Andy McNab - Last Night-Another Soldier…

I pushed in harder, my war face now just inches from his as we both screamed at each other. The bayonet forced its way past his ribs and rammed all the way home into his chest. He gave one long scream as his knees buckled and he fell backwards, pulling me forward with him. There was no way I was going to let go of my rifle.

It was then that I realized my bayonet was stuck in his chest. My rifle was practically standing upright all on its own now that the Tali was down on the ground.

'What you doing? Leave him! Come on!' Si's voice hovered between exhaustion and panic.

'I can't get it out. It's stuck in his ribs!' Si took hold of my rifle's grip, putting his hands on top of mine.

'Pull, Briggsy, pull!'

We pulled together, wiggling and twisting to pull the blade free. There was another squelch and a rasping noise as the bayonet slid out stiffly from between two ribs. I stood stock still, watching the blood drip slowly down the blade.

Si's voice cut through my daze. 'Run, Briggsy, run!' More rounds came from all directions. I scanned every shape ahead of me but still couldn't see him. 'Where's Toki?'

'Keep going!' Si was panting so heavily he could hardly speak. 'Do as he said, the RV!'

I increased my speed to catch up with Si and we ran the last ten metres together to the edge of the field. In the distance, I could hear the two Apache attack helicopters approaching. I scanned the horizon but couldn't see them. It didn't matter.

They would arrive soon and sort this drama out good style. I scrambled quickly into the cover of the ditch, and slid down the mud until I was up to my knees in cold water.

The two of us crouched in the ditch, our helmets sticking up over the top just enough for us to make sure no Talis were following. Not that we could have shot them anyway.

Si was right next to me, still panting after the run. 'Mate,' he whispered in between gulps of air. I turned my head. The sweat dripping down his face was turning the streaks of mud to a wet paste. He gave me a big grin, his jagged white teeth flashing against his shiny skin.

'Happy days or what, we made it!'

I grinned and nodded, but to be honest I didn't feel the same relief. I could only focus on one thing. 'Where's Toki?' We looked back at the field, scanning every inch of maize.

'Look!' Si's arm shot out as he pointed. 'Edge of the maize. Half left.'

Sure enough, there was Toki, bent forward with Flash's body draped around his shoulders. I jumped and waved my arms in the ditch.

'Toki, quick. Over here!' As he looked up to hear where my voice was coming from, he hitched Flash further up his shoulders and headed towards us.

'Woah!' Si gripped his weapon tightly but remained stock still. 'Talis!'

Four Taliban had sprung out of the maize. They didn't appear to be taking aim with their AKs, but were running straight for Toki, and they were catching up with him fast.

Like Si, I too was frozen to the spot. Couldn't speak, couldn't move, could only look on in terror. Si's voice came through in short, sharp, terrified bursts. 'Mate, what do we do? What do we do?'

As the Taliban closed in on Toki and Flash, they began to scream out. It sounded like Indians attacking a wagon train in one of those old black and white westerns. Toki dropped Flash to the ground and looked wildly about him. He swung his weapon up, ready to fight, his bayonet glinting in the early morning sun. 'Come on, you bastards! Come on!' he screamed back at them. He had worked out what was happening before we did.

I felt Si grip my shoulder. 'They're not shooting…'

My eyes didn't leave Toki as he stood over Flash. A wave of panic spread through me.

'That's because they're trying to take him!'

As I watched Toki stand his ground waiting for the Talis to come to him, something shifted within me. It began to rip through my heart and churn my guts, twisting and turning inside. Without thinking, I began to scramble up the bank.

'Where you going?' Si already knew the answer.

'Come on!' It didn't matter whether he was going to follow or not.

'Mate, we only got bayonets.' Si's voice was pleading, but he was already scrambling up the bank to join me.

I looked across the hundred metres of open ground at Toki, preparing to fight to the death, and a wave of emotion blasted through my body. It seared through my lungs, roared through my throat and finally broke free. 'Bollocks!' I screamed and broke into a run.

I kept my focus on Toki as I raced across the field. He stabbed his bayonet at the first Taliban, who dropped to his knees, wounded in the shoulder. But the other three were too quick. They kicked and punched Toki to the ground, took hold of his arms and legs, and started to bundle him back towards the maize. As they dragged him off, Toki writhed and screamed until the tallest one hit him over and over again with the butt of his rifle. The tall one then ran back to help his injured friend, who'd got hold of Flash by one of his heels. Flash didn't resist as they dragged him off in the same direction as Toki. He couldn't. But he lifted one arm to protect his head as it banged against the rocks jutting out of the ploughed field. He was still alive!

As I ran towards my mates, it was as if my head knew what my body wanted to do and it just sort of happened. All sound became muffled. I was sure Si was following me, but I couldn't actually hear him. I knew I was screaming out loud, but I could barely hear any sound come from my mouth. The Apaches must have been approaching, but I wasn't aware of the roar of their rotor blades. I was running in slow motion and all that mattered was getting Flash and Toki back, nothing else. I had to get amongst it. I had to help them. I couldn't have stopped myself even if I'd wanted to. I just kept on running, kept focusing on Toki and Flash getting dragged closer and closer to the maize, where they would be lost to me for ever.

This time my war face just happened. I didn't have to think about it, but I knew it was there. I wasn't scared of the Taliban or frightened of dying. There were more important things to think about: my mates.

I took the final few bounds towards them and crashed into the tall Tali who was dragging Flash. My bayonet slid into the side of his chest like butter. It must have helped that I was running at full speed when I smashed into him. I didn't even slow down to take aim. The Tali fell backwards slowly, screaming. Or at least he looked like he was screaming as he had his mouth wide open.

Out of the corner of my eye, I was aware that Si was taking on the wounded Tali, but I kept on looking at Toki. He was being dragged by his arms by the other two and they had just reached the gap in the maize.

I set my sights on the one nearest me. With my rifle gripped firmly, just like Toki said, I aimed for centre mass and charged. Concentrating on my target, I was barely aware that I was screaming my head off.

Everything happened slowly and clearly. I saw both Talis look up at me as I got closer. They dropped Toki's arms and started grabbing their AKs from their slings. It didn't bother me. I knew I was going to be faster. I jumped over Toki's blood-stained face and landed on top of my man. My bayonet plunged into the right-hand side of his neck and he dropped at my feet. With his windpipe shredded, he was slowly suffocating.

I turned to the next, but he had already bottled it and vanished into the maize. I didn't bother to follow. Behind me, Si was checking out Flash, the injured Tali lying dead by his side.

As if on cue, the two Apaches started shooting the maize field. Every few seconds, the whirr of rotor blades was broken up by the rattle of cannons as their thermal sights found what they were looking for. The ejected 30mm cases rained out from underneath the helis, one of them bounced off my helmet with a metallic thud.