The Sharp End (Raiding Forces Book 10) by Phil Ward

Author:Phil Ward [Ward, Phil]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-12T22:00:00+00:00

15

SINGAPORE TEA

Lieutenant Pamala Plum-Martin landed the Hudson at RAF Base Habbaniya, the site of the four-day siege by the Iraqi Army during the short-lived Anglo/Iraq War conducted by rebel officers of the Golden Square. Everyone on both sides (meaning the politicians) was doing their best to erase it from the history books.

The Iraqis did not want to advertise their humiliating military performance against the badly outnumbered British, and the British needed Iraqi oil and air bases to conduct the war against the Nazis. Both parties did their best to act like it had never happened.

Very few decorations were awarded to the defenders of RAF Habbaniya, and one of those was given to a man who had been recommended for court martial for dereliction of duty.

Except for experiencing a small number of air raids after the siege had already ended, the base was back to being a sleepy backwater. The big war had moved on. A truck was waiting to transfer Colonel John Randal’s party up the escarpment to Lake Habbaniyah, where the group was to board the Flying Clipper for the flight to India.

Because there were some unhappy Iraqi generals who blamed Col. Randal for the loss of a large number of gold bars they had looted from their own government and the shootout in the lobby of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) when he rescued Red from the rebels, it was deemed advisable for him to remain incognito.

He kept his Ray-Ban sunglasses on at all times and wore his green Commando beret instead of the cut-down Australian bush hat he had worn during the battle.

Col. Randal boarded the Flying Clipper immediately upon arrival.

When the crew arrived, ex-Lieutenant Billy Jack Jaxx, Lieutenant Roy Kidd and King sported the looks of kids in a candy shop. There were a dozen Clipper Girls plus Red to serve four passengers. The stewardesses, not having been briefed on the nature of the flight, understandably believed them to be VIPs—Commandos on some dangerous mission right out of a movie. Had to be to rate travel on a Flying Clipper reserved strictly for them.

The girls were impressed.

Normally, to qualify for a seat, a passenger needed to have a title, hold flag rank, or be an ambassador-level civil servant.

Having spent time hanging out with Major Sir Terry “Zorro” Stone in Cairo, ex-Lt. Jaxx had previously met several of the stewardesses. King knew a few too. Apparently Clipper Girls preferred men with a hard edge. The party started as soon as the giant airplane was airborne.

Col. Randal took up residence in the small, plush compartment that he and Major the Lady Jane Seaborn normally occupied when they traveled together. He lay down on one of the two lounges and went straight to sleep.

When he woke up, Red was there with a meal fit for a king. She reclined in the lounge next to him and they chatted for a while. The two had known each other since before OPERATION LOUNGE LIZARD, the raid on Rio Bonita, but this was the first time they had ever spent any considerable time alone talking.

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