter is picking her up about now, I have to phone the Brigadier again, give it half an hour then speak to him.
Sally banged on Olivia’s door, she gasped when she saw Sally. “What the fuck are you wearing?” “I have to go to work with Dave, when I get a call, I need you to take me to Garats Hay, don’t ask any questions please.” “I made coffee when you rang, do you have time for a cup?” “Yes please,” “Sally what’s happening?” There was genuine concern in her voice.” “I don’t know, Dave said a helicopter would pick me up and take me somewhere else and then on to see him. I will be back in a day or so hopefully.” They both heard a helicopter fly low over the house, at the same time her phone rang, “Time to go,” she hugged Olivia before she left the house. Olivia watched Sally walk off with a soldier having dropped her off at the barrier. Two minutes later she saw the helicopter take off.
Dave called the Brigadier back, he gave him a list of everything required for the job, “sir, will you let us use the Uzis located at Hereford, if not then we will need the short barrel C8’s, the Uzis would be preferable.” “They are not standard issue,” “we are not standard people.” “I will have to speak to the Admiral, I will update Hereford with the decision. The rest of the kit will be with you this afternoon. We will speak again later.”
When Sally touched down, her bags were taken from the helicopter, a car was waiting for her. She was taken directly to the shooting range, a sergeant was waiting for her, they were the only two there. He asked her what weapons she was familiar with, “I’ve used the Glock several times whilst on jobs, I’ve fired the SA80, but not in the field. My last job was working with 45 Commando on the River Tay.” “OK, you are about to have a crash course in using the Uzi, you might have seen it in films, forget that, this is real life, it can fire a single bullet or a burst, the magazine will empty in seconds, there are three different sizes, we will try out each one until we find the correct fit.” Five minutes later having been shown how it worked, Sally held it up to her shoulder and put her finger on the trigger, there was a target at twenty five yards, squeezing the trigger, she felt it recoil into her shoulder. For the next shot, she held it more firmly, she hit the target, she carried on, hitting the target each time. Sally changed the magazine for a full one, this time she fired a burst, she loved the feeling, the instructor said for her to lie down and try it again. She kept hitting the target, “it’s supposed to take you hours to get used to this gun, try the micro version.” Sally stood back up, she was handed a smaller Uzi, it didn’t feel as comfortable, “may I try something?” “As long as you are pointing it away from me.” She held the gun in one hand, stretching out her arm, she pulled the trigger, it took a couple of goes before she was on target, “I want to try that with the one I had before.” She repeated what she had just done. “I want the original one, not the micro gun.” Next she was handed a pair of goggles, she put them on, the lights were switched off. “I don’t like this, it’s disconcerting, I can’t focus properly.” “Walk around, try to get a feel for your surroundings.” “No, I’d rather not have them,” she pulled them off her head, “OK, try this it is a compromise, only one eye has night vision, your other eye will have to rely on whatever light there is.” The lights were switched off again, “I prefer this,” she picked up the gun, fired at the target, her aim wasn’t as good, but she was still hitting the target. This had all taken ninety minutes, Sally thought it had only been a short time, “That’s it, there isn’t anything else to teach you, it’s down to practice, the more you shoot, the more used to it you will become.” She said she needed to eat, “can you show me where I can get some food.” “Come with me into the sergeants mess, you can have lunch there.” All eyes were on her as she entered, there was a hush round the room before conversations were started again. When she had eaten, she asked if she could look at the photographs round the room. “Who are you looking for?” “I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say.” “Everyone in the room is on the wall somewhere, only those who have been through the training are there, give me a name.” “David Stretton,” people on the other tables looked across at Sally. “Miss, come over here,” an orderly in a white jacket motioned for Sally to follow him, he stopped at a group photograph, “He’s in this one, can you see him?” She saw a much younger Dave smiling at her. She thanked the orderly and returned to her seat. “He’s left the Army, hasn’t he?” “Yes, he drives a cab now,” “we know what he does, he will always be welcome here.” Sally said nothing, she wondered if it was a leading question to get more information, if it was, then they were out of luck, her phone went as she was drinking her coffee. “Can you take me back to the helicopter, they are waiting for me?” Beside the bags she had brought, there was a pile of kit, she heard the noise as it came across the base, it was a different one, larger than earlier. As soon as the blades had stopped a hand waived her towards an open door, she pulled down the sergeant to her level and kissed him on the cheek, “thank you.” She ran to the open door, soldiers were collecting her bags and the kit. Climbing on board, she was surprised to see Jane Goodley and the Brigadier smiling at her. Five minutes later they were airborne. The noise wasn’t too loud, they were able to have a conversation, she asked why they were there, Jane Goodley shook her head.
They landed around five miles away from Mallaig, an unmarked van was waiting for them, everyone helped unload, the three of them sat in the back of the van wherever they could. The van parked on the quay adjacent to the trawler, no one took any notice of it unloading, the three arrivals quickly went on board. Dave hugged and kissed Sally when he saw her. The four quickly went into the meeting room. “Where are the others?” “Jane they are sleeping, it’s going to be busy later.” “David we want to know the final details of the plan, we have done everything you asked, now you have to explain.” “OK, but when I have done that, I want to know what else is going on. The four of us will go in just after dark, we will release the two SBS operatives, we will arm them, that will make six of us, I understand, there will be two people manning the radar, they will be eliminated. We will then switch off the generators so the place is in darkness, as they come out from the tunnels we will pick off anyone who is armed and doesn’t surrender. Once we have secured the area, we will radio in, the two choppers stationed on Benbecula can then bring in the cavalry. That’s it, unless you have something to tell me.” The Brigadier looked at Jane, she spoke, “there are complications, the main one being, there are hostages somewhere on the island, six people, some of those behind this are from an Irish republican splinter group, the final complication is someone in Police Scotland has been leaking everything we do, that is why you are here, not even the politicians know, less than half a dozen people are aware, they will be tomorrow once it is over.” Dave leaned back in his chair, this changes everything, until we can locate the hostages, we can’t do anything, are they expendable?” “No, we want them back alive.” “How long since they were taken?” “Six weeks,” “Are you sure they are still alive?” “Yes, well they were last week, a video of them holding a newspaper was delivered five days ago.” “I want the video, can you have it sent to me?” “Jane Goodley made a call, “it will be with you shortly.” “What are you two doing?” “We are moving on to Benbecula, we will fly in with the helicopters.” Dave now spoke to the Brigadier, “sir, did you bring the plans for the underground network on the island, I need to make sure there is no other way out?” A large round tube was passed over to Dave. The Captain appeared, “we need to leave in fifteen minutes.” They both wished Dave and Sally good luck, Dave said he would see them in the morning.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Sally looked at Dave, “why couldn’t they have told me this earlier.” Sally grabbed the table as the trawler left the port. They went off to find Taff, Dave shook him, Colin stirred at the same time. “I’ve just had a spanner thrown in the works, there are hostages, I have had a video of them sent to me. I’ve also been told, the people on the island are dissident republicans. No wonder they gave the job to me. Let’s go into the comms room, we can look at the video on a larger screen. The people looked bedraggled and dirty, the newspaper was passed to each one as they were being filmed. “The room has curved walls, see if you can see a slit, I think it’s the other pillbox,” Taff said he thought Colin was right. There was no slit in the video. It was decided, Colin and one of the SBS would head to the southern pillbox to investigate as soon as they had landed.
Following a check on the weapons and other equipment brought on board, Dave asked how Sally had got on earlier. “The Uzi was OK, it was the night vision goggles I struggled with, I have one that uses only one eye.” “See if you can sleep, it might be a long night.” She closed her eyes, going back over the few years since Dave had come into her life she wondered if it was all a dream. A sad, timid university receptionist was now a crack shot, an experienced field worker and one of the best researchers the MOD and MI5 had. Not even her best friend Olivia really knew what she did when she disappeared for days on end. Dave and Sally worked freelance, he was an experienced field operator, Jane Goodley would say he was the best, they were called in when a job needed to be done, but the government wanted to be able to deny responsibility if it went wrong. They both knew the risks, however the rewards would set them up for when they could no longer work in the field.
Everyone heard the announcement over the Tannoy, ‘Thirty minutes to disembarkation’. Dave nudged Sally who had fallen asleep. “Last coffee, pee and then we will be gone, you remember what will be happening when we land?” “Sally nodded, she wasn’t looking forward to it.
It was a much larger RIB this time, one of the crew would drop them off, Dave shook hands with the Captain and thanked him for his help. “I don’t know what you are doing or who you are, but good luck.”
They were dropped off at almost the same spot, five large backpacks were unloaded, Sally was second on to the island, Taff offered his hand to help her. Each had a backpack, Colin carried the extra one as well as his own. The plan was for Taff to climb up on his own with a rope long enough to drop back down, forty five minutes later they heard the rope dropping near them. Dave was up next, with the help of the rope, it only took him twenty minutes. Colin tied three of the backpacks onto the end of the rope, Dave and Taff pulled them up. The rope came down for the remaining two. Colin tied the rope round Sally, she had been told how slippery it would be, nothing prepared her for the smell, she wanted to retch. Several times she slipped, Dave and Taff held onto the rope to stop her falling, Colin was right behind her offering encouragement. It took almost two hours for them all to be on the top.
© 10210ken 2026
