Dark Forces Read Online Free Page A

and killed our brothers and sisters. They did the same in Iraq. The British are our enemies, and what better way to hurt our enemy than to attack him on his own territory?’
    Al-Hussain considered his words carefully. Al-Lihaib was smiling but he knew he had to tread carefully. He felt that he had already said too much but he had to give it one more try. ‘It’s a long way to go. Is the target so very important?’
    Al-Lihaib’s eyes hardened. ‘The importance of the target is not for you to decide, Mohammed al-Hussain. You are a soldier and you will obey orders. You will obey this order, will you not?’
    Al-Hussain returned the man’s stare for several seconds, then lowered his eyes. ‘I will,’ he said. ‘ Inshallah .’ God willing.
    ‘This is fucking bullshit,’ said the man. He was standing in a hastily dug grave, just over three feet deep. His name was Laurence McGovern but most people called him Larry. ‘You’re going to shoot me here?’
    ‘It’s got to be done, Larry. Stop complaining,’ said Shepherd. He was holding a revolver, a Smith & Wesson 627 loaded with eight .357 rounds.
    McGovern looked down. ‘It’s fucking muddy as hell. And this is a two-thousand-quid Hugo Boss suit.’
    Shepherd pointed the gun at McGovern’s chest. ‘Would you stop complaining?’ he said. ‘This is for your own good.’
    ‘Shooting me in the middle of the New Forest is for my own good? You are one mad bastard.’
    Shepherd grinned. ‘It has to look good or it’s not going to work.’
    ‘But the suit …’ McGovern raised his arms. ‘You could at least let me change into something cheaper.’
    ‘That’s the suit you left home in,’ said Shepherd. ‘That’s the suit you’re going to die in. Now, stop moaning.’ He looked over his shoulder at the two men standing behind him. ‘Are we good to go?’ he asked.
    ‘Ready when you are,’ said the older of the two men. Philip Duff was one of MI5’s most able technicians and was holding the trigger that would set off the small explosive charges on the vest under McGovern’s shirt. His assistant was a younger man and his main role seemed to be to carry Duff’s bags.
    Shepherd looked back at McGovern. ‘Don’t fuck this up, Larry,’ he said. ‘If you do, we’ll only have to ruin another suit.’
    ‘Just pull the trigger and get it over with,’ said McGovern.
    ‘Don’t over-egg it, that’s what I’m saying,’ said Shepherd. ‘Bang. You react. Bang. Bang. You go down. Keep your eyes closed and don’t breathe.’ He took out his mobile phone with his left hand.
    ‘I’m not stupid,’ said McGovern.
    Shepherd opened the phone’s camera and pressed the button to start video recording. ‘Just so you know, Tommy and Marty want to say goodbye.’
    ‘Mate, you don’t have to do this,’ said McGovern. ‘Whatever they’re paying you, I’ll match it. I’ll double it.’ He held up his hands. ‘Just name your price.’
    ‘I’ve been paid,’ said Shepherd. He pulled the trigger. Fake blood burst from McGovern’s chest. He looked down, his mouth open. Shepherd pulled the trigger twice in quick succession and two more blood spouts erupted at the top of McGovern’s shirt. McGovern slumped to his knees, then fell forward into the grave. Shepherd walked slowly to the grave and shot a few seconds of McGovern lying face down, then he switched off the phone. ‘All done, Larry,’ he said. ‘Up you get.’
    McGovern pushed himself to his knees. His face was splattered with mud and he spat noisily. Shepherd looked at Duff. ‘How did it look?’ He held out the gun.
    ‘Perfect,’ said the technician. He took the weapon and handed it to his assistant, who placed it in a metal case.
    ‘The blood was good?’
    Duff nodded.
    McGovern peered down at his mud-soaked jacket. ‘For fuck’s sake,’ he said. He undid it and stared at the blood dripping through the holes in his shirt, then did it up again. ‘This suit is fucking ruined.’
    ‘I thought