"Nichol, John - Stinger" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nichol John)

through my first few months of flying helis."

Jeff laughed "Not really. I just sat alongside him, shut my eyes and
prayed' "But how come you're working for AMCO?" I turned to Dexy.

"He's the only man I've ever met who wears a home-made poppy on
Remembrance Day."

Despite the sledging, Jeffs smile didn't fade.

"How much are you getting paid to work here, Sean?"

"What do you mean? I'm seconded; I'm getting my normal R.A.F pay just
like you-' I paused.

"Aren't you?"

He shook his head "More fool you. I'm here for one reason only the
money. I'm on a hundred K, tax free, with a fat gratuity at the end of
my three years."

I glanced at Dexy.

"And are you a mercenary too?"

Dexy's tone was cold.

"I'm here to do a job that the Afghans either can't or won't do for
themselves. I clear mines and try to train others to do so. I'm a
soldier and I get soldier's pay, but no more than I could earn in the
UK without risking my life every day to earn it. That all right with
you?"

"Of course, I didn't mean to-' I paused "It's just I assumed everyone
here would be a volunteer. I hadn't even realised AMCO had the budget
to pay fat fees."

"We don't," Arnica said, 'but if people have skills that we need and
there are not enough volunteers to do the job, we have to find the
money to pay the market rate for them."

"And what's your job with AMCO?"

"I'm a medic, special ising in trauma. There's no shortage of that
kind of work here.

And I help with the administration-' Dexy interrupted her.

"Arnica runs the whole operation, but since the Taliban refuse to
acknowledge the possibility that women might be capable of anything