Scotch Mist Read Free Page B

troops were deployed to Afghanistan from here, but the next changeover would not take place until March next year. An attack on soldiers returning from the war zone would surely be more realistic than one on families and children enjoying fireworks. All the same, Tom had been quick to mount a red alert.
    The stadium was still floodlit when Max arrived there. One look was enough to show him why Tom had reacted as he had, and Max swiftly joined those grouped near the smoking remains of the bonfire.
    Noting their grim expressions, he asked, ‘How many casualties?’
    Tom moved away from the others to speak more privately. Max followed him. ‘Corporal Crabbe over there has a list of who was treated on the spot – too many kiddies. Corporal Meacher went to the Medical Centre with half a dozen who received burns, and George sent Corporal Stubble in the ambulance with two needing emergency treatment; a boy with serious burns and a woman hit by a metal-tipped spar. He called in five minutes ago to report that the woman has been put on the danger list.’
    â€˜Name?’
    â€˜McTavish. Wife of one of the musicians who came in earlier today. Seems she has friends in the West Wilts and has been staying with them for a week until the band arrived here from its tour of the US.’
    â€˜Has her man been contacted?’
    â€˜He’s at the hospital.’
    â€˜Good. How could this have happened?’
    Tom indicated George Maddox, who appeared to be giving the remainder of his section a hard time. ‘He’s taking it very personally, but it was just a Guy Fawkes celebration, not a royal visit requiring tight security. Nobody could have foreseen what would happen.’
    â€˜Except the guy who planned it.’ Max glanced over to where his own team members were questioning a group of men shifting about belligerently in their resentment. ‘They the guys who built the bonfire?’
    â€˜No, they actually set it alight. We haven’t yet established if they also helped to construct it. There’s some aggro because one of their mates suffered nasty burns to his arm; they resent being treated as suspects. I guess they’re as shocked as the rest of us.’
    Having noticed that Max had arrived, Connie Bush walked across to greet him. An attractive young woman who was a keep fit addict, her cheeks were rosier than ever from the late night chill.
    â€˜Hallo, sir. How did the trial go?’
    â€˜As we all hoped. Get anything useful from those lads?’
    She gave a quick glance over her shoulder. ‘Apart from a load of abuse, just the info that they had had nothing to do with building the bonfire except for this afternoon. They brought the accelerant and gave a hand with arranging the final layer. They spent more time fabricating the flambeaux they used to set it alight.
    â€˜OK, let them go. We’ll check them out again in the morning.’ As Connie walked away, Max turned back to Tom. ‘Who was OC this event?’
    â€˜The Garrison QMS. He’s gone to the Medical Centre to liaise with Captain Goodey. She’ll have her hands full for the rest of the night.’
    Max walked for a few minutes surveying the debris littering a wide area around the bonfire site, and asked quietly, ‘What’s your reading of what happened, Tom? You were right to put the base on high alert, but do you really believe we were under attack?’
    â€˜No, but we have to consider it a possibility until we can safely rule it out, don’t we?’
    Max grunted agreement, his brain busy considering other explanations while Tom continued.
    â€˜I tried to notify the Garrison Commander, but he’s at a NATO conference. His deputy, Major Crawford, is with his wife at the hospital. It was their son who was badly injured. He gave authority on his mobile for me to raise the security level.’
    â€˜Have you managed to contact Captain Knott of Logistics, to get some of his