It was 2200. The nearby stone hut remained under guard. Connor was relieved, as it meant that Ben and Sam were inside, and hadn’t yet been taken to Khan. Putting down his bins, Connor opened the Switchblade pack. First, he removed the metre-long cylindrical launcher. The electric-powered mini-drone was inside. He set it up on a flattish piece of ground. Then he peered into the shoebox-shaped viewer which would display the real-time video feed from a tiny camera on the drone’s nose. Sparks kept watch. “They’re on their way,” he said after a long wait, pointing. “Game on.” Hamid walked one pace ahead of Danny and Jacko towards the entrance to the mine. Each carried a crate. Hamid was shaking but hoped the darkness would conceal his terror. He stopped abruptly when challenged by a Taliban sentry. “I bring extra food at the request of Mullah Khan. There is much feasting to be done.” The sentry stepped forward and lifted the cloth. Steam from the pot of vegetables filled the air.
