The Toymaster's Castle

Chapter Fifty-Two - Up the Jacksie

The guys started collecting spare gear from the pile but, when I joined them, Daniel looked at me in shock. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

"I'm coming with you. I've already shown you I know how to shoot."

"Like Hell you are?"

"But now we've got three spare rifles and not enough people who know how to use them."

"But I can't allow you to put yourself in danger like that!"

"Listen! We've already talked about this. If Angus does win, I'd much rather already have been shot. I can't imagine he'd be particularly gentle with me..." I paused briefly and did his eyebrow thing... "even by the standards I've grown accustomed to from his brother!"

"But..." he began but then he trailed off. He knew I was right. "OK... but you are to stay in the support line."

We ransacked their dead for every usable bit of kit. I even found myself having a belt wrapped around me which had various pouches on it including some specially shaped ones which contained spare magazines. It also had a vicious looking fighting knife which apparently could be fastened onto the rifle as a bayonet but I really didn't want to think about that. I mean... now that Daniel had agreed to me coming with him, all those horrible memories of the battlefield were coming flooding back." I just swallowed a bit then shoved them to the back of my mind.

We hauled their boat back down the beach; it was quite a long way because the tide was going out. And when we got close to the water, they told me to get in. Of course, as I tried to climb aboard the moving RIB, I tumbled inside and it was pretty undignified but at least I didn't get my feet wet which was a bonus.

I moved to the back of the boat and started up the thing's single engine so, as soon as the guys piled in - with their wet feet - I could get us going. Of course the marines were never going to let a non-marine... and, even worse, a girly... drive them so Rambo took over and soon had us powering out to sea. They wanted to bring us into the harbour where we'd picked up the hire boat, when Daniel and I had come down by limousine... was it only six months ago... but by taking us around in a wide loop, we should be able to come in behind them without being spotted by the people on-shore.

And, as Rambo had so elegantly put it, 'shaft them up the jacksie'.

"Get something to eat and drink," he told us, pushing a small pouch towards us with his foot. I'd never seen him like this before... totally focussed... 'in the zone', you might say. "As soon as we land, we'll be moving hard and fast and you'll need the energy."

There were a couple of the funny energy bar type things in the pouch along with some of our jerky and I shoved some of it down my throat. It wasn't exactly tasty but I suppose it would do the job.

Half an hour later, we were coming into their little harbour... coming in much faster than I would have thought safe or sensible... I suppose that, the faster you arrive, the less chance people onshore have to get themselves sorted out and start taking pot shots at you.

As we pulled up by the wall, Jake jumped out, taking a rope with him. I went to follow him but Rambo put a hand on my arm, making me wait until we were tied up. Then he basically threw me across to Jake... and then did the same with Daniel... before following himself. The two proper marines made their way down the harbour wall in short, alternating dashes, one taking cover and looking out for trouble whilst the other one moved. Daniel and I followed on behind, sticking as close to the walls as we could.

The village was empty... or at least there was nobody about who wanted to show themselves in the presence of four serious battle rifles. We followed the road west out of town, heading back towards St Davids, climbing a steep hill as we went.