Outcast by Chris Ryan

Author:Chris Ryan [Ryan, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zaffre Publishing

Twelve

Carter waited to die.

A second ticked by.

Then another.

Nothing happened.

He stood very still. Wondered what the fuck was going on.

Anti-personnel mines were normally triggered by a pressure plate fixed to the surface of the mine. Once you stepped on the plate, the downward weight rammed the firing pin into the detonator, triggering the explosion. As soon as Carter had placed his right boot firmly on the mine, it should have kicked off. Right now, he thought, I should be lying on the ground clawing at a bleeding stump.

Which could mean one of three things.

Either I’ve stepped on a dud, or this is an old mine.

Or it’s something else.

He heard footsteps at his six o’clock as Sharza approached him. ‘Brother?’ he asked. ‘Are you OK? Why have we stopped?’

‘Stay back,’ Carter said urgently. ‘Don’t come any closer.’

He swallowed hard. Carter lowered his eyes to the ground and carefully scanned the patch of trampled soil around his right boot. Looking for any signs of recent disturbance. He couldn’t see anything. Whatever he’d stepped on might have been in the ground for a long time. Years. Maybe longer. Planted by the Northern Alliance during their long war against the Taliban, perhaps.

But he was speculating. He couldn’t know for sure. Not until he took his foot off the plate.

‘What’s going on?’ Sharza asked, stepping closer.

Carter swallowed again and said, ‘Move away from me, mate. Slowly. Do exactly as I say.’

‘What for?’

‘I’ve stepped on something.’

He looked over his shoulder. He saw Sharza standing four metres away, eyes as wide as frisbees.

Sharza said, ‘You are . . . sure?’

‘I heard a definite click. Something was armed, but it didn’t go off for whatever reason. I’m guessing it’s either a dud or an old model.’

Sharza edged back from Carter, blinking rapidly.

‘Listen carefully,’ Carter went on, trying to mask the tension in his voice. ‘If this thing detonates, it’ll take my leg clean off. I’m going to need your help. Understand?’

Sharza nodded quickly and licked his lips. ‘What do you want me to do?’

‘I’m going to take off my belt and throw it to you. You’ll have to use it as a tourniquet. If the mine blows, get that belt around the stump of my leg and pull it tight to stop the flow of blood. There’s no way you’ll be able to help me back to the wagon from here, so you’ll have to keep the leg elevated until help arrives.’

‘But we are very far from the hospital.’

Carter said, ‘I’ve got a satphone. I’ll throw it to you. There’s a number stored in the address book. Call it once you’ve secured the tourniquet and tell the person on the other end of the line what’s happened. They’ll send an emergency medevac to get me out. Got it?’

‘Yes,’ Sharza replied quickly. ‘OK.’

Carter closed his eyes momentarily and steadied his breathing.

He had a decision to make.

He could assume the mine was defective, remove his foot and simply hope for the best. Or he could rake away the surrounding dirt to see what was underneath.

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