Disclaimer I do not own Spooks or Ultimate Force. No copyright infringement intended
Field of Fire
Chapter 1
"Staff Sergeant Henry Garvey you are a prat" Henno stared in the mirror as he continued to shave. He was not in the best of moods. Red Troop had just returned from yet another trip where all their lives had been on the line. He was still immensely proud of his team, Red Troop were the best in the business as far as he was concerned. Louis, Becka and Dave were the ones he relied on the most. They had nearly been killed because his old mate had nearly blown his cover. He shook his head as he scraped the remaining shaving foam from his face. He was just glad that he was back at barracks. He didn't know when Red Troop would be deployed again, but for the first time since he had joined the Regiment he hoped they would have a little time in the UK.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Private Rebecca Gallagher you are a moron" Becka stared in the mirror as she washed her face. Becka had never been one for make up and Cosmopolitan magazine. While her sisters had dreamed of becoming vets and nurses, of marrying and having babies Becka had dreamt of joining the Army, getting in to the SAS and seeing the world doing the job she loved. Now as she washed her face she thought back to Red Troop. To her friends and colleagues, to Henno.
"Beck, you are a prat" She repeated as she remembered the way Louis had looked at her as the final part of the mission unfolded. She felt sick as she grabbed the towel. She remembered how determined she had been to prove everyone wrong, how she would be the first woman to ever join the elite Regiment. How she would prove that you didn't need balls to do the job. Well not literally anyway she thought to herself. It was the phone ringing that dragged her from her thoughts.
"Hello" She grabbed the mobile, without checking who was on the other end of the phone.
"Becka" Henno started.
"Morning sir" She tensed immediately unsure of what the sergeant would say.
"Yeah" He paused "News from the hospital. Louis has a charmed life. The pillock will live to fight another day. They discharged him about an hour ago." Becka couldn't help but smile at his words.
"Literally in his case"
"Yeah. Look I just had notification. The boss wants us all at base in 45 minutes." Henno stared at the wall as he spoke. The flat he was staying in was army issue. Once he had thought it would be married quarters, but not now. That dream and Kelly had long gone. He waited for Becka to respond.
"Another posting? We are supposed to be on leave. What happened to the minimum time between deployments?" She sat on the edge of her bed as she spoke.
"I expect so. Look this is our job Private Gallagher. I expect to see you and the rest of my troop at the base at 11 hundred hours precisely. Do I make myself clear?" He treated her the same way as the rest of his team and that was what Becka liked about Henno. But then she did wonder if he would be having this conversation with Louis or Dave. She decided he probably would be.
"Yes sir. Crystal" She sighed.
"Good" He paused "Becka, you did a good job. If it weren't for you Louis would not be here now."
"Thank you sir" She sighed, before replacing the receiver.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The team sat around the table in the meeting room. Dave looked exhausted, Louis nursed a black eye and his left arm was in a cast. He had been lucky considering what had gone on during their last mission. Henno was the last to arrive, two minutes behind Becka.
"We have a few weeks to get back in shape for our next deployment" Henno rolled his eyes as his senior office spoke. Becka caught Louis eyes as he smiled slightly. The Colonel continued to talk as the rest of the group remained silent.
"However, it has been noted that our performance while explempary it could be even more so. I called you all here today to make sure you know what it is I expect of you" His eyes fell on to Becka. He had never thought a woman could cope in the Regiment. That any woman could cut the mustard. Then he had met Private Rebecca Gallagher. She broke the mould, although he would be the last man on Earth to admit it to anyone. Even Henno still thought he saw her presence there as a PR exercise, a politically correct exercise to shut up the right on politicians at Westminster. He glared as he thought of the woman had to deal with for a few weeks every year. The Ice Queen from MI 5's counter terrorism branch made him uneasy. Since meeting both Rebecca Gallagher and Ros Myers he was beginning to wonder if the women should have been running the show all along.
"We survived Colombia. We survived Iraq" Dempsey continued as Henno glared.
"Barely" Louis piped up.
"I don't remember giving you permission to speak" Dempsey stated thoughtfully. "Never the less, we survived. So, I have no qualms about sending you on your next mission. This morning we had notification that the Trade Delegation at the Kazbeck Embassy was disrupted. Four X rays have been identified in the building. Two civilians are already dead. One a 19 year old girl working as a secretary, the other her 55 year old boss." Dempsey continued.
"So, you want us to neutralise the threat" Henno sighed.
"No Henno" Dempsey turned as Louis and Dave exchanged glances. "These people are rouge agents; they are highly trained, highly dangerous men. They have sent the police a message stating that we trained them. In Colombia. If we did, and by looking at the evidence it looks like we did then I want them stopped. They have 15 hostages. Only there is a slight spanner in the works" He looked at his team.
"And what would that be?" Dave addressed Henno as Dempsey rolled his eyes.
"One of the hostages is definitely one of ours. She is the second in command of Section D. You know her, she's spent some time on exercise with us last year" Dempsey sighed. "We know she has managed to get Intel out to her team but we need to go in there and get the hostages out. Preferably neutralising the X rays. If not remove them completely." Henno watched as Louis and Dave shook their heads. Fin just looked lost.
"Ros Myers" Becka laughed. "Shouldn't we be worried about the X rays being removed before we get there if she's inside?" Dempsey couldn't help but think she had a point.
"Right, Red Troop" Henno started "Louis, you will be on communications. Dave and Fin will be entering the building from the rear. Becka you're with me" Becka nodded slightly as the team began to make their way to the vans to get them to the Kazbeck Embassy.
"Sir?" Becka smiled as she stood and began to follow the men.
"Yes Private Gallagher?" Dempsey looked at the young woman.
"While we are storming the building what will you be doing?" She smiled slightly.
"I have the really dangerous job, Rebecca. I'll be liasing with Sir Harry Pearce!"
author's note. Well, what do you think? Should I continue? Please review x