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  ‘So, what happens now?’ Gray asked.

  ‘That’s up to you,’ Hamilton replied. ‘Naturally, we want to keep this under wraps. What I need to know is whether or not you can be trusted to keep your mouth shut.’

  ‘You mean will I go to the newspapers and tell them that Dagher was CIA and that the virus was made in the UK with the government’s knowledge? That the British and American governments deployed what was essentially a chemical weapon against the Taliban, resulting in the deaths of my friends?’

  ‘In a nutshell, yes.’

  ‘I think the question is,’ Gray said, ‘what happens if I do?’

  ‘That’s not a road you want to go down, sergeant. For one, we control the media. The moment a newspaper comes to us to corroborate the story, we’ll shut it down and go after their source. You might think it’s hard enough to live on your current salary, but when you’ve lost your job, your home, your bank accounts are emptied… you get where I’m going…’

  Gray managed a single nod. ‘I figured as much.’

  ‘Good, because you’d be sacrificing everything, and that would be hard on your wife… especially with a child on the way.’

  Gray furrowed his brow, wondering how the hell Hamilton knew about Dina’s pregnancy. Hamilton had obviously been digging into his life, which didn’t bode well. That said, it looked like he was going to get away with his indiscretion on the plane with Miriam Dagher.

  ‘I got it,’ Gray said. ‘I stay quiet, everything’s golden.’

  Hamilton raised one eyebrow. ‘You think it’s going to be that easy? You disobeyed a direct order and caused a major national security headache. No, there has to be a bigger price to pay.’

  That sounded ominous. ‘What did you have in mind?’ Gray asked, unsure whether or not he wanted to hear the answer.

  ‘I assume Captain Russell told you that he’d put your name down for a CGC as well as Military Medals for your men.’

  ‘He did,’ Gray said.

  ‘Well, you can forget about those. As of now, every detail of your time in Afghanistan has been removed from your military record. Same goes for the three men in your squad. If anyone digs, they’ll find that you spent the last three months on base. It’s just a little insurance, to pre-emptively discredit you should you decide not to honour our agreement. All government files on this… episode have been sealed, and will remain so indefinitely. That’s the beauty of section three, paragraph four of the 1958 Public Records Act.’

  Wiping his record was a smart move, not one Gray had considered. It would be a mammoth undertaking, but someone clearly thought it was worth the effort.

  The loss of the medals was no big deal. It would have been nice to have the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross on his CV, if only to impress new clients. But it wasn’t the end of the world.

  ‘That’s it?’

  ‘Not quite,’ Hamilton said. ‘I want the names of everyone who knows the truth about Dagher. That includes your team and anyone they’ve told.’

  ‘That’s easy. There’s myself, Baines, Smart and Levine. We were the only men on the plane—apart from Balmer’s men from Delta Force. Obviously, I can’t speak for them.’

  ‘My American counterpart is dealing with Balmer,’ Hamilton said. ‘Who have you told? Sergeant Campbell, perhaps?’

  Gray shook his head. ‘We realised as soon as she started talking that it was a poisoned chalice. If we could un-hear it, we would.’

  Hamilton studied Gray for a few moments. ‘Okay, I believe you.’ He picked up his cup and took a sip, grimacing as the beverage hit his lips. ‘Nothing worse than cold coffee.’

  ‘Is there anything else?’ Gray asked, eager to go before Hamilton could sanction him further.

  ‘No, my work here is done, to coin a phrase. I understand you’ve handed in your papers, is that right?’

  ‘It is,’ Gray said.

  ‘What do you plan to do?’

  ‘Keep my nose clean and my mouth shut,’ Gray said. No doubt Hamilton would be keeping an eye on him for the foreseeable future, but there was no point making things easy for him by sharing his plans for life after the army. ‘Though there is something I’d like.’

  ‘I thought I’d made it clear that you’re in no position to negotiate.’

  ‘It’s a simple request,’ Gray said. ‘Sergeant Josh Miller and his squad were killed by Taliban who had been injected with your virus. Those men would otherwise still be alive, so I think you should properly compensate their families.’

  Hamilton weighed it up, then gave a non-committal nod. ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ he said.

  It was better than a flat-out refusal, but Gray wasn’t hopeful. If Hamilton didn’t come through, he would send something to Josh’s widow once his business was up and running. He was sure a whip-round had already been organised, which would help her keep on top of the bills for a little while.

  Hamilton opened the door then turned to face Gray. ‘Good luck, Sergeant. I hope our paths never cross again.’

  Gray hoped the same, but didn’t have time for a reply. Hamilton was gone, and Markham walked back into his office.

  ‘What was that all about?’

  ‘I wish I could tell you, sir, but trust me… you don’t want to know.’

  * * *

  It was like he’d never been away; as if he was coming back from a quick walk to the shops rather than a tour in the Middle East. Gray noticed that the hinges on the garden gate needed oiling, and the grass was growing out of control. But they were about the only differences he could note.

  He realised he’d have time to attend to the house chores before he set up his new business in a few weeks’ time. Initially, he planned to work from home though eventually wanted to find an office to operate out of, but that would be one of his biggest overheads and his savings would only stretch so far. In the meantime, he would use his remaining days in the SAS to start the recruitment process, aiming to have at least twenty contractors on his books within the first year. He could afford to be picky, as there was a wealth of talent to choose from.

  Once he had the human resources in place, it would be time for the most difficult task; convincing global businesses to use the services he offered. As Sonny had pointed out weeks earlier, there were a huge number of private security firms all looking for a piece of the pie. He could start off small; targeting new businesses and start-ups. But that wasn’t in his game plan. He would go after the big boys; the oil conglomerates, telecom companies, the construction giants.

  That was all in the future, though. The next few days were all about Dina.

  He rang the doorbell rather than use his key. He hadn’t told her that he was coming home, and wanted to surprise her. When he saw a silhouette through the glass his heart jumped—just as it did when he and Dina first met.

  ‘Tom!’ She gasped when she opened the door, a smile stretching across her face. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. They stood like that for a full minute before she took a step back and fixed a loose strand of hair. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?’

  She took his hand before he could reply and pulled him into the house. Her lips found his and they kissed like teenagers on a first date as they fumbled with each other’s clothes.

  An hour later, Gray sat at the breakfast bar with a beer in his hand while his wife prepared his favourite dish—spaghetti bolognese.

  ‘How long are you home for?’ Dina asked as she dumped a jar of tomato sauce into the mix.

  ‘How does forever sound?’

  She stopped stirring and turned to face him. ‘Seriously?’

  She looked as excited as he was about the prospect, which was a relief to him. He’d floated the idea of starting out on his own a few times, but she’d always voiced her concerns that there wasn’t enough in the bank to fund such a venture. Giving up a regular pay packet in the hope of making a success of his own business was a risk she hadn’t been willing to take, but now that he’d fo
rced it upon her, she seemed to have warmed to it. Perhaps it was just the afterglow of the ‘welcome home’ sex, or that she was pleased that he wouldn’t be jetting off any time soon. Either way, he intended to keep her sweet and make a success of it.

  ‘Come here,’ he said. She walked over and sat down on his lap and he placed his hand on her stomach, even though it would be weeks before she started showing. ‘I’m gonna make this work,’ he told her. ‘I know you think it’s not the right time, especially with a baby on the way, but we’ve got enough in the bank to last us a couple of years. If things haven’t worked out by then, I’ll find work somewhere.’

  ‘You mean contracting?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Gray said. ‘The money’s good.’

  ‘But you’ll be back in Afghanistan, or Iraq, only with no support to come to your rescue if things turn to shit.’

  Gray laughed, as he always did when she spoke like a squaddie. ‘That’s a last resort, and I’m sure it won’t come to that. Now that we’ve got a kid to look after, my days as action man are over.’

  ‘Promise me,’ she said, suddenly looking serious.

  He brushed an errant strand of her hair aside. ‘I swear with all my heart. All I want is a quiet life.’

  THE END

  OUT NOW!

  MOTIVE by Alan McDermott

  https://amzn.to/3cMHLrT

  “An absolute page turner with unexpected twists and turns, Ryan Anderson is a character that is obviously going to develop and I can’t wait to read subsequent books about him”

  “Just as we have come to expect from this author, another excellent page turning thriller.”

  “Ryan is a cross between Tom Gray, John Milton, Jack Reacher .... etc. He’s also individual and unique and what a brilliant introduction”

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