Protecting Salvation: A Shadow Elite Novel

“This is bullshit!”

“Watch your mouth when you speak to me, Flight Lieutenant Tanner.”

Hurricane blew out a breath to try and calm his racing heart and the anger that was building in his chest like a power plant about to blow. “Yes, sir.”

The man in front of him, Group Captain Victor Ellis, was a hard ass, but he was usually fair. Hurricane respected him but this decision would be the end of his career and without his wings, he didn’t know who he was.

“Look, Hurricane, I like you and you’re one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen, but that move was dangerous and sloppy. You put yourself in danger and, by extension, you put others in danger.”

Hurricane stood silently as he was berated for something he’d do again and again. When a man he respected had come over the comms saying that Lancelot’s chopper had gone down, he didn’t think twice about going back for them. The Zagros mountain range which bordered Iraq and Iran was a known danger zone but he couldn’t leave them there to die without trying to help.

Going against a direct order was something he’d never done, yet he and the men on board had been in agreement. They’d rather face the consequences and try than leave a chinook full of good men to die. As it was, they managed to rescue four of the soldiers but Lancelot had perished, and it was a loss that would stay with him forever.

“Then there’s the other issue.”

“Other issue, sir?”

Ellis shifted some papers about on his desk, before looking up at him with sympathy that made his head pound harder. “Yes, the situation with your blood results.”

A cold film coated his body at the words. All his life he’d lived with the knowledge this might be an issue and finally it was coming home to roost.

“It’s been discussed and we’ve decided to medically discharge you from service.”

Panic gripped him by the throat, a sheen of sweat coating his skin, like a poison. “What? No!”

“I’m sorry, Hurricane. I don’t agree with it, but after what happened there’s been some concern and it’s felt that you pose a risk.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. The only risk is to myself.”

“And the people you fly. If you get injured it isn’t as simple as giving you a blood transfusion or emergency care. There’s the very real possibility that you could die from something others would survive.”

“But that’s my decision. Flying is my life.”

“I know and as I said, I don’t necessarily agree, but my hands are tied.”

Hurricane clenched his fists. He wasn’t a violent man, he was known as a gentle giant, but right now he felt murderous. How could everything he’d worked for just be gone in the space of a few short sentences? “So that’s it? Everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve done, is just gone? The RAF no longer needs me so off I go? To do what?”

Ellis linked his fingers on his desk, his lips pulled tight as if he was fighting back the urge to say something. Hurricane had worked with Ellis for a long time. He was a good man, and Hurricane knew this wasn’t something he was enjoying.

“The RAF does need you, but the risk is too high for the brass to accept. I might be able to put you in touch with some friends who can help with a job.”

Hurricane shook his head. “Forget it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir.”

He was being petulant and cutting off his nose to spite his face and he knew it but right now, he couldn’t care. Everything was falling apart and he just needed to think.

Ellis nodded and led him through the details of the next few days and what he’d need to do.

Three short days later he was a civilian and his life had never looked bleaker. Stepping onto his old street and seeing his childhood home filled him with dread. He knew his parents would welcome him home and they’d expect him to get to work in the family building trade like his cousins and his uncle, but it made him sick to think of doing the same job day and day out. Not that he didn’t respect what his dad and uncle had done, moving here as young men with new wives, and starting over, building a business from nothing. It was impressive, but it wasn’t his dream.

Pausing, he watched the house for a little while but he couldn’t force his legs to move and take him the final steps inside. He knew his mum would be cooking some kind of spicy stew. His dad would be watching the cricket on TV with a rum in his left hand as he dozed between overs. It was what he’d seen growing up and it was a good life. He hadn’t had a horror-story childhood, his parents loved him. His family was close, his uncle and aunt would come over every weekend, and calypso music would fill the house as people laughed.

It was a good life, but it wasn’t his life. He couldn’t go back to that because if he did, he’d die of boredom. A car honked and he could hear children laughing as they played in the park one street over. It was where he’d played, the burn from the metal slide in the summer now a fond memory.

“You going in or not?”

Hurricane turned to the man who’d come to stand beside him. He was tall, probably six feet two, which was still an inch shorter than he was. His height had always intimidated people, but he knew nothing intimidated Jack Granger. The former SAS operator was known throughout the UKSF community as one of the best, which was why it was no surprise he’d managed to walk up to Hurricane without him noticing. He had no idea why he was here but didn’t ask either. The man would tell him when he was ready, so he answered the question instead.

“Not sure.” He shrugged his big shoulders. “I don’t think I fit anymore.” He meant metaphorically, but even physically. He was six foot three, and two hundred and forty pounds of pure muscle, which wasn’t a good fit for a three-bedroom terrace house.

“You’re a big bastard.”

Hurricane huffed a laugh and bobbed his head in agreement. It was something he was always aware of when dealing with others. He’d always been treated differently because of his size, and the fact that in his small hometown, he was one of only a few black children.

“Yeah, so people tell me.” Hurricane folded his arms over his chest and raised a brow. “You gonna tell me why you’re standing next to me any time soon?”

“You got a few minutes to talk?”

Hurricane glanced down at his bright white trainers, which stood out sharply against his dark brown skin. “I guess I have a few minutes.”

They began to walk down the street towards the park, and Hurricane let Jack lead. He was the one orchestrating this, and Hurricane was a patient man, letting the silence sit between them. Five boys around eight years old were playing football and they turned to watch them warily. He was pleased to see that in kids so young. The world was a dangerous place and sometimes all you had was that gut feeling that wouldn’t settle to warn you of danger.

He and Jack sat on a bench, the other man stretching his legs out in a relaxed manner, or so it looked but Hurricane could feel the awareness in the way he watched everything around him as if cataloguing the threats and constantly evaluating them.

He focused on the kids as the smaller one ran for the goal which was jumpers and bags made into goalposts. They reminded him of him and his friends doing the same thing at that age and the easy joy. Those friends had moved on. Married with kids and it was something he wanted for himself one day, but not yet. Now he didn’t know what he wanted or where to go. His life had been the RAF and flying since he was old enough to remember.

“I heard what happened to you. It was a shit call.”

His shoulders tensed, every muscle in his body going taut at the feeling of loss the reminder caused him. It was a shit call but he couldn’t do anything about it, and he’d learned that things you couldn’t change, you had to let go of, no matter how hard and he was trying.

He shrugged, not giving anything away. “Yeah, it was, but what can you do?”

“You could come and work for me.”

Hurricane cocked his head to look at Jack who was watching him for a reaction. “Explain.”

Jack smirked at his one-word demand, but Hurricane didn’t return it, he wasn’t in the mood for bullshit.

“I’m setting up a team, a shadow team to be more precise. Some former military. Some, shall we say, people who need a second chance and have a very interesting skill set. I need someone like you to round the team out.”

“Someone like me?”

“A pilot. Someone with your skills who can fly whatever we ask. Someone who can follow orders but isn’t afraid to have his own mind and make his own decisions and trust his gut.”

Hurricane mused over that for a moment. The chance to fly again was enticing but he needed more information. “You’d be running it?”

Jack shook his head. “No, I have someone else lined up for that.”

“And what do they think about you hiring someone with my medical details?” He was sick of hiding that and would rather be upfront now and end it than get involved and it go sideways later.

“They are aware. As far as we’re concerned, this is your decision to make. It’s your body, so any risks are yours. That isn’t to say you won’t have our full support and we’ll have a discussion about it if you accept and make sure something is in place.”

Hurricane nodded, as a tiny kernel of excitement and hope unfurled inside his chest. “You said it’s a shadow team. I’m guessing you mean ghost ops, black ops kind of thing?”

“Yes, all your social media and background would be wiped. As far as the world is concerned, you didn’t exist. We’d have to write you an entirely new legend.”

Hurricane smiled at Jack using the word legend. It was a very spook thing to say and he wondered if there’d be any on his new team. Not that he’d accepted yet, but he was definitely interested. “Not to be a dick, but I’m hardly the kind of guy that blends into the background.”

Jack linked his fingers and let his hands hang between his spread legs as he looked around again. Hurricane followed his gaze and didn’t see anything until Jack whistled and two men stepped out, seemingly from nowhere. One was a huge blond with long hair that he recognised as Gunner from his Eidolon team and the other was Reid. Neither man was what you’d consider slight. Reid was covered in tattoos and built, and Gunner had long blond hair and looked like an actor from a Viking movie.

Yet they’d been there this whole time and he hadn’t spotted them. He chuckled as he crossed his ankles and leaned back on the bench. “Point taken, but isn’t the fact that I missed them a concern for you?”

Jack shook his head. “No, I trained them and you’d be put through an intense training program that makes the military special forces look like amateur hour.”

“Is this illegal or does it have government support that’s deniable when needed?”

Jack paused. “I can’t say either way. Not until you accept the offer.”

Hurricane rolled his shoulders and rocked his neck. “Where would I be based?”

“Wales.” He didn’t elaborate and Hurricane understood that secrecy would be needed. “You’d live on site and have your own fully furnished apartment within the secure compound. We also have a Wildcat Mk1 and Gazelle helo and we’re looking into a longline jet but thought you might want to be part of the process for that.”

“Wow, that’s some serious cash you’re splashing there, boss.”

“If you’re gonna do something, do it right or don’t bother.”

Hurricane nodded. He couldn’t argue the logic in that, but it did pose its own questions, like who was funding this but he didn’t bother asking. He knew he wouldn’t get answers anyway. “Can I think about it?”

Jack shook his head. “No, when I leave so does the offer.”

Hurricane turned back to watch the kids who were now sitting on their butts in a circle eating snacks from a rucksack. He pondered his future and he didn’t know if this was the right move but he knew the alternative was the wrong one. He loved his family but this was no longer his life and he couldn’t just slip back into it like it was.

Blowing out a breath he sighed and turned to Jack, offering his hand. “I’m in.”

Jack beamed and nodded, as he pumped Hurricane’s hand. “You won’t regret it. This team is going to make a difference, and I believe in the people in it.”

“You going to give me more details now?”

Jack cocked his head. “How about I take you to meet them instead?”

“Now?”

“Might as well. Unless you want to spend time with your parents first?”

Hurricane considered that but shook his head. He loved them but he needed to make a move on the next phase of his life before he faced them again. “Nah, let’s go see my new toys.”