The Sixteen: The Sensational Story of Britain's Top Secret Military Assassination Squad Part 2

'What else is out there? Dynamo asked.

'Well, there was only him but theres obviously been a lot of others judging by the numbers of footprints. Ive had a bit of a look around but theres nothing out there now, I think were too late. It must be true about the Turks getting ready to invade because these guys were preparing for something big. Theyve been part of a full-size operation there are empty ammo boxes and gun boxes lying all over and a stack of tyre tracks mainly from light trucks.

'Well, I dont think theyll be so keen to use this place again, they wont feel safe hiding up here in future, not when they find this lot, Dynamo pointed out. 'Come on, were finished here. Grab those grenades and any weapons theyve got and lets get back.

Spot nodded towards the mound of rubble. 'Come on, Geordie, well go and get our ropes and bags from behind this lot.

'Just a minute, Spot, Ive got something to do.

And before he could reply, I dashed out of the main entrance to the cave leaving them to collect our stuff. The sky was lighter now and the still mountain air felt cool and fresh after the smoky atmosphere inside the cave. Thick radiation fog swirled heavily beneath me in the valleys below screening them from sight as I made my way around the cliff face and returned to the first cave, where Id killed the dog. Scrambling up the wet scree once again, I collected the two puppies and returned to the others.

When they saw me holding the puppies in my arms the three of them looked at me in astonishment and burst out laughing.

'b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, Dynamo exclaimed. 'What a guy, hed risk his neck just for a couple of puppies! Why didnt you just leave them?

'What on earth are you going to do with them? Spot asked, laughing and shaking his head.

'Ill take them back to the camp and try to find a home somewhere for them, Ill just say that I found them dumped by the roadside. I couldnt leave them there to starve to death, Dynamo, I mean it just wouldnt be British, would it! I replied, grinning.

The three of them burst out laughing again.

'You big softie, Chalky teased 'h.e.l.l learn! Dynamo said. 'Come on, lets go.

We left the cave by the main entrance and followed the narrow track for about a hundred yards or so before leaving it. We had no way of knowing who was in the area and didnt want to run the risk of coming across any terrorists who might still be in the vicinity, or possibly run into a British army patrol.

Although the early-morning mist still covered the low-lying areas, it was growing warmer now and the air was heavy and still. The only sound was that of our feet on the gravel and loose rocks as we made our way back over the mountains to where wed hidden the jeep the night before.

We carefully approached the concealed vehicle, checking the surrounding area in case it had been discovered but it was well hidden and remained undetected. I climbed into the back with the two puppies; the seats were soaking wet where the heavy dew had dripped from the branches above and Dynamo was having trouble getting it started due to this and the dampness in the air. The battery was barely turning the engine over.

'Thats all we b.l.o.o.d.y well need. Jump out, Geordie, he told me. 'Well have to b.u.mp start it, its just as well were on top of a mountain.

I did as he said and stood to one side holding the puppies as Spot and Chalky pushed the jeep out on to the steep track.

'Get in! Dynamo yelled, and we scrambled on board as the vehicle slowly began to freewheel then pick up some speed but, when took his foot off the clutch, the wheels merely skidded as though the handbrake was still on. They just werent gripping on the loose stones and chippings of the track.

'Oh, b.l.o.o.d.y great! he exclaimed. 'If this thing doesnt start soon well end up having to walk back. Well just have to freewheel as far as we can and Ill keep trying the d.a.m.n thing.

The three of us began to bounce up and down to try to help the wheels to grip. Chalky and I were sitting in the back and I was being thrown about a bit and having difficulty holding on to both the jeep and the puppies. The two of us burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

'You and your b.l.o.o.d.y puppies! Chalky laughed and put out his hand. 'Here, give me one of them before you fall out of this d.a.m.n thing. Lovely little chaps arent they, he said, taking the fat little body I pa.s.sed to him and stroking it.

I was grateful for the free hand; we were being jolted around a lot and I needed to hold on. The puppy snuggled into him and Chalky grinned broadly.

'Whos a big softie now, I asked him.

Suddenly there was huge bang and the jeeps engine burst into life and a cloud of belching black smoke shot out of the exhaust. Dynamo braked sharply and stopped the jeep then turned around in his seat.

'h.e.l.l, thats all we need. Theyll have heard that in b.l.o.o.d.y Nicosia. I might as well have fired a twelve-bore and heres me thinking we were going to get back without a hitch as everythings gone smoothly so far. The engine had stopped spluttering now and was running quietly.

'Well, at least youve got it started, Spot pointed out as Dynamo crunched the vehicle into gear and we slowly began to make our way down the steep track.

Chalky sat watching me, shaking his head, laughing and smiling as I clung on with one hand and cradled the puppy in the other.

'I might be soft but youre crazy, do you know that! he said.

'Aye, but I took care of that Greek, didnt I? I replied.

He looked at me steadily for a moment, 'Yes, you certainly did, Geordie! But you know, I think you need to be a bit crazy to belong to this outfit so youre well and truly a part of the team now!

'Those puppies could land you in a bit of bother when you get back, you know, people will ask questions about them, Spot pointed out. 'You really should have just left them behind, Geordie.

Dynamo shook his head. 'Just leave it, Spot, h.e.l.l learn.

With the gradually lightening sky visibility improved, and we began to catch brief glimpses of the trail ahead through the thinning mist as we descended slowly down the twisting track. Eventually we came across the bend where wed had trouble on our way up the night before.

'Jeeesus! How the h.e.l.l did we manage to get past here in the dark without ending up over the edge? Spot exclaimed, speaking for all of us as we gazed in disbelief at the sheer drop where the washed-away track narrowed to the mere width of the jeep. It was no wonder our wheels had spun off in the dark only Dynamos fast reactions had saved us from going over. Obviously going down was going to prove to be much easier than going up!

We didnt talk much after that and I sat quietly stroking the warm little body on my lap. The gentle snuffling of the sleeping puppy reminded me of two rabbits Id had as a kid.

Id grown up in a rough, poor area of Newcastle where presents were rare in most houses and non-existent in mine. But on one particular occasion when I was about seven my father came home with two very small rabbits saying they were for me. Id hardly been able to believe it as hed never bought me anything before!

Id loved them and called them Floppy and Hick. In order to get money to buy bran and to make them a hutch, Id hunted around for old boxes and once the hutch was built, Id broken up what was left and sold it for firewood. I kept this up for several months and the rabbits grew sleek, plump and cuddly. They were Flemish Giants and as they grew began to live up to their name. Id rush home from school every night and dash straight into the backyard to see them. Then one night my mother shouted down the stairs, frantically trying to stop me but it was too late and as Id opened the back door, Id seen their bodies hanging there, dripping with blood. My father had killed and gutted them to sell to one of his mates for his Sunday dinner! In that moment all my hatred of him had come to the surface. Id wanted to kill him and would never trust him again.

Suddenly my daydream was shattered as a loud crack rang out and a stream of water cascaded on to us from the leaves above.

Chalky pointed ahead. 'I think I spotted something that looks like a truck, over there.

'Where?

'Over there, about eight hundred yards in that direction.

'How can you see eight hundred yards? Dynamo queried, peering into the mist. 'I cant see a b.l.o.o.d.y thing.

'Well, it was clear when I looked before. Over there, down on the other side of the river.

Dynamo stopped the truck and we all peered in the direction Chalky pointed out, trying to see through the mist into the valley below. 'Ssshh. Be quiet, we might hear something! Chalky said.

'Well, Im not switching this b.l.o.o.d.y engine off for anyone, we might not get it started again, Dynamo insisted.

'Look, we cant sit here all day, Spot pointed out. 'Theres only one way down here so lets get going. Chalky must have eyes like a b.l.o.o.d.y hawk! I cant see a thing either.

Dynamo put his foot down and the jeep picked up speed. 'We need to get out of here quickly, he said. 'That was definitely gunfire. Its a b.l.o.o.d.y good job whoever fired it is c.o.c.keyed.

I turned to Chalky. 'This is the only way down isnt it? So theres a good chance whoever fired at us will be waiting at the end of this track by the time we get to the bottom.

Just then several more shots rang out and whistled overhead.

'I still cant see anything! Dynamo exclaimed. 'Look, we might have to ditch this b.l.o.o.d.y thing and take care of the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds if there isnt a turn-off soon, were a sitting target in it!

'Surely they cant be aiming at us, theyre miles out. They mustnt be able to see us and are aiming at the sound. As Chalky spoke, the mist swirled and cleared for a brief moment and through the break, we could just make out a British army truck and what looked like several soldiers on the other side of the river.

'Hey, it looks like our lot, b.l.o.o.d.y typical, I might have known. Whatever happened to 'Halt! Who goes there? he joked.

'Its a good job they cant see us properly, dressed like flamin terrorists in a b.l.o.o.d.y American army jeep! Spot laughed back.

'Weve got to get away from here. We cant take our own men out but we cant afford to let this lot catch us either, Dynamo pointed out, and abruptly veered off the track and headed the jeep straight up the side of the hill.

'Where the h.e.l.l are you going? asked Spot.

'Look, I know this area pretty well, theres a little dirt track on the other side of this, if we can make it. They wont be able to catch up with us, they cant cross that river here; theyll have to go a couple of miles further down and well be long gone by then!

The hill was steep but relatively smooth and the jeep slid and skidded sideways across the rough surface as we sped towards the top. Once on the other side, we looked down the steep slope and beneath us could just make out the old dirt track that Dynamo had mentioned in the distance.

'There you are, I knew it. Dynamo grinned. 'Were home and dry now, lads!

CHAPTER 2.

A LESSON LEARNED.

Back at camp at the end of that day, I lay on my bunk unable to sleep, going over and over the vivid events of the previous night, barely able to believe what had happened up in the Troodos Mountains. It still seemed so unreal to me my first operation as part of the 'The Sixteen. If it hadnt been for the puppies, I might have simply believed Id dreamt it all.

Unanswered questions whirled around and around in my head, and not for the first time I wondered just who these guys were that trained me. Where did they go after an operation once theyd dropped me off, what happened to them, did they go back to a regular army camp like me? And what was it all about anyway, what was it in aid of and just who was behind it? Why were there only sixteen of them and what on earth had induced them to pick someone like me to be one of their group? But although I was desperate to hear the answers and learn more about them, I knew it was pointless to ask, as theyd warned me from the start that I would only ever be told what I needed to know.

Id heard rumours that a Special Forces Group called the SAS were operating on the island and on one occasion while training with Dynamo Id asked him whether the 'The Sixteen were anything to do with them. But, as usual, I got little out of him, hed merely laughed and shaken his head.

'No, were nothing to do with that lot! hed said emphatically.

'Dont ask questions, Geordie, you know the routine.

Training with them had been an incredible experience. They told me that I needed to reach a stage of readiness in a very short period and, apparently, Id proven to be an extremely adept and quick pupil, surprising them with the speed at which I learned complex manoeuvres and techniques. If only I could remember those four days! Id loved every minute of my training and over the last few months Id quickly reached a stage where I feared nothing and felt almost invincible, so that by the time of my first operation Id been raring to go.

But now that the adrenalin had faded, I began to feel a real sense of disappointment, of almost being cheated somehow. As Id looked at those dead men lying in the cave, Id realised just how much Id wanted to prove myself Id desperately wanted the opportunity to take on more of them. Id really wanted to use my sash and my boot-knife, to be able to act like the machine they had trained me to be. It had been such an incredibly strong, powerful urge unlike anything Id experienced before in my life.

Using my sash during training, Id seen the awesome, unstoppable power of the weapon and had been itching to use it ever since with it I knew that I had the capability of ripping three or four men to pieces in seconds. But now I felt as though Id been given the best toy in the world and then told that I wasnt allowed to play with it.

For the life of me, I couldnt understand what had happened, just what it was exactly that they had done to me, and turned me into, in such a short period. I wasnt a vicious thug with something to prove and I certainly hadnt been out of control; in fact, it had been the complete opposite Id been so totally, unbelievably in control. Yet, only three months before, I had been a shy, stammering, ill-educated lad.

Although I was good in the gym, being fit and agile, and Id done a bit of boxing as a kid, Id always avoided any type of conflict or trouble because I felt that I couldnt fight my way out of a paper bag. Exactly what had happened to me in the cave I couldnt say, but afterwards everything had been a total anticlimax. Id experienced not only a deep sense of loss, but also an equally strong craving to feel so powerful again, and to be back in action as soon as possible.

Naturally, Id been dying to tell my mates what had happened when I got back to 524 Company but, for obvious security reasons, I couldnt, besides there was no way they would have believed me anyway. I might as well have told them that Id just seen a flying saucer as recount the incredible story of how Id been recruited and selected to serve with this ultra-covert outfit and trained as a professional a.s.sa.s.sin! Even I still found it difficult to believe, after all who was I? Simply a complete and utter n.o.body doing my National Service in the Pioneer Corps, just how low can you get!

Eventually it had dawned on me just how good a cover it really was, in fact it was the best there could possibly be. Who on earth would ever believe such a fantastic story, for G.o.ds sake! Id never be able to prove a thing I didnt even know where they trained me as they took me a different route each time! They certainly knew how to cover their tracks.

So I just kept my mouth shut and said nothing to my pals. It was difficult though, listening to all their boring tales about how much beer theyd drunk and all the stupid antics they got up to when theyd had a few. Their other main topics of conversation were football, which theyd go on and on about endlessly, and either women in general or their girlfriends in particular and how they just couldnt wait to get back home.

I could understand how they would think that I was a real bore, because most of the time Id refuse to go to the NAAFI with them or join in their foul-mouthed discussions about women. It wasnt their fault the poor b.u.g.g.e.rs had nothing more interesting to talk about but, for once in my life, Id done something exciting and adventurous and I couldnt tell a soul. If only theyd known!

Id have loved to be able to keep the puppies but knew deep down that it was impossible. On my return to camp, Id managed to smuggle them back to my tent but needed something to put them in as they were trying to crawl around all over the place. Being Friday night there was no one about, all the lads were down the NAAFI spending their pay, so Id left the puppies hidden in the tent while I went to look for something suitable that would hold them.

Over at the NAAFI Id managed to scrounge a cardboard box from one of the Indians who helped to run it and bought a couple of sausage sandwiches to feed them with when I got back. Hopefully this would keep them quiet and help them go to sleep. It was quite a while since theyd last been with their mother and they were obviously very hungry by now. I just hoped that they were old enough to eat solid food.

Of course, I should have realised that puppies are just like babies and cry a lot. Back at the tent they were trying to move around, squeaking and whimpering constantly Id just taken them from their mother and they were obviously fretting for her. I was beginning to regret bringing them back to the camp but what else could I have done? I couldnt have just left them there to die, after all I was responsible for their mothers death. I suppose its hard to believe that I felt so guilty about two puppies after Id just killed a man, but then again these dogs hadnt been going about murdering British soldiers and their families, as the local terrorists were doing all over Cyprus.

Taking the sausage meat out of the bread, Id put some of it, together with the puppies, into the cardboard box, which Id then pushed outside through the back tent flap. Id no idea what I was going to tell the lads I shared the tent with when they returned from the NAAFI. I just hoped that the puppies would go to sleep and not make any noise.

It was getting late now and I decided to write a letter home to my mother. I told her about my life at the camp but there wasnt very much to tell really so I jotted down a bit about the puppies although not, of course, how Id actually come by them. Then suddenly it dawned on me just how daft I was being I was on active service and censors vetted all letters home. If any army personnel read about the puppies, the poor things would be taken away and immediately destroyed. Wild dogs were a constant problem around the camp, roaming about looking for food, and orders were to shoot them on sight, so I really couldnt expect much sympathy for these two little sc.r.a.ps. I knew that I really hadnt given enough thought to how I was going to look after them. Spot had been right, they were going to cause problems and might get me into a lot of trouble; I could see that now.

Suddenly I felt very, very tired. It was about forty-eight hours since Id had any proper sleep, having spent most of the previous night on a stony mountainside and so, fully clothed, I lay down on my bunk and finally began to relax for the first time in the last couple of days. As the tension started to disappear at last, I realised just how relieved I was to be back safely, especially after almost being shot by our own troops. But weirdly, despite being glad to be back, I also realised just how much I was looking forward to the next operation. It was as if deep down inside I had a want, a driving force. Id never felt as alive before as I had the previous night.

To play with danger the way Id done, to face death that way, to be so totally in control and have the ability to walk away without a scratch, had left me feeling almost invincible. I just wanted to be back with Dynamo, Spot and Chalky as soon as I possibly could.

They were all great guys who took their training very seriously but went about it in such a way that they made it seem like fun. They were always laughing, joking and poking fun at one another, but I knew instinctively that I could trust them implicitly and rely on them totally. Bright, intelligent and well educated, they knew exactly what they were about. With them, for once, I felt that I was among real men.

On our way back from the mountains, theyd been full of praise for the way in which Id handled myself. Spot had leaned towards me in the jeep and said quietly: 'But believe me, Geordie, thats nothing, nothing! Not compared to what we have done and what you will be able to do. Id been intrigued, wanting to know more but he didnt go into any further detail.

As I lay there thinking, unable to sleep, someone began fumbling with the tent flap and eventually Billy Strickland stumbled noisily into the tent and immediately flopped on to his bunk. It was Friday night and hed obviously been down to the NAAFI with the others for a skinful.

'Whereve ybin all week, Gsheordie? He mumbled drunkenly into his pillow, his strong Lancas.h.i.+re accent even more p.r.o.nounced than usual.

'Over at 518 Company, how about you?

'Lucky bashtard, ahve bin diggin b.l.o.o.d.y roadsh all week. He was almost incoherent with sleep and booze. Just then, one of the puppies began to whimper and scratch at the box outside the tent.

'Wha, whas that noishh, Gsheordie? Bill asked, trying to raise his head. 'Ee, ah thort ah heard myshe or snakes or summat... he slurred as his voice faded and he fell asleep.

I crept to the back of the tent and slipping my hand through the flap dropped some more sausage into the box directly outside. Id just lain back down when Dave arrived back too. I closed my eyes pretending to be asleep I didnt want conversation.

Unlike Bill, he wasnt the worse for alcohol and sat down to write a letter. Eventually I dozed off but some time later, I woke to hear the two of them talking quietly and opening my eyes found them sitting on the opposite bunk each holding a puppy in front of him.

'Hey, Geordie, look wot weve found, Dave said, holding the small white bundle out to me. Bill, obviously still drunk, swayed from side to side as he sat, staring hard and trying to focus on the puppy curled up in his hands.

'Look, lads, I began to explain. 'I brought them in, I found them wandering about just outside the camp, I think their mother must be dead. You know what would happen to them if the sergeant found out, hed have them shot straight away.

'You daft b.u.g.g.e.r, this aint a cat an dog shelter. It woz probably our lot wot shot the muvver anyway. Youll be in real bovver if yor caught. Youll ave to get rid of em you know! Dave grumbled in his strong c.o.c.kney accent.