Insurgency by Alex Shaw Page A

Although he was by far one of the most powerful men on earth he was not a god and could not operate with complete impunity. He had managed to keep his existence and the existence of vampires clandestine, although he felt an unseen net slowly closing in. Involving the Afghan had been a risky strategy but he had needed the data and the chance to test the properties of his serum against American soldiers had been too exquisite to pass up. The Americans were coming and would attempt to free the hostages, he’d be a fool not to believe this yet he could not bring himself to leave. He had given the Chornyi Svet serum to the returning fighters and would now see how it would react when mixed with the existing serums within their bodies. Would a double dose of Chornyi Svet prolong the vampire’s ability to resist sunlight? His hypothesis was that it would, but if these test subjects managed to defeat the Americans he would take care of them himself leaving no trace, no evidence of the existence of vampires.
     
    Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan
    Turner sat in the large open air food hall of camp Bastion and pushed a fry around her plate. At other tables ISAF soldiers of many nationalities happily munched away but she was not hungry.
    “If you aren’t going to have that then I will.”
    “Doesn’t it affect you anymore?”
    “What?” Raymond crammed a fry into his mouth.
    “That all those men we lived with and joked with could now be dead.”
    Raymond shrugged and dipped another chip, as he liked to call them into a dollop of ketchup. “They were, are soldiers. They knew what they were getting into.”
    “Wanker.”
    Raymond spluttered. “Yes, but what has that got to do with anything?”
    “Don’t you care at all?”
    “Grow up Paige.”
    “What!” Now it was her turn to become defensive.
    “Of course I bloody care, but what can I do? I was one remember, I used to be a squaddie. I thought I was going to die in Iraq but I had to focus, had to cut away when my mates got mashed up by IEDs. That’s what I’m doing now. Paige, keep the tears for the soddin camera, get your BAFTA or whatever it is you want. But for your own sanity just switch off when the camera does. You want to cry? Do so on your own. Me? I’ll cry when I get home with a bottle of single malt.”
    She folded her arms and for a while did not speak as he continued to eat from her plate. “Maybe I’m not like you. I can’t just stop thinking about something because I choose to.”
    “You are a woman.” He saw her nostrils flare and held up his hand to stop her from exploding. “What I mean is that as a woman you are more sensitive than I am, you care more.”
    She took a deep breath, placated. “What do you care about?”
    “You. I care about you Paige.”
    “And I thought you just wanted to screw me?”
    Raymond reddened. “I don’t know how to answer that.”
    “Honestly.”
    “I don’t just want to screw you.”
    “Thanks."
    Raymond pointed. “Look.”
    Turner followed Raymond’s finger to the CNN News team who suddenly seemed very excited. The reporter, Greg Salmon was getting ready to do a piece to camera.
    “Now what do you think they know that we don’t?”
    “Looks like something we should know.” Turner stood and walked towards their table. “Greg, what gives?”
    “What no internet connection Paige? The Taliban has released a hostage video; they’ve got the CO of Firebase Python and three other Americans.” Salmon could see how shocked she was. “Didn’t you just get back from there?”
    Turner nodded then returned to her seat. She was in shock, actually in shock. Her fears were now confirmed. “The Taliban have Rockbridge.”
    “Shit…if they’ve got him it means they’ve got the base and if that’s the case then…”
    “Everyone’s dead.” She felt her whole body start to shake; she didn’t want to lose it not here in front of her colleagues and the ISAF soldiers. “Take me to our