Aggressor Read Online Free PDF

decision-makers. That’s way above their pay scale. They’re just having fun doing it. They got the go from way up, mate. And you can bet your bottom dollar they wouldn’t touch this gas of yours unless the UK said they could. They’ve just fucked you off the plan now they’ve got your gear.’
    ‘But it’s women and children in there. They’re killing them! Someone must do something!’
    I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him from bouncing up and down. I also wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to run off again and try to do something that I wouldn’t be able to reverse him out of. ‘Listen. Ever since this thing kicked off, Koresh and the rest of them have been made to sound like the devil’s disciples. Think of it in Bastard’s terms. It’s a black and white world, and these are the bad guys.’
    Tony’s head was in his hands, and his shoulders had started to shake.
    ‘I’ll go and get a brew on.’ I let go and patted his shoulder. ‘Coffee?’
    What else was there to say?

9
    By eleven o’clock it was getting pretty hot on my vantage point on top of the cattle trailer. I’d fetched Tony several brews, but last time I looked he hadn’t touched any of them. He still had his arse planted in the mud and his back slumped against the container.
    I took off my jacket and pulled up the sleeves of my sweatshirt. The wind had picked up, blowing tumbleweed across the heat haze between us and the target. The way things were going round here, it wouldn’t have surprised me to see Clint Eastwood ride into shot.
    Still no-one had come out of the buildings. Either they’d all been killed by the gas, or they’d killed themselves rather than surrender, or were being kept inside by Koresh. I wondered what had been going on round the back. I hadn’t seen anything, but I knew automatic gunfire when I heard it. Our guys, their guys, or both? Who knew? At this stage of the day, if they wanted to drop each other it was up to them. I just wanted this to be over and done with so we could pack up and go home. Maybe I’d buy myself a T-shirt on the way out.
    I looked back towards the container to check on Tony. He was still there, and still very much in his own little world. The urgent roar of a CEV engine pulled me back towards the compound. It was making another entry into the building, and this time the monotone had replaced Nancy Sinatra. ‘This is not an attack. Do not open fire.’ They seemed to think that if they repeated the message often enough, we’d all start to believe it.
    The police and federal marshals’ day shift had clocked on hours ago, but the overnight guys had hung around to watch the finale and they were starting to get a little bored now. If Tony was right, most of the Davidians were dead. So why weren’t the FBI masking up teams and sending them in to look for survivors? I didn’t have much sympathy for the adults, but the kids hadn’t asked to be there.
    An angry yell came from near the command tent. I jumped to my feet to get a better view.
    Tony and Bastard were squaring up to each other. Tony was almost jumping up at Bastard’s face, pushing him back with his hands as the FBI man tried to pass. A group had gathered. But I knew none of them was going to intervene. Bastard’s body language said he was going to take care of this piece of business himself.

10
    I jumped off the trailer and ran towards them. Tony was certainly making me earn my money today. I barged though the gathering crowd.
    ‘Tony, calm down, mate. It’s all right.’
    His head didn’t move. His eyes, red and swollen, were still fixed on Bastard.
    ‘It’s not all right.’ He jerked a finger over at the buildings. ‘Do you know what’s gone on over there? Do you? ’
    I was about to answer when I realized it wasn’t me he was talking to. ‘They will have died horrendously. That gas is the same stuff they use on death row. Did you know that?’
    Bastard couldn’t be bothered to answer, but Tony wasn’t going