"All right, lads, put your kit on." "Six months ago, there were 200 of you." "Now there are ten." "You've done well." "But it will all have been for nothing unless you get through the next few days of combat survival." "You have in excess of 100 miles to cover." "There is nobody out there to help you." "No one is on your side." "Never forget - no matter how cold, wet, starving, dead on your feet you are, there is one thing you can depend on." "There is far worse shite to come." "'You will be hunted down by members of the parachute regiment.'" "You poncy arsehole twats!" "'They have night goggles, dogs, helicopters." "'There are only two ways it will end." "One, you quit." "'Two, you make it." "'You will know it's over when, and only when, 'someone with a white armband on their left arm says it is over." "'Fail to make your RVs, crack under interrogation, 'and you will be returned to your unit." "'Survive and you will become a member of the most elite regiment in the world.'" "Right, off you get!" "Another instructor down the way will give you your grid references." "Like hell he will." "Don't worry, son." "Believe me, caution is the better part of virtue." "Again!" "And again!" " Oh!" " Come here, you..." "Does it hurt?" "All right, that's enough!" "You ten, back on the lorry." "That's a taste of what's to come if you get caught." "Next time, there'll be no whistle." "You, you... you... and you." "Bloody silly." "We've got 100 miles and he can't even get off the lorry." "Just don't take your boot off or you'll never get it on again." "Right." "The grid reference for your 0600 RV is 580743." "If you're late for the 0600 RV you'll get no more food for another 24 hours." "The paras start in one hour." "Good luck." "580743, that's there." "15 miles as the crow flies." "That's open country - be more like 25 if we use woods for cover." "30 minutes walking then go to ground until dark?" "Sounds good." "All right, boys, heads to the grindstones." " What are you talking about?" " It's a saying." "Or is it elbows?" "Noses." "It's noses, you moron." "It's not." "Noses to the grindstone?" "What's that mean?" "How are they doing?" "I've hooked your mate Mick up with a cripple." " Why?" " He's too tall." "I don't like people who stand out in the regiment." "Having said that, if he's good enough, he'll make it despite me." "This is his last chance, isn't it?" "Two strikes and out." "What a waste." "Either leg it across or add two miles by skirting the woods." "If the paras have night sights..." " Luke can't handle any extra distance." " Don't worry about me." "We are gonna leg it across there, save us some time before the next RV." "Come on." "Bollocks." "Back in a flash." "Good evening, ladies." " Hey." " Hey." "Pint?" "Yeah, go on." "Two lagers and..." "do you have pork scratchings?" "No, I always walk this way." "Why don't you grab yourself a groupie from time to time?" " Why don't you?" " You haven't seen my wife." " Is she beautiful?" " No, hideous." "Big." "I mean enormous." "I'm actually quite scared of her." "I mean, as far as I'm concerned, she's a beauty, even if she is a bit bigger than your normal British standard." "She's the business." "And I've said I'd be faithful to her and so far I have been." "Where is she?" " East Timor." " What?" "Yeah." "Indonesia." " You got any kids?" " Nah." "When we get out, then I'll do kids and stuff." "Hey." " 4.60, please." " Cheers, love." " Just going for a piss." " OK." "All right?" "Didn't fancy the finger buffet?" "What's the matter with the chinless wonders?" "They come out of Sandhurst like bloody cartoon characters." "Can I get you a drink?" "Yeah, I'd love one." "Wow!" "You look great, Caroline." " Thanks." " Doesn't she, Jamie?" "Yeah." "I always thought you was a bloke." ""I always thought you was a bloke."" "She's not a bloke." "She's a lady." "Like as bakes cakes." " Have you had a head start on us?" " Happen I have." "What's the problem, mate?" "I'm not your mate." "Come on." " Look what I found in the car park." " Dotsy!" "Ahhhh." "Hello." "You look lovely." "Doesn't he look nice?" " Crème de menthe frappé for the rupert." " Piss off." "I'll have a pint and a game of skittles." "Don't you start." "What?" "Ha!" "You're just not good enough, mate." "Survival of the fittest." " You wanna be the best?" "You wanna reach the holy of holies, the Holy Grail, the greatest regiment in the world?" "But you're just not good enough." "You don't make the grade." "You'll never be a god like me." "There's the RV." "We made good time." "25 minutes to rest up." " Where's Luke?" " Not seen him for an hour or more." " What?" " Why didn't you tell us?" "Because you'd have suggested we stop." "This is SAS selection, not the friggin' Waltons." "He's not up for this." " Where are you going?" " To look for him." "You're stupid." "This is your second go at selection." "Screw this up and that's it, you're a wanker for the rest of your life." "Where are the others?" "They're coming." "Where's my food?" "They've got one minute or they go hungry." "6:02 and no Luke." "No." "All right, we'll deal with that." "Your RV for 0600 tomorrow is... 582739." "Hey, boss, food?" "You deaf?" "You rolled up at 6:02." "Pity, though." "Egg, bacon, sausage." "Not bad, were they?" "You miserable little bastard." "Even the most vermininous creature would've saved something for his mates." "You're not my mates, arsehole." "Where's the next RV?" "Here." "Across the river." "That's great." "That's great." "Jamie." "Hope I'm not disturbing you." "Well, you are." "It's just after six in England." " 'I thought you might be awake.'" " What did you want?" "We've got a man missing." "I'll pick you up at the Shell garage at 0730." " Come on, bring him out of there." " Get him up!" "Come on!" " He can make it up." " Get in the truck!" " Get him on that truck!" "Well done." "Two down, eight to go." "There'll be another three crossing the river soon, so, er... keep an eye out." "Right." "What?" " On my selection, when they found me?" " Of course I told them." "There's no sport if you don't get caught and get a bit of a bee sting." "Plus there's a practical reason." "If Hunter Force don't catch anybody, they get dispirited and give up." " So where's our DOP, then?" " Here." "Make your way along the trail to there." "If I don't hear from you and reception isn't great," "I'll pick you up there in three hours' time." "What?" " He doesn't like water." " I'll be all right." "What?" "You passed the swimming test, we all did." "Kind of walked most of it, actually." "Can't we chance the bridge?" " There could be paras here." " We'll have to cross downstream." "That kind of decides it, doesn't it?" "Jesus, it's friggin' freezing!" "Stick close." "Lifesaving gold medal, me." " Probably be able to walk as you're so..." " Shut up!" "Who's looking after who, eh?" "Come on." " Whoa." "Oh." " Mick." "Swim with the flow, don't fight it!" "Fuck!" "Relax, guys, it's all right." "Oh, shit." "Jesus." "Thanks, mate." "Cheers, "mate"." "Fuck." "Where's Trenty?" "Last I saw he had you clambering all over him." " He's gonna be down river now." " He's not upstream, is he, you muppet?" "Trenty?" "Come on, up you get, gotta keep moving." "Trenty?" "Trenty?" " He's dead, isn't he?" " Do his chest, you muppet!" "Luke!" "It's too bloody early to be chasing after a cripple." "Luke!" "Jamie?" "What are you gonna do about Caroline?" "What are you talking about?" "Oh, come on." "You must know she's all bubbly in the gusset for you." "But if you're not interested, you should let her know." "So Alex can have a stab." " Alex?" " Mm." "He's nuts about her." "Oh, come on, you must have noticed." " I thought her and Henno were..." " Henno?" "No, if anyone's had her, I'd put my money on Dotsy." "But how can Alex?" "I mean, she's a rupert." "Or a ruperta." "Or a rupertess." "Yeah, but you can't have a thing with an officer." "Yeah, you can." "Happens all the time." "Make up your mind if you want it and if you don't, free it up for your mates." "What are you doing, you twat?" " You mad bastard!" " Back off!" " Hurt him and you're dead!" " Jem, you OK?" "You're from the hunting force, yeah?" "And you think we're students?" "Do you really think the army's finest would be caught chatting at the top of their voices like a couple of tossers from Saving Private Ryan?" "You twats!" "A little misunderstanding." "We find Luke?" " No." "You obviously haven't." "Henno." "What?" "Where?" "We'll be ten minutes." "You can come if you want but you'll be off selection." " What?" " You expect us to go on?" "When men get killed in a firefight, we don't just piss off for tea and sympathy." "Do we, Jamie?" "With the helicopter there's gonna be paras everywhere." "Good idea to get moving, then." "Your RV for 0600 is 582739." "Good luck!" " Can we give 'em a lift?" " It's not worth the risk." "If anyone hears about it, they're out." "Did you stash that at breakfast?" "Can you believe this arsehole?" "He won't even share his Lion Bar." "Hey, Louis, welcome to the regiment." " Better get going, mate." " Cheers." "See you later." "Come on!" "Get him up there!" " Have you broken anybody yet?" " Just loosening up." "Well, you'd better." "Believe me." "Henno!" "You reckon drowning?" "He didn't drown." "His neck's broken." "Surely he'd have marks on his face if his neck was broken." " Shit." " What?" "I've seen this before." "That's how you break somebody's neck, it leaves a thumb-shaped bruise." "So somebody's killed him?" "He's been murdered?" "Looks that way, yeah." "Trent's dead, Luke's missing, your mate Mick Sharp is out there somewhere." "It's not Mick." "What about that other bloke, Louis the rat?" "Possibly." "I'm not that interested," "I just want 'em found before the Old Bill gets hold of 'em." "Talking of which..." "All right, Pete, Jamie, Alex." "See if you can pick up their trail." "That's where they were last sighted, that's the 0600 RV." "Jem, Ricky." "Make your way from the DOP to where Luke went missing." "Sergeant Garvie, Inspector Wallace." "Is there somewhere we can talk?" "He was part of a four..." "sorry, three-man team." "We've lost one." "He's lame, probably disorientated." " Are you looking?" " Of course." "He'll probably just show up." " Can I speak to the other two?" " They're out there somewhere." "Then I suggest we should go bring them back." "It's not that easy." "They're trying to evade capture." "They've been trained and they're very good at it but we'll have a go." "What?" "Caroline." "You like her, yeah?" "I don't think that's any of your business." "Yeah, it's not." "Look, don't mind me, yeah?" "As if you're in the picture, you cocky bastard." " What's with you?" " Me?" "Hey." "Pack it in, you two." "You're like a couple of old women." "Let's push on to their RV and see if we can pick up a trail." "Red 3, still no sign, over." "'This is Dotsy in the heli." "'We've just picked up a thermal of three people on 580736.'" "'That's us, Dotsy.'" "'No, we've got you two by the stream, 'these are half a mile west of you.'" "'Would someone remember we are looking for two, not three?" "'" "'Sorry, Henno." "Just trying to help.'" " Four of them started, yeah?" " Yeah." " Wearing the usual ancient boots?" " Yeah." "There's a fifth pair of feet on this track." "Came after." "Brashers." "Hillmaster GTX, £114.99 at Browns." "Saw 'em a mile or so back too." "Hey!" "Luke?" "Bollocks." " Stand in line!" " They're onto us." "Move on!" "Double!" "Keep together." "Paras are making enough noise, aren't they?" " It's Pete here." " 'Henno.'" " There's something odd here." " 'What, Pete?" "'" "Looks like one could've picked up a proper pair of hiking boots." " What are you talking about?" " 'Look..." "'I'm about a mile and a half from the RV." "I've picked up a trail of new... '" "Brashers." "Hillmaster GTX, £114.99 at Browns." " 'How did you guess?" "'" " Stand by, Pete." "What?" "I saw the same boots tracking them 18 miles away." "They're being followed." "Shit." "What exactly is this circus?" "Well, this is the 0600 RV, isn't it?" "They'll hear you from five miles away." "They're probably in a Little Chef on the M5 by now." "Look, if we're gonna catch them, we have to be subtle." "Silent ambush." "'The exercise is over." "Give yourselves up.'" "What is that?" "They're saying that the exercise is over and they are to give themselves up." "And you think they'll believe you?" "Taking into account what you've just said," " no, I don't think so." " We have another problem." "'There's a third man.' 'What?" "'" "'Someone's following them." "He's the killer.'" "Someone's following them..." "Shit!" "'We need medics fast." "Three X-rays headed southwest.'" "We got two men down." "We need medics!" "Three X-rays headed off south-southwest." "One X-ray, the other two are ours." " What the hell was that?" " Dunno." "Someone was shooting." " Is that normal?" " It didn't happen last time." "Let's make our way for the emergency RV." "Come on." "That showed 'em." "King of the jungle, me." "The two or three targets are back in the woods." "One had a sawn-off shotgun." "I've got two men wounded, neither terminal." "Look, I want the wood cleared and every last man off the hills." " This is a police matter now." " Of course." "I want your men to leave." "Now, all right?" "All right, lads." "Any news, report back to me." "That includes you, Sergeant Garvie." "Of course." "I've still got one man in the woods, the rest are on the lorry." "I'd, er..." "I'd grab a lift with him if I was you." "All right, lads!" "Alex, take the Disco back to base, break out some weapons, we'll meet you at Handy Ford." "The rest of us, if nobody objects, will run down an armed man with nothing but our brains." " I'm sure we can manage that." " We need to pick up some sign." "How did he first start following 'em?" "He'd have to be there at the DOP." "He was." "He's on a bike, I saw him." "I even clocked the boots." " He might go back and get it." " He might." "Jem, Ricky, Pete." "Look for bike tracks." " If you do, follow them." " OK." "At least we're in the game." "He's armed, we're not." "Perfect." " I hope you're fit." " Fitter than you." "We'll see." "Bollocks." "You can't hide behind a little bush like that, you loser." "Hey!" "Come on, come to Daddy." "Critchley." "That makes sense." "You sad, sad little man." "Don't." "Henno." "Henno, don't." "There's no point." "All right, Billy?" "Corporal. 9824256." " How are you?" " I'll live." "Anything you do say..." "Critchley, William." "Corporal. 9824256." " If you choose to remain silent..." " Critchley, William..." " He's not gonna remain silent!" " Sergeant!" "I'll deal with him till we're on the ground, which may be sooner than he'd like." " Now, admit you killed 'em!" " Critchley, William." "Corporal. 425..." "Admit it or there's gonna be an accident!" "Admit it, Billy!" "Admit you killed 'em!" " Admit it!" " All right!" "All right!" "I killed 'em!" "Stop it!" " Who is he, Sergeant?" " Billy?" "Billy's a nothing." "A has-been." "In fact, a never-was, aren't you, Billy?" " He was on the last selection, with me." " He failed twice." "That's what this is about, isn't it?" "Rejection." "You don't know what it's like going back to your regiment." "I was good enough!" "You saw down there, I was good enough." "You threw me out like I didn't matter." "You don't matter." "Tell that to the dead guys." "Two seconds at this door and you spilled your guts." "No one in the regiment man cracks like that." "You're not up to it." "And you killed two good men that could've got in." "You're a coward!" "You're shit!" "You're nothing!" "You are right about one thing." "When men like you fail we shouldn't return them to the unit, we should bring them up here and throw 'em out!" " Move it!" " Get off!" "Come on, move it!" "What'll happen to them now?" "36 hours of interrogation, humiliation, sleep deprivation, white noise and violence." "Sounds like breakfast with my kids." " You're cracked, you lot." " Cheers." "You call that a penis?" "It's pathetic." "It's cute, though." "You could pass that off as a chocolate finger." "It's like a button mushroom." "Everyone at school started growing and you stayed like a six-year-old runt!" "He couldn't satisfy a hamster with that cock, no wonder women laugh." "And you're still a small man!" "Very short and unpleasant!" "Napoleon syndrome, isn't that it?" " Stop, stop, enough!" " Failed." "Return to unit." "Orphanage." "No brothers or sisters?" "No mummy to love you?" "Sharp, Corporal. 24996702." "Mother was a whore, was she?" "Got knocked up by some drunken, drooling Scottish sailor for a quick ten-quid knee-trembler?" "Or was she raped?" "Sharp, Corporal. 24996702." " Enjoying yourself?" " Hm?" "No, not particularly." "Just remembering what it was like when it was my turn." "You see, I decided to build this house in my head, to keep my mind occupied." "That's what a mate of mine had done, said it had worked." "There was only one problem." "He'd been a builder and I knew jack about houses." "Had mine finished in 15 minutes." "So what did you do for the other 35 hours?" "Pretended I'd died." "Yeah, I did that." "I told her if she didn't break him, I'd have her returned to her unit." "And she believed you?" "Insecure people are very suggestible." "Is she insecure?" "Only cos she's not a bloke." "She's intelligent, tough, well-balanced." "So she decided to take on the impossible and try and hack it as a woman inside the regiment." "I'm well impressed." "No wedding ring." "You queer." "Sharp, Corporal. 24996702." "That little chap you came in with." "Your boyfriend, is he?" "He's in a nice, warm bath now." "Cup of cocoa with brandy in it." "Bacon sarnie." "You'd like that, would you?" "A nice, hot bath with your boyfriend?" " Mick Sharp..." " Mick?" "We're getting intimate, are we?" "You went into the woods with two of your mates." "Two men who depended upon you!" "And they both end up dead!" "That upset you, does it?" "The fact that you let your mates down?" "You're not good enough." "Are you up for another 16 hours of this?" "You reckon you can handle another 16 hours?" "Sharp, Corporal. 2499670..." "Oh, just do us all a favour and give up!" "You're not good enough!" "You let your mates down." "And we do not have disloyal wankers like you in the regiment!" "I'm sorry." "You've come a long way." "You've worked hard." "It's nothing personal." "I'm afraid... you're in." "I'm in?" "So whatever else happens now, I made it, I'm in?" "Whatever." "I'll give you that." "Cos now you belong to me." "You got three good lads there." "You got a thirst?" "You buying?"