The squaddies stood around idol, it was mid-afternoon and nobody had passed by their way since ten o clock in the morning. The surrounding countryside was damp of the morning's rain, their uniforms sodden.
At the unofficial checkpoint, Johnny and Gaz sat behind their L7A2 and watched the empty road ahead of them. Nothing. Their makeshift shelter kept them from the elements.
'Did you see that, there?' Gaz said, pointing off to the left.
'Aye, I did, saw something move over there' Johnny said.
A man, dressed in DPM camoflauge trousers, wearing a green and white striped football top, knelt down on the ground with his hands over his head.
'Jimmy,' Gaz said, 'Go and see what that's all about will ya? Smiley, you go with him, too.'
Jimmy and Smiley advanced down the road towards the kneeling man. He had shoulder length black hair, and what appeared to be a Glasgow Celtic football shirt. He had DMs on his feet and a cross tattooed on his left forearm.
'Oi,' he said, in a thick Northern Irish accent 'I'm willing to cooperate with Her Majesty's Government, if you'll let me'
Smiley raised his SA80 and cautiously approached the kneeling man. 'What's your name, mate?' He said.
'Corrigan,' Eddie said 'Eddie Corrigan.'
Smiley nodded and lowered his rifle slightly, he beckoned Eddie to come towards him, and he complied.
As they turned to walk back towards the checkpoint, a russling came from the hedges on either side. Jimmy paused and approached the right hedge. From over the top came a balaclava wearing head, and then the barrel of an AK47.
The unidentified man opened fire, hitting Jimmy in the shoulder and chest. Jimmy fell to the floor, squirming. Eddie lay on the floor, hands over his head, as bullets whizzed overhead. Smiley opened fire on the hedge, standing over Eddie. He fired until the return fire stopped.
From behind him, another masked man stood up and fired from behind the hedge, hitting Smiley in the back.
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