PART 1.

THE IDEA.

During the week before my nineteenth birthday, November 1958, I was training with Dynamo when Ken arrived. It was a couple of weeks after my first operation up in the Troodos Mountains and I hoped that his arrival meant there was another job for us. Dynamo and I broke off our training and followed him into the 'office area.

'Well, Geordie, its your birthday soon so weve decided to give you a few weeks off, he said, to my total surprise. 'Well see you after Christmas, some time in the New Year, unless something happens in the meantime and youre needed.

I tried not to show how bitterly disappointed I was. Id thought that hed come to brief us for our next operation but this was a bolt out of the blue. Six weeks without training, without seeing Dynamo, Chalky and Spot, six weeks to the New Year, six whole weeks of being stuck around the camp doing routine work! I was utterly deflated.

Back at camp work mainly revolved around preparations for Christmas, when a panto and variety show were to be put on by the lads.

As I crossed the parade ground one morning, I met Sergeant Lupton.

'Well, Urwin, Im certainly looking forward to seeing this act of yours, he said as he walked past.

'Eh! Act, what act, Sir? I said, gawping at him. I hadnt a clue what he was on about.

'The one youre doing for the Christmas concert, youve got your name down for it! he said, over his shoulder.

Immediately I knew whod dropped me in it, my so-called pal, Dave Buckfield. He and Bill were always volunteering me for something or other, putting my name down for all kinds of things: table tennis, darts etc. Id been good at both but, unfortunately, couldnt take it too far. In the army, if you were good at something like that, it always meant taking part in some kind of league against other camps and I couldnt get involved in anything that would mean being tied up on certain dates with matches etc. I had to be available for The Sixteen whenever they needed me.

G.o.d knows what Id have to come up with now for this little caper Bill and Dave had involved me in!

As the days pa.s.sed, more and more people began to ask me what I was going to do. Id had all kinds of ideas but none of them seemed right. Then one night I went to the pictures with a couple of the lads. Before the main film, theyd shown a newsreel where a bloke had lain on a bed of nails with a paving slab on his chest while another guy smashed it with a sledgehammer. My mates were impressed.

'Its a con, I told them. 'Theres a knack to it, its not that difficult to do if you know how.

'If its so easy, why dont you do it for your act, then? Bill said.

'OK, then, I will, I replied, taking up his challenge, relieved to have something to do at last.

It took some time to get enough six-inch nails to make my 'bed, and over the next few weeks, I scrounged around for as many as I could find. They werent easy to come by and I had all the guys searching about for me and bringing them back from other camps. I practised my act and press-ganged a reluctant Bill into being my 'a.s.sistant, although on the one occasion he attempted to lie on the 'bed, there werent enough nails in it and he ended up with a sore and bleeding backside.

On Christmas Day, I got ready to perform my act in full for the first time. Bill and I hadnt been able to practise the slab-breaking bit before as wed only been able to get our hands on one paving stone, nicked from another camp, and obviously didnt want to use it.

We tied towels around our heads for a bit of an oriental feel. When it was our turn, I asked for two strong men from the audience to lift the slab on to a towel covering my chest as I lay on the bed of nails. As the two volunteers came forward, Bill pranced about the stage like a magicians a.s.sistant, pointing to what I was doing until I grabbed him and shoved a large sledgehammer into his hands.

'Here, I told him. 'Get on with it. He suddenly became concerned that, not having done it before, he might injure me.

'Ow ard do I ave ter it it? he said, with a worried expression. 'I might cave your b.l.o.o.d.y chest in!

By now, I was holding the large, heavy slab on top of me.

'Just get on with it, hit it as hard as you can, right in the middle, and watch my flaming fingers, I told him as he stood with the hammer hovering above me amid loud shouts and jeers from the audience: 'Just belt it!

'Go on, hit it!

'Bash the b.l.o.o.d.y thing!

'Smash his chest in!

Bill crashed the hammer down on to the paving slab, which instantly broke into four or five pieces, the audience roared their approval, and he began prancing around again holding the hammer above his head. We were a success and, more importantly, I came through it unscathed!

In early January, much to my relief, my teammates started to pick me up for training again. For some reason, our training had now intensified and I was with them on a much more regular basis, every other week in fact. I asked Dynamo what it was all about.

'Well, its a while since we last saw you, Geordie, we dont want you to get rusty, now do we! he said and took a swipe at me. I countered his move and he went on: 'Cyprus is off the map, now, Geordie. The governments about to give them what they want so we can concentrate on doing the jobs were trained for. Not spending our time chasing these daft sods around the mountains.

I swivelled my body and countered another of his moves. 'By the way, what you said to me about me signing on for three years, you did say I would get two weeks home leave, didnt you?

'Of course, he replied. 'But youd better discuss all of that with Ken.

For months Id thought long and hard about this, ever since it had first been mentioned to me during my initiation. I was still torn and not really able to make a firm decision. During these last few weeks away from them, Id realised just how much I wanted to remain a part of the group, to keep on training and carrying out operations. The simple fact was it was in my blood now. I couldnt get away from it.

And yet I desperately wanted to see my mother again, not just because I missed her but also to let her see that she had been right to encourage me to do my National Service. I wanted her to see how much Id changed, how Id grown up, gained confidence and lost my stammer, I wanted her to be proud of me. I wished with all my heart that I could tell her about the group, I knew just how proud she would be that Id been so specially chosen; shed always told me that I was special, that I would never end up like my father. But of course, most mothers think that about their kids. Obviously, I would never be able to tell her or indeed anyone about The Sixteen. I was also unsure how shed react to me signing up for such a long period.

But, on the other hand, for the first time in my life I felt that Id met real men, not loud-mouthed boastful drunkards, but men who trusted in my judgement and who I trusted implicitly. For all Id spent a lot of time with the lads back at camp since wed come here, it was these guys who were the first real mates Id ever had, whod given me an unshakeable belief and faith in myself and my abilities. Whod shown me how to achieve my full potential. As desperate as I was to see my mother again, I was equally desperate to carry on working with them.

I just couldnt decide what to do; I was almost halfway through my National Service and would be sent home and demobbed at the end of the year. I knew that Id have to make my mind up soon and decided to speak to Ken about it as soon as the opportunity arose.

For a couple of weeks nothing much happened. I trained one week and spent the next back at camp. The following Monday I a.s.sembled on the parade ground with everyone else and after roll call we rea.s.signed our duties for the coming week. The sergeant called out half a dozen names including mine, for a works party, which meant I could be sent anywhere on the island. A corporal was a.s.signed to our group, and when we were dismissed off the parade ground, I went over to him to find out where we were being sent.

'Were all going to a camp near to Famagusta, but youll be on your own at an Ordnance Depot at Dhekelia, Geordie, he said. 'They want you to drive a forklift truck or something, some cushy number. Well drop you off as near to the depot as we can.

Bill was also in the group and we sat next to one another on the truck taking us off to the other camps.

'How the ell did you get a cushy number like that, you jammy sod? he asked. 'Its alright for some, you must have pals in high places, he joked, totally unaware of how close to the truth he was.

'Oh yeah, like last week you mean, stuck in that sweaty cookhouse. I must have lost half a stone in weight and peeled twenty in spuds. Call that cushy do you? I joked back.

We drove along the main coastal route through Lima.s.sol and Larnaca, pa.s.sing a couple of army checkpoints along the way. After about three-quarters of an hour the truck came to a halt near to a road junction. The corporal jumped out of the cab and shouted my name.

'Urwin, out! This is where we leave you, he said, handing me some papers. 'Heres your orders. Report to the officer at that gatehouse. He pointed towards the nearby Royal Army Ordnance Depot then he climbed back in the truck. 'And dont forget, well be here to pick you up at this spot 1700 hours on Friday, he yelled as it drove off.

'Ill try tget round tsee you through tweek. Bill shouted at me from the back.

'Righto, I yelled back with a wave, and then began to walk towards the camp.

I could see a jeep parked nearby on my left and as I walked along it suddenly pulled up alongside me and there sat Chalky, grinning.

'Hop in, Geordie.

'Thank goodness for that, I sighed as I sat down beside him and we roared off in a cloud of dust.

'Whats the matter, did you think we werent coming back for you? Chalky yelled above the noise of the engine.

'Well, not so soon, I shouted back.

'Whats up, have you had a hard time? He laughed.

'You can laugh, I said. 'But Ive been stuck in the flaming cookhouse all last week cleaning pans!

'So what? You must have been getting the best of the grub, eh?

'What about these orders then? Im supposed to be driving a forklift truck at that camp back there? I said, waving the sheaf of papers the corporal had given me.

'They havent got any such orders and they arent expecting you, so forget about it, and dont ask how, because even I dont know that!

'But theres a pal of mine coming to look for me during the week, I told him, remembering about Bill.

'Well, he wont find you will he! Anyway he wont get in the camp if he doesnt have a pa.s.s so stop worrying about it.

As usual we were flying along the road at breakneck speed, bouncing and jolting over every rock and stone. 'You didnt tell me what happened to those puppies. I bet they caused you some problems, didnt they? Chalky shouted, changing the subject.

'I gave them to one of the officers Im a bit pally with, Lieutenant Stevens. Hes a bit of a dog lover and said hed try to find them good homes. I had a job convincing him that Id found them near the camp though, but I think he believed me in the end. Anyway, hes taken them to other camps to be trained as mascots or something.

We were yelling at one another in order to be heard above the racket of the engine and it was difficult to have a proper conversation. As usual we were flying along narrow twisting tracks in order to avoid travelling on the main roads, and I was beginning to get the feeling that we were going around in circles but I knew that eventually we would end up at that old hangar. We came to a small river and Chalky slowed down only a fraction before driving straight across it and travelling on for about another half an hour.

Each time I was taken to the training area I arrived by a different route. I always had the feeling that we were being observed, but I never saw anyone, and, although I wasnt aware of Chalky giving any kind of signal, as I suspected he had done in the past, I was fairly certain that other members of The Sixteen were nearby, guarding the place until we left.

My teammates always seemed to be very relaxed, but I knew that security around the training area had to be tight. Despite the fact that they smiled and cracked jokes a lot, I knew that this was something they were deadly serious about they needed to be. We couldnt afford to have anyone, terrorists or British troops, find us there.

Id brought the subject of security up only once before when Dynamo, in an unusual moment of seriousness for him, had let it slip that their security was the best there was, but then he quickly changed the subject and it was never mentioned again.

The landscape began to look familiar as we neared the mountains and suddenly there it was, roughly four to five hundred yards in the distance, the old hangar. Well, thats what I called it but it was really too small to have held anything other than perhaps a couple of light aircraft. We drove in through the gateway or what remained of a metal barred gate, which was now mainly broken and rusting. As usual, there were no obvious signs of security in place, just the feeling that someone was closely watching us as we pulled up outside the old tin hut.

Chalky pushed the old creaky door open and following him in I saw my other teammates sitting around a dirty old table that was covered with bits of paper, maps and photographs. Dynamo turned towards me, smiling.

'Heres Geordie, he said. 'Ill bet he can help us to solve our little problem.

'You must joking, I said. 'I thought I was here to learn off you lot.

Chalky nudged me. 'Thats why youre with us, young man. You were good at stuff like this during your training, so Im sure youll be able to help us to come up with an answer now.

After my first operation, and my blunder with the rope that had almost resulted in my death, Id wondered whether they might think I wasnt up to it and reconsider my being part of the group. I really felt that Id let them down badly, but they never referred to it, it just wasnt important to them. Besides, going over past events simply wasnt their way of doing things they didnt waste time: that was then and this was now. Their att.i.tudes towards me hadnt changed and, if anything, I now felt more a part of the team than ever before.

'Well, whats the problem? I asked.

'Our problem is in Beirut, Chalky replied. 'For the last two hours weve been trying to find a way to eliminate the target and get away without anybody knowing.

Spot shook his head. 'Beirut, of all places! They couldnt have picked a friendlier place if theyd tried!

'Whats the target and wheres Beirut? Id heard of the place but wasnt quite sure where it was.

'The target is a man and Beirut is in Lebanon, Geordie, Spot explained.

'Well, Ive heard a lot about the place, but I never thought Id be going. How are we going to get there?

Dynamo nudged me in the ribs. 'Dont worry about it, Geordie, its all been taken care of, a hack is picking us up before daylight tomorrow.

'A hack, whats a hack? I hadnt a clue what he was talking about.

'Youve heard of helicopters, havent you? Well, these helicopters are used for reconnaissance and search-and-rescue missions; theyre known as hacks by the guys who use them, he explained. 'Short for hackney, you know, like the London taxis.

'A helicopter? I said, astounded. 'Ive seen pictures of them but thats all.

'Well, youll be flying in one tomorrow, Chalky chipped in. 'For obvious reasons, he cant take us all the way, were going to have to be dropped into a small fishing boat and travel the rest of the way by sea. The trouble with that is weve only used the helicopter on two previous occasions and on the last one we had to abseil out of it, which gave us a few problems.

'Thats right. Spot nodded. 'We hadnt realised that we were going to have to do that, so wed nothing rigged up inside the hack to make it possible to abseil out of it. We had to fasten our ropes to the floor and when we dropped out of the door the flaming thing was all over the place. Theyre pretty unstable things unless of course its just the way Ken flies them. Anyway, we found that the best way to do it was to leave from both sides at the same time.

Chalky interrupted him. 'Dont forget, Spot, Ken said that brackets have been fastened above the doors so we should be able to exit standing up, which will make it a h.e.l.l of a lot easier. Well go through the procedure later on, Geordie, it isnt difficult but youll need to familiarise yourself with it. Well fasten the abseil lines before we leave.

'The boat will put us ash.o.r.e about nine miles north of Beirut, very near to a small village. Apparently, there are usually a lot of small fishing boats in the area around that time of day, so we wont look out of place, Chalky continued.

I was really excited at the thought of a helicopter trip. 'How on earth did you manage to get hold of a helicopter, hack that is? I asked him.

He put his finger to his lips, winked and smiled. 'Ssshh! was all he said.

'I know, I know. I shouldnt ask!

'Thats right. Youre learning.

Spot was looking at some papers on the table. 'Weve been informed that our target operates from a government building, an office block, which is well guarded and there doesnt appear to be an easy way to get him inside the building, he said. 'Weve looked at the whole set-up and the only alternative is to get him when he comes out for his lunch. Weve been informed that he eats every day with some colleagues in a small cafe nearby, but theres always a military escort of at least two accompanying him. So, we shouldnt have any problems in recognising him. What we have to do is find a way of disposing of him without drawing any attention to ourselves.

'Our intelligence informs us that the target is to move out of the country very soon, Chalky explained. 'We understand that there is something big going to take place in the area. We dont know exactly what it is yet, but we must take him out before then. We arent entirely sure of exactly when he is moving but we do know that he is definitely going to be there for a few more days at least, he added.

Dynamo handed out some photographs showing our target, the office block, street and cafe.

'Apparently his sleeping quarters are changed at regular intervals, but the change follows no set pattern, so its difficult to pinpoint where h.e.l.l be at night. The only thing he does consistently is to have his lunch between 1200 and 1400 hours with a military escort to the cafe and back, he said. 'Of course, there are a hundred things that could prevent him from doing this. He could be in meetings, be too busy or even ill; he might not even go to his usual place but thats a chance well have to take. However, it seems to be one thing he does regularly, and he has to be taken out at some point.

'Well, weve got less than twenty hours to come up with something to solve the problem and only one chance to take him out, Chalky pointed out. 'Believe me, guys, this isnt going to be easy! This place is in the centre of the city, its going to be very crowded and crawling with armed troops, just getting to this building alone is going to be tricky. If were spotted these people will try to tear us to pieces; dont forget that its not so long since our lot gave half of their country to the Israelis. So if we dont get it right, we wont be back in time for supper! he joked. 'Now, if anybody has any bright ideas, we could do with them ASAP.

Spot nudged my arm. 'Come on then, Geordie, fire away. We leave here at four in the morning and need to be in the vicinity of that building by 1100 hours so we have time to walk around and familiarise ourselves with the general area.

'Do you really think Im up to doing a job like this so soon after the last one? Its only been a few weeks! Has it got to be tomorrow?

'Dont knock yourself, Geordie, Spot said, winking at me. 'Youre not alone, youre part of a four-man team and besides youre the quickest learner Ive come across.

'Anyway, we dont have an option, Dynamo explained. 'The trip from here to Lebanon is already set up because thats when the helicopter is available and weve only got it for two or three hours tomorrow. Fancy a cuppa, Geordie?