Shadow of great britain

"Report!"

"Enter."

Office of the Commissioner of Police Intelligence, Greater London Police, Westminster, London.

Arthur looked at the man in front of him who was sitting upright on a chair with a scar hanging from the corner of his eye. The wound in the same area made him feel a sense of inexplicable kindness.

For Scotland Yard's senior police officers, having served in the Army was nothing unusual.

The police officer sitting opposite Arthur also retired from the Army, but unlike those retired police officers from the Cavalry Guards or Grenadier Regiment, his presence in Scotland Yard was very thin.

even……

His old unit was looked down upon by some Scotland Yard officers, despite their record.

The 95th Royal Rifles, a unit born in 1800, was also the first unit in the British Army to be equipped with Baker rifles.

They served as marines in General Horatio Nelson's Copenhagen Expedition, which helped the Royal Navy destroy all Danish naval power.

During the Peninsular War, during the most difficult period for the British Army when its coach, the Duke of Wellington, returned home to stand trial, the 95th Royal Rifles were used by the new coach, Sir John Moore, as a rear guard to cover the main army's retreat to Corunna.

At that time, French Marshal Ney ordered the light cavalry brigade of the Sixth Army under his command to pursue the fleeing British army, and the soldiers of the 95th Royal Rifles Regiment wearing green jackets who were responsible for the rear responded with a dense cross-fire net.

Not only did they successfully repel the pursuing French cavalry, but the regiment's sharpshooter Thomas Plunkett also successfully killed the French cavalry commander General Auguste de Kolbet from 300 yards away.

What's even more dramatic is that in order to prove that his shot was not blind, this guy shot down another French trumpeter who went to rescue General Kolbet.

Both shots were to the head, proving Plunkett's strength.

Perhaps for modern snipers, using two rifle heads at a distance of 300 yards is just a basic skill.

However, in the 19th century, limited by the technical conditions at the time, most countries only required a qualified soldier to be able to shoot a target within 70 yards under good firearms and weather conditions. An excellent shooter should be able to shoot at a target within 70 yards. It can hit even 100 yards.

If a soldier can still hit the target at a distance of 150 yards, it means that he usually loves God very much, which is why he is so lucky during the war.

And if a soldier fires at a distance of 200 yards...

According to the general view of generals from various countries: this behavior is almost the same as shooting at the moon.

Precisely because the accuracy of firearms is very poor, countries generally use line tactics composed of three rows of soldiers to make up for the lack of accuracy with intensive firepower. Rather than accuracy, they pursue the speed of shooting and the soldiers facing a hail of bullets. The courage and discipline to not back down.

The 95th Royal Rifles, nicknamed the "Green Jackets", formed in Yorkshire, is a strange force that bucks the trend. They rarely advance in a line formation, but prefer to disperse and occupy high points and attack on favorable terrain. ambush.

If placed in other countries, such troops would certainly not be reused.

But fortunately, their fighting habits were very suitable to the temper of the Duke of Wellington, who was good at defensive warfare.

During the Battle of Waterloo, the 95th Royal Rifles participated in the battles that broke out at Four Arms and La Haye Saint. After paying the casualties of 35 officers and 482 soldiers, they successfully completed their defense mission.

After the Battle of Waterloo, in order to commend their achievements, the Duke of Wellington officially changed the designation of the 95th Royal Rifles to the Army Rifle Brigade of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

But even though this unit has a remarkable record and is highly regarded by the Duke of Wellington, they have always been unpopular with other brother units in the army.

Because in the eyes of other troops, lining up to be shot and facing off head-on is the romance of soldiers. Hiding in a tunnel on the top of a mountain and firing a black gun is simply a despicable act.

The Battle of Fontenoy, a battle between Britain and France in 1745, is the best proof of this idea.

At that time, the British army coach Sir Charles Hay politely expressed his kindness to the French army coach Count Antroches before the war started: "French gentlemen, please fire the first shot."

Count Antroches also responded in a very gentlemanly manner: "We French people never do this, but all the English gentlemen should go first."

In this way, the two armies fought for half an hour over who would shoot first.

In the end, the British could not temper the enthusiasm of the French, so they accepted the enemy's gentlemanly invitation and took the lead in firing.

The French gentleman's first response to the British bullets was that five hundred people in the French array fell to the ground.

However, this did not affect the final outcome of the Battle of Fontenoy, and the French gentlemen won the battle.

The British reporter who learned of this incident sadly wrote this in the newspaper - whether it was a military or spiritual perspective, the French had a great victory over Britain this time.

And with a classic case like the Battle of Fontenoy in front of it, it is no wonder that the 95th Royal Rifles became infamous.

Not only will they be attacked by enemy fire, they will also be covered by their own 'fire'.

People within the army have always ridiculed their fighting methods. Honest people will not be like hunters, wearing green jackets, hiding in the woods, quietly approaching the enemy, and using precise snipers to hunt down the enemy. The 95th Royal Rifles is a force that can only survive on the battlefield. It is a dirty force with no sense of formal combat. It is a force with record but no honor.

Even Mr. Thomas Plunkett, the marksman who killed French General Kolbet, did not receive the honor commensurate with his achievements.

After the sniper incident, the generals of the British Army even came forward many times to deny that the Army intentionally shot General Kolbe, and also expressed regret for his death.

General Charles Stevens publicly stated: "All of us who witnessed this incident were deeply saddened. Kolbe was a man of extraordinary courage. Alas...but this is the destiny of war."

Few people in Britain care about the performance of the 95th Rifles, and no one affirms their honor.

However, there is one exception, and that is their fellow Yorkist Mr. Arthur Hastings.

Mr. Hastings understands that marksman Thomas Plunkett officially retired from service eight years after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

After retiring, he first started a small business with the modest bounty he received for killing Kolbe, but due to poor management, he could not sustain it for a short time.

After the establishment of Scotland Yard in 1828, he came to serve in the Metropolitan Police Department. He currently works in the Paddington branch of the West End of London. His police rank is neither particularly high nor particularly low. He carries the title of sergeant with three V's on his shoulders. That’s all.

All in all, this title is within the scope of Arthur's power.

So, today he appeared in Arthur's office.

If others didn't say it, no one would think that the middle-aged man in his forties, already showing signs of baldness, with a red wine halo on his face, slightly fat and out of shape, and the famous sharpshooter Plunkett were in front of him. Connected together.

But in Arthur's opinion, this is a standard sharpshooter body shape, just like that of his friend Alexandre Dumas.

Plunkett looked at the young man in front of him and didn't know what to say.

Arthur Hastings, a man of the hour at Scotland Yard, a police star who climbed to the position of Assistant Superintendent at the age of 22.

But what does this have to do with him?

Plunkett asked: "Sir, the situation in the Paddington branch has not been good recently, but it is not as bad as expected. At least our situation is much more stable than in the East District. If you are looking for me about those who attacked the congressman's house, We are currently investigating the thugs and have deployed additional police patrols to key areas.

There is only so much we can do with the resources we currently have at hand. I applied for assistance from the department before, but the Criminal Investigation Department said that this is not a criminal case, so it is not under their control. They also said that subordinate police departments should not always think about asking for resources from the department. If you are fair in dealing with things, you can't always try to find trouble for us. "

Arthur heard Plunkett's complaint, smiled and waved his hand: "Thomas, don't get me wrong, I am no longer responsible for criminal investigation. Moreover, I have no intention of causing trouble for you. Public security issues are now handled directly by Director Luo Wan. However, I have received your feedback. I will convey it to him tactfully at the next high-level police meeting. After all, I am also a front-line patrol officer, and I know your opinions. Difficulty."

When Plunkett heard this, he first expressed his gratitude, and then couldn't help but complain: "Sir, as you said, you are from a front-line background, so you should know how difficult it is for us to do it. In the past, The police officer found that something was wrong, and it was commonplace for him to use his gun.

And now? Let alone guns, under normal circumstances they won't even let us carry knives. If we are unlucky and happen to encounter a gangster committing murder, we will only have a stick to use. They gave the stick a good name - the Civilization Stick. This is indeed a weapon that can only be used against civilized people, but most gangsters are not very civilized. "

Arthur raised his eyebrows when he heard this and asked with a smile: "In other words, you want to use a gun?"

"I……"

Plunkett realized something was wrong when he was mid-sentence. He changed the topic and said with a smile: "Don't take it to heart, sir, I'm just complaining. As for the internal affairs regulations, our police officers at Paddington Division still strictly enforce them." .”

Arthur stood up and took out the wine glass and bottle from the wine cabinet: "No, Thomas, I don't want to criticize your words. Scotland Yard does not have the rule of using words to punish crimes, and in a sense, I think what you said is also Not wrong. But we must also note that when Sir Robert Peel established Scotland Yard, his original intention was to reduce violence in law enforcement while maintaining social order. Against those vicious gangsters, high-definition weapons must be used. standard of force, but the people using that firepower against them shouldn't be police officers, but something else."

As soon as he said this, Plunkett's heart suddenly rose to his throat.

He thought Arthur said this because he wanted to fire him.

Plunkett hurriedly stood up and saluted: "Sir, I absolutely support the decision made in the hall. Some of the words are just complaints in casual chat, they cannot be taken seriously!"

Arthur smiled and handed him a glass of wine, then walked around and opened the display cabinet behind the desk.

Before Plunkett could figure out what was going on, he saw a rifle snap in front of him.

Arthur took a sip of wine and raised his head to show him: "Thomas, I have heard about your deeds a long time ago. You are an expert in this field. Please help evaluate this gun."

Plunkett glanced at the gun with wide eyes, then looked at Arthur, and then he doubtfully picked up the gun.

He first checked whether the gun was loaded, then he raised the barrel and raised his eyes to the muzzle: "Rifled gun? It's the same as the Baker rifle I used before. The advantage of this gun is its accuracy. , but the disadvantage is that it takes longer to load than the standard smoothbore gun, and it is also troublesome to clean. If it is not cleaned for a long time, the grooves in the barrel will be blocked by dirt, and the bullet will not be able to hit the correct position, and it will easily It has to explode."

Arthur leaned on the corner of the desk with a wine glass and asked: "If you were asked to choose, would you prefer a rifled gun or a musket?"

Plunkett almost blurted out: "It's still a rifled gun. Failure to clean it is not a problem with the gun, but a problem with the people. Take the Baker rifles equipped by the 95th Regiment and the Brown Bess muskets equipped on a large scale by other army units. Let’s give an example.

If I use a Brown Bess musket, I can't guarantee accuracy beyond 100 yards. But if you give me a Baker, sir, I'm not bragging, I can hit any target within 200 yards, including running cavalry. Although 300 yards is slightly more difficult than 200 yards, it is not a big problem.

Only 400 to 500 yards is the most challenging level. At this distance, I will only shoot at targets of sufficient value, and to hit him, I need better weather, not too much wind, and enough sunshine to allow me to see clearly. Also, my target had to be stationary and facing me head-on. "

Being able to explain the shooting difficulty of targets at various distances in such detail is enough to illustrate Plunkett's strength.

Moreover, his words are not just nonsense. He has actually killed a moving cavalry at a distance of 300 yards, and he was also a cavalry general.

Arthur asked: "Of course the Baker is an outstanding firearm, but if compared with the gun you have, which one do you think is better?"

Plunkett looked at the gun up and down, dismantling and removing the hammer. After a long time, he shook his head: "Sir, to be honest, I don't think this gun can be compared with the Baker. Although I still I have not tested this gun, but I have never seen a revolver drum installed on a rifle. I guess the sealing of this gun must not be very good, so it is easy to explode, and such a structure will also affect its Shooting stability.

More importantly, as a mature firearm, the Baker type has many accessories that can be installed and removed independently, such as adjustable rear sights and so on. At that time, almost all our brothers in the 95th Regiment installed accessories according to their own habits. You may think that these gadgets are of little use, but for me, without the assistance of these accessories, I would not be able to travel at such a long distance. Hit the enemy. "

Arthur nodded slightly when he heard the words: "No, Thomas, what you said makes sense. I am now starting to feel a little glad that I talked about these things with you today. After all, you are the real sharpshooter who has been on the battlefield. From other people's mouths, You don’t get these valuable experiences.”

Plunkett scratched his head: "Speaking of which, sir, what do you want to do with these firearms? The Ministry of Internal Affairs has such strict control over our Scotland Yard firearms. From last year to this year, a total of 300 items were approved. They are all old products that have been retired from the army. Even if you master this aspect, they will not allow Scotland Yard to develop their own guns!"

Arthur waved his hand gently: "Thomas, this is not Scotland Yard's plan, but a little thing I made myself. And I don't expect the Ministry of the Interior to approve Scotland Yard's large-scale deployment of guns. A special department will be set up within the Intelligence Bureau to handle some difficult police cases."

"Special department?"

Plunkett took a deep breath: "You mean, this department is equipped with guns on a large scale?"

"It's not a large-scale deployment of guns, but a deployment of guns to all personnel." Arthur said with a smile: "In special circumstances, a rifled rifle with a long range will be used, but under normal circumstances, this one in my waist will suffice."

Having said this, Arthur also took off the Colt M-1831 Hastings revolver from the holster and handed it to Plunkett's hand.

Plunkett's eyes just stared at the gun, and he couldn't move it immediately: "You mean, such a gun...everyone has one hand? Oh my god! Is the hammer gold-plated?" How much does a gun like this cost?”

Arthur smiled and replied: "It's not particularly expensive, and the Police Intelligence Bureau always gives preferential treatment to our agents. It's just a twenty-pound customized revolver."

"Twenty pounds?"

Plunkett's head was spinning when he heard the price. It was equivalent to more than half a year's salary of an ordinary police officer.

Arthur said: "Thomas, don't be surprised. We equip riflemen like you with such high-standard equipment not because of the generosity of the Intelligence Agency, but because you are worth the price."

"Riflemen like us?"

When Plunkett heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little hot. At the same time, he was even a little moved.

This was the first time in his life that he received such courtesy.

When facing the enemy, they riflemen often found themselves stabbed with bayonets because everyone believed that riflemen had no right to plead for a dignified death.

When facing those friendly forces, cynicism has become commonplace.

He chose to retire because he couldn't stand it. When Scotland Yard was established, those guys whose records and achievements were far less than theirs could legitimately occupy the position of police inspector in Scotland Yard.

But a legendary rifleman like him could only get the position of sergeant.

The famous Plunkett is like this, let alone the other brothers who retired from the Rifle Regiment.

"You...you mean...if I understand correctly, you want us to work for the Police Intelligence Bureau?"

"It's not a desire, but an invitation." Arthur said with a smile: "You have the right to refuse, but for the sake of the majority of London citizens, I still hope that you and other sharpshooters can agree to serve as the eighth officer of the Police Intelligence Bureau. At the same time, I also hope that you can help improve the rifle in your hand. After all, this is the weapon you will use in the future."

"The eighth branch?" Plunkett was stunned for a moment: "But I remember that the Police Intelligence Bureau only has seven branches?"

Arthur and Plunkett clinked glasses: "According to official documents, it is like this. The eighth office does not exist, so your positions and ranks will also be attached to the other seven offices. But that is Because it does not exist, I prefer to call the eighth place Ghost, ghost. It does not exist, but it is everywhere. At least when we need it, it should exist."

"Ghost Team?"

Plunkett tasted it carefully, but before he could recover, he heard Arthur speaking again.

"Thomas, are you willing to take on the responsibility of leading the Ghosts?"

Plunkett did not hesitate at all. He stood at attention, saluted, and said excitedly: "I...sir, I am willing! But, I still have a question!"

"what is the problem?"

Plunkett pondered for a while, then suddenly said: "I want to know, what are your requirements for us?"

"Requirement? In most cases, you must cooperate with the actions of the fifth branch."

Arthur swung his wine glass and said, "For this matter, you go and talk to Ledley King, the director of the fifth branch, and he will tell you the details."

Plunkett nodded, and then asked: "What about special circumstances?"

"Special circumstances?" Arthur chuckled softly. He pointed at the scar at the corner of his eye and said, "I hope you will at least be more professional than this."

Arthur originally thought that Plunkett would hesitate, but unexpectedly, the sharpshooter was not afraid. Instead, he twitched his lips and said with a grin: "Sir, if this is all, then don't worry. The purpose of the 95th Regiment is Concealment, precision and efficiency. In doing this, we are not professionals, but professionals.”