Dan peered around the back of the vehicle and saw Dicko and H taking up a defensive position on the sand dune in the distance, their rifles swinging as they panned round, taking in their surroundings. Behind him, David covered his back, glaring at anyone who looked like they were going to approach the vehicle, occasionally shouting to make sure the small crowd stayed back.
Dan took hold of the joystick and began the robot’s final approach. Bringing it to a stop next to the debris, he stopped the machine and used one of its claws to gently lift a discarded piece of blue cloth. He tapped a series of keys on the laptop and the camera angle zoomed into the space underneath the cloth. He held his breath. Underneath the cloth, the telltale signs of an IED were just visible.
Mitch peered over his shoulder. ‘Bastards.’
Dan nodded. ‘There are plenty of them around here.’
‘Can you lift that cloth out of the way?’
‘I can try – it doesn’t look like it’s weighing on the device.’
Dan touched the joystick and gently pushed it forward. The robot’s claw began to lift the material slowly away from the bomb.
‘Lift it straight up,’ said Mitch. ‘You don’t want it dragging across otherwise it could catch on the IED and set it off.’
Dan blinked as sweat ran down his face. He paused, wiping his eyes, trying to stop them stinging and rubbed his hands down the front of his trousers. He took hold of the joystick once more and the robot trundled backwards, carrying the bundle of cloth with it. He waited until the robot was a couple of metres back from the bomb, then hit a series of keys. The robot’s claw opened and the cloth fell to the ground.
‘Okay, now let’s get back in there and see what we’re dealing with,’ said Mitch, as he leaned against the back door of the vehicle and peered at the laptop screen.
Dan steered the robot back up to the bomb. He swung the camera left and right, recording all the angles, then stopped. ‘Here.’ He pointed at the screen. ‘The wires are exposed just there, look.’
Mitch bent down and peered at the relayed image. ‘Can you get to them?’
Dan nodded. ‘I reckon so. Standard configuration.’
Mitch grunted. ‘Yeah, looks like it. Can you get the cutters under it?’
Dan hit a series of keys and the robot’s claw swung into the camera’s view. The pincers snapped together twice and Dan eased them steadily towards a set of three wires. He lowered the claw until its lower edge was touching the dirt road. He stopped, took his finger and thumb off the joystick and wiped his hand on his padded vest. He then rubbed his finger and thumb together, trying to lose the grease, then took hold of the controls once more.
‘Any time today will do,’ murmured Mitch.
‘Fuck off.’
In spite of Dan’s response, he had a lot of respect for the other man. After joining the team following extensive training at Vauxhall Barracks in Oxfordshire, Dan began his first tour in the Middle East and Mitch had spent a lot of time making sure Dan’s training continued.
Dan twitched the robot forward. The claw scraped the dirt as it eased under the bomb’s wiring. He punched a key on the laptop and the picture zoomed in.
‘Child’s play,’ commented Mitch.
Dan glanced sideways at him. ‘Don’t you have to be somewhere?’
Mitch chuckled. ‘No.’
Dan rolled his eyes and then concentrated on the picture in front of him. Despite being annoying, Mitch’s observation had been right. The construction of the IED was deceptively simple. Deadly, but simple. A set of three wires connected the explosives to a trip switch.
‘No sign of a remote detonator,’ he reported.
Mitch slapped him on the back. ‘Good, get on with it then.’ He turned and called to David, relaying the message. David nodded and turned his attention back to the small group of bystanders.
Dan lined up the robot’s claw and began to gently lift the wires apart. He hit another command on the computer, which sent a telescopic tube out from under the robot, a set of wire cutters protruding from the end.
He breathed out slowly and willed his heart rate to calm down. He closed his eyes, replayed in his mind what needed to be done, then opened them, focused and ready.
As he typed in the final sequence of controls, the robot’s claw gently pulled a blue wire away from the other two. When it drew close to the wire cutters, a single keystroke sent a message to the robot and its blades drove through the wire.
Silence.
Dan breathed out, and turned to Mitch. ‘Job done.’
Mitch nodded, called to David and gave him a thumbs up.
David radioed the message to the others. ‘We’re clear.’
The small crowd lost interest and began to disperse across the road. Dan looked up and saw the old couple next to the house. They were arguing by the look of it, the woman gesturing wildly to her husband before storming into the house and shutting the door behind her.
David walked past and gave Dan the thumbs up. ‘Good work Taylor. Get that robot back and packed up quickly, otherwise the kids will have it dismantled for parts before we know it.’
‘I’m on to it.’
Dan pulled the joystick backwards on the laptop and the robot began its slow reverse journey back to the armoured vehicle, the relayed picture jumping as the onboard camera shook over the rough surface.
David signalled to Mitch. ‘Don’t stand around – go and grab that gear. We don’t want them recycling it for the next one they plant for us.’
Mitch nodded and jogged off towards the defused bomb. Dan glanced round the back of the vehicle and watched as he collected the parts while Dicko and H began to stroll back from the roadside dunes, their laughter carrying across the breeze.
David followed his gaze and sighed. ‘Anyone would think those two were on a bloody holiday,’ he said and shook his head, before walking round to the front of the vehicle to radio in their progress.
Dan looked up as Mitch jogged back to the vehicle, various wires, timers and parts cradled in his hands. He set them down in the back of the vehicle where they began to sift through them, looking for serial numbers or identifying markings – anything to provide information about who had supplied the pieces.
David appeared from the side of the armoured vehicle, a puzzled look on his face. ‘Have you seen Terry?’