The Vengeance Man Read Online Free Page B
Author: John Macrae
recognition of my support. Ra’ashid smiled briefly, his pale blue eyes bright.
Jamal continued, "So, we head north up the valley and into the pass of Kani Rash. They cannot strike us from the air in there. We will be as safe as the scorpion under the rocks. And we all know how the English li kes to be safe under the rocks, " he added, nodding at me. Even I joined in the laughter. "I shall lead in the convoy and act as scout vehicle. Ra’ashid , you will command the main body. English - will you guard our rear?" Again, I nodded.
Jamal walked abruptly away, and Ra'ashid and I looked at each other, knowing that the first vehicle to be banjoed if any Irani ans were lying in ambush would be Jamal's.
We had covered about two thousand metres up the valley, I reckoned, when I heard firing ahead, followed by a series of heavy booms. I waited, then, ignoring my rear guard orders, closed in on the back of the convoy. We rounded a pillar of rock, to a scene of confusion.
The gloomy track had widened here, opening out into a little valley before it plunged back into the mouth of the dark pass leading up deeper into the mountains. The little convoy of trucks was stopped in the sunlight, about a mile ahead, strung along the valley bottom. Further along the track, and only clearly visible through binoculars, Jamal's leading Toyota lay on its side. From our corner, the panorama stretched away for about 3,000 metres, as the valley ran straight towards the north. Three silent bursts of dust and smoke suddenly fountained up around the distant trucks and a moment later the three explosions echoed round the hills.
Mortars! That explained the booms we had heard. My Japanese radio crackled and Ra’ashid 's voice, heavily distorted, could be heard giving his orders. I strained to pick up the Kurdish; apparently he was going to rush the entrance to the pass. I waited, engine ticking and looked at Nusret and Yusif who looked back questioningly. I pointed back down the way we'd come and called "Watch our rear!"
They nodded, but their gaze strayed to the valley to our front where all the vehicles were now moving and the furious distant popping of small arms fire showed that Ra’ashid 's charge was on. The Irani an group had selected their ambush point carefully. They had sealed off the way out of the valley like a cork in a bottle, blocking off the open neck of the wadi where it narrowed into the dark gateway into the mountains to the north. Anyone driving north had to go through that pass.
Fortunately, there were not enough Iranians or weapons to plug the gap effectively. I calculated that the Hip helicopter could only move about 15 men at this range; if half that weight was mortar, men or ammunition, then only 10 at most could be left to fight off about twenty desperate Kurds and almost as many machine guns.
Through my glasses I watched the drama unfold. Two of Ra’ashid 's vehicles slowed to a halt, but the rest fanned out on either side of the entrance to the pass. Even at this distance the fury of the fire fight was obvious. Bright red and green tracers bounced off the rocks. Then the mortar fire stopped, and I could see tiny figures moving up the sides of the pass. After another lengthy exchange of fire, the wadi fell silent. Then Ra’ashid 's trucks began to move forward.
Suddenly Ali grabbed my arm and I glanced up from my glasses. Jabbering with excitement he pointed. Hovering just above the horizon, about a mile off to our right, was the dark blob of a helicopter slowly sweeping round the convoy's flank. Even as I watched, it sank below the line of the cliffs, but the clatter of its rotor could faintly be heard.
Suddenly I realised what I had to do to lend a hand in the struggle. "Quick, Ali - Yusif! Give me the SAM!"
For a second they stared, then, galvanised into action, pulled the long tube of a SAM-7 from its sacking roll in the back. I inspected it carefully, looking for
Jamal continued, "So, we head north up the valley and into the pass of Kani Rash. They cannot strike us from the air in there. We will be as safe as the scorpion under the rocks. And we all know how the English li kes to be safe under the rocks, " he added, nodding at me. Even I joined in the laughter. "I shall lead in the convoy and act as scout vehicle. Ra’ashid , you will command the main body. English - will you guard our rear?" Again, I nodded.
Jamal walked abruptly away, and Ra'ashid and I looked at each other, knowing that the first vehicle to be banjoed if any Irani ans were lying in ambush would be Jamal's.
We had covered about two thousand metres up the valley, I reckoned, when I heard firing ahead, followed by a series of heavy booms. I waited, then, ignoring my rear guard orders, closed in on the back of the convoy. We rounded a pillar of rock, to a scene of confusion.
The gloomy track had widened here, opening out into a little valley before it plunged back into the mouth of the dark pass leading up deeper into the mountains. The little convoy of trucks was stopped in the sunlight, about a mile ahead, strung along the valley bottom. Further along the track, and only clearly visible through binoculars, Jamal's leading Toyota lay on its side. From our corner, the panorama stretched away for about 3,000 metres, as the valley ran straight towards the north. Three silent bursts of dust and smoke suddenly fountained up around the distant trucks and a moment later the three explosions echoed round the hills.
Mortars! That explained the booms we had heard. My Japanese radio crackled and Ra’ashid 's voice, heavily distorted, could be heard giving his orders. I strained to pick up the Kurdish; apparently he was going to rush the entrance to the pass. I waited, engine ticking and looked at Nusret and Yusif who looked back questioningly. I pointed back down the way we'd come and called "Watch our rear!"
They nodded, but their gaze strayed to the valley to our front where all the vehicles were now moving and the furious distant popping of small arms fire showed that Ra’ashid 's charge was on. The Irani an group had selected their ambush point carefully. They had sealed off the way out of the valley like a cork in a bottle, blocking off the open neck of the wadi where it narrowed into the dark gateway into the mountains to the north. Anyone driving north had to go through that pass.
Fortunately, there were not enough Iranians or weapons to plug the gap effectively. I calculated that the Hip helicopter could only move about 15 men at this range; if half that weight was mortar, men or ammunition, then only 10 at most could be left to fight off about twenty desperate Kurds and almost as many machine guns.
Through my glasses I watched the drama unfold. Two of Ra’ashid 's vehicles slowed to a halt, but the rest fanned out on either side of the entrance to the pass. Even at this distance the fury of the fire fight was obvious. Bright red and green tracers bounced off the rocks. Then the mortar fire stopped, and I could see tiny figures moving up the sides of the pass. After another lengthy exchange of fire, the wadi fell silent. Then Ra’ashid 's trucks began to move forward.
Suddenly Ali grabbed my arm and I glanced up from my glasses. Jabbering with excitement he pointed. Hovering just above the horizon, about a mile off to our right, was the dark blob of a helicopter slowly sweeping round the convoy's flank. Even as I watched, it sank below the line of the cliffs, but the clatter of its rotor could faintly be heard.
Suddenly I realised what I had to do to lend a hand in the struggle. "Quick, Ali - Yusif! Give me the SAM!"
For a second they stared, then, galvanised into action, pulled the long tube of a SAM-7 from its sacking roll in the back. I inspected it carefully, looking for
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