Distant Annihilation. (Tarquin Collingwood Adventures Book 1) by Azam Hossain Page A

of inspiration. I rummaged around in my rucksack. I had two tracking consoles. Jim Travers approached, “Well I suppose this is where we part,” he said extending his hand. I grabbed it and we shook hands.
    “Thanks for all your help Travers,” I beamed, “After all this is over I want to be picked up and rescued or my body recovered, either way I want to be back in England.........here keep track of me - literally,” I handed him a plastic card which contained the details of my GPS console password, account number and other details which would enable me to be pinpointed through a laptop connected to the internet. He assured me that he would faithfully ensure that my whereabouts would be known 24 hours a day.
    “Give my regards to Guy and Ollie.”
    “I shall. I look forward to meeting you again, when you can dine out on the adventure you are about to undertake,” Travers said. He got into the car and left. The Major, Ismail and I waved him farewell as we watched him depart.
     
    After we gathered up all our gear and final checks were made, the five of us got into the Toyota. I switched on my tracking device so that Travers would be able to pick up my signal and then proceeded to conceal it about my person, along with my newly purchased 6 inch knife and my Glock. Aziz drove. Von Weizsacker sat next to him, Mueller and I were in the back and Ismail was sitting on the roof above the luggage. Our luggage was numerous and amongst other things consisted of tents, camping equipment, food, clothing, explosives, electronic triggers, guns, and ammunition.
    Mueller lit up a cigarette as we left the quarry and joined the main highway. “So vhat is your purpose here Herr Kapitain,” he sneered in my direction, “Do the British not think we can do this ourselves? Or is it that they must take the credit for the actions of others?”
    We were risking our lives together in a common enterprise and this unfriendly aside was hardly an auspicious beginning. It occurred to me that this might be the true thoughts of the Germans as regards my presence, except that von Weizsacker was probably too much of a gentleman to reveal them.
    “I am sure we shall all work together to ensure success Sergeant Mueller. You can be assured that I am here on my own merits, no doubt you will see that in time,” I said as diplomatically as I could, whilst trying to conceal my resentment at the sheer cheek of such an outburst from someone so decidedly beneath my rank.
    The Major then uttered a rebuke to Mueller in German, to which Mueller reacted by sulking, turning to stare out of the window.
     
    The roads in this part of the country near Kushanbay were long and straight, with mountains always in view in the distance; their views enhanced at this altitude by near faultless brilliant blue skies, with barely a cloud to blemish them. Snow capped peaks became apparent later; after we had been driving for a couple of hours. After a few moments of discussing our military careers at the beginning of our journey, hardly a word was said in the car between us and then as if to break the monotony, up ahead on a straight stretch of road we could see a road block with a queue of vehicles waiting to be inspected. Aziz slowed down as we joined the queue and everyone in the car suddenly gathered their wits and became alert. Our whole mission could be over before it even started. How did I ever agree to such folly? I felt for my passport should I be required to produce it. I began to perspire and foolishly thought of grabbing my Glock, before realising that such imprudence would only succeed in getting me killed. There were several military vehicles and about a dozen soldiers scattered around most of whom were carrying machine guns. I chastised myself for my momentary panic and then composed, looked at the soldiers with my military eye as we neared the front of the queue. They looked poorly trained, many were conscripts; and judging by their kit were poor excuses for