Seconds later, the ramp opened and concussion waves blasted the downed shuttle’s hull. The bodies of the Dedrus investigators splashed down in the basin. None survived.
Mace hopped down to the hull and stepped off into the cabin. After placing the bomb, a short walk across the basin bottom had him exiting by the Jefferson Memorial. The three officers looking out at the shuttle were sent flipping and rolling across the grass. Mace hopped onto a lowered ramp and walked back into the cabin.
“Give us some separation and I’ll do the deed.”
A white hot explosion scattered bits of the gatrellium-covered hull in a thousand directions.
Mace said, “Find the force that crossed the Potomac. We have a few extra of these. I want to see what they’ll do if dropped from this ship.”
Johnny said, “They won’t survive hitting the ground.”
Mace nodded. “I know. I plan on setting them off a few meters above the ground.”
“Think you can be accurate enough with that strategy?”
Mace replied, “If I’m not, then we’ve only wasted one bomb. Jeff plans on having more of these once we get back.”
The horde of Dedrus fighters that had gone north were closing in on the outskirts of Baltimore. Stark’s men were making a stand in the woods surrounding the old Baltimore-Washington Parkway. It looked their fallback would be a final stand at the interchange with I-195. Twenty thousand Humans were dug in and waiting, having soundly defeated the Dedrus force at Baltimore-Washington International the week before.
Fighting erupted as the Dedrus troops advanced on the interchange at Pitcher Memorial Highway. A thousand rifles opened up on the first of the kilometers-long column to arrive. Soldiers jerked and fell, stunned and bruised, but their battlesuits held. A second volley less than a minute later saw several hundred more fall. As the third group of Dedrus regulars came forward, the first two sets began collecting themselves. Instead of moving toward the rear, they fanned out to the sides to continue the advance.
Mace said, “Place us directly above that pack and open the ramp facing toward our troops.”
As the ramp lowered, Mace walked down to the end.
Johnny said, “Man, you need to come back for a tether. That is senseless.”
Mace held out a bomb as he stared straight downward. After several seconds of judging his position to be good, the bomb was released. Eight seconds later it approached the ground and detonated. Fifty Dedrus soldiers fell under the concussion wave that was created. Mace walked back up the ramp as it closed.
Johnny commented. “Unless we have a thousand of those it’s not gonna do us much good.”
Mace nodded. “We don’t have any good alternatives.”
The Targarian pilot offered a suggestion. “Mr. Hardy? What if we use the ship as a ram?”
Mace replied, “I don’t follow.”
The pilot continued, “I fly in along the highway at a meter off the surface. Any soldiers standing in the way will be decapitated.”
Johnny asked, “Will our shields hold up to hitting that much mass?”
The pilot replied, “At these atmospheric speeds, certainly.”
Johnny frowned. “How was it that other fighter that rammed us did damage?”
The pilot shrugged. “Perhaps with its mass and speed? Perhaps because it was a hard mass where those soldiers will be soft?”
Mace said, “It’s worth a shot. Take us back ten kilometers and come at them from behind.”
Johnny said, “The back of that column is made up of those light tanks. We hit those and we take damage.”
The pilot replied, “I can lift just over those before impacting the column.”
Mace nodded. “Make it happen, Captain. What is your name, by the way?”
“Durrok Furke,” replied the Targarian pilot.
“Captain Furke, take us around. Let’s see what kind of damage we can do.”
The shuttle sped back to just south of Laurel before sweeping around and cruising along at five meters above the ground at four hundred kilometers per hour. The light tanks at the rear of the column quickly came into view. As the shuttle slid past, a strong wash of air followed, rocking the vehicles as they rolled along.
Durrok Furke pushed down ever so slightly on the joystick in his right hand. The shuttle dipped into the column of marching soldiers; bodies were ripped in half and scattered. The sensor cameras went green with Dedrus blood.
The Targarian pilot pulled up on the stick.
“What happened?” Johnny asked.
The Targarian sighed. “I cannot safely fly without visual.”
The back-facing camera told of the effectiveness of the strategy. Fifteen hundred Dedrus regulars had been wiped out in only a second.
Johnny said, “We need windshield wipers or what?”
Mace nodded. “The Pawtuxet River is over to our left. Take us in for a dip. See if we can clear up those cameras.”
The shuttle banked left, dropping to a few hundred meters before taking a slow run down into the waiting water. When she emerged, the forward camera views had cleared.
Mace pointed. “Take us back around for another run. If they’re dumb enough to stay on the road they deserve what’s coming.”
A second run provided results similar to the first. Nearly two thousand Dedrus soldiers were taken from the fight. A third run using the same strategy would not present itself. The soldiers marching on the roadway moved down into the tree line on either side of the parkway.
Durrok Furke moved back to the front of the column. where the fight could be observed from a kilometer up.
“Wow,” said Mace. “They are pushing right through that interchange. Stark’s men are already pulling back from both sides.”
Johnny said, “What bothers me is they haven’t even used their weapons. They’re just taking their beating and continuing on.”
Durrok said, “Mr. Hardy, the light tanks are advancing.”
Mace flipped the display over his arm pad until it faced down the highway going south. “Two minutes until they arrive. What can we do?”
Johnny said, “We could go in slow and push them off the road.”
Durrok turned the shuttle to face the onrushing light tanks. Ahead of them, bodies on the roadway were flying into the air for no apparent reason.
“Mr. Hardy… behind the tanks… I think it may be Mr. Stark.”
Mace yelled, “Take us up!”
Durrok’s reaction was too slow. They jerked wildly as a second shuttle collided with them and they spun out of control. Mace and the others were thrown violently around the cockpit. Warning lights flashed and alarms buzzed as the cabin began to fill with smoke. Durrok Furke did his best to right the ship just before it crashed into the roof of a former soda bottling company that sat just off the highway.
The ramp opened upward and dust and debris fell into the cabin. The shuttle was upside down.
Durrok Furke was the first to move, unlatching his belt and dropping to the ceiling. A rattled and confused Jane was helped to her feet and led to the open ramp. A five meter jump had her on the concrete floor of the facility, her battlesuit making the long drop possible. Twisted metal trusses and sheet steel showed a hole above into the bright sunny sky.
Durrok returned, assisting Jenny, then Johnny, and then Mace.
After hopping down to the ground, he said, “We should go.”
Mace nodded as he nursed a bruised and bleeding leg.
Chapter 22
*
Jane said, “Johnny… your holo-projector, is it off?”
Johnny checked on his arm pad. “It is now. Permanently.
Mace said, “We need to make our way back to the cave.”
Johnny glanced back at the shuttle. “We need to blow her. And we should take those other bombs and any supplies we can carry with us.”
Mace looked up as smoke poured out of the open ramp. “Can you make that jump?”
Durrok Furke stepped forward. Using the ad
ded abilities built into his battlesuit, he leapt perfectly up and into the doorway of the shuttle.
Johnny shook his head. “The boy’s gonna take all the glory.”
Durrok appeared back in the door. “Four of the five remaining bombs are intact. The fifth is damaged.”
Mace said, “Toss it down with the others. Activate one of the good ones and leave it.”
Johnny patted Fatso Geerok on the shoulder. “For an old man you just keep on going. No bumps or bruises?”
Geerok replied, “We teach our soldiers to relax. You are more likely to sustain injury if you remain rigid.”
Johnny chuckled. “Hardly had time to think about it.”
Geerok nodded. “Hence the need for training.”
Several minutes later, the group walked away from their transport.
Johnny looked around at the machinery as they headed for an exit. “Wish this line was running. I could use a little caffeine boost.”
Jane laughed. “Caffeine? Why? This action not exiting enough to keep you awake?”
Johnny smiled. “Well, I guess I would have to say it is.”
A short walk had the group through a parking lot and looking at a high fence. Mace lifted his glove. The chain link clanged and rattled as two poles were forced over to the ground. The five survivors walked across and into the woods as the bomb in the shuttle was detonated.
Four of Stark’s men stepped out in front of them. “You’ll want to come with us.”
A lieutenant raised an old military radio to his mouth. “We have them.”
A voice replied, “How many?”
“Six. Four Humans, and I believe the others are Targarian and Mawga.”
The voice replied, “Bring them to the interchange as quickly as possible.”
“Can you run? Barns, Wier… get over here. Bring me five bodies to carry their gear.”
Mace shook his head. “We’ll hang onto it if it’s all the same to you, Lieutenant.”
The lieutenant replied, “Gonna be a fast march for two miles.”
Mace nodded. “We’ll keep up.”
The lieutenant and three escorts moved through the woods out onto the grassy shoulder of the parkway before hustling up to the pavement. A fast jog was undertaken to the sound of gunfire and laser bursts flickering overhead.
Johnny glanced at Mace as they ran. “Wonder why they’re just now using those?”
A burst came over the lieutenant’s radio as he jogged. “The tanks are pushing forward.”
A second voice replied, “Deploy the TOW’s.”
Mace asked, “You have TOW missiles?”
The lieutenant nodded. “TOW’s, Javelins, RPG’s. We have a full range of munitions available, but supplies are limited. They aren’t making any more of them.”
“You have any Stingers?”
The lieutenant nodded. “About half a dozen.”
Mace said, “They have a single fighter left. We destroyed the others. Take out that fighter and the skies are clear.”
The lieutenant passed the information along. The group approached a checkpoint just short of the interchange and were waved through. The contingent stopped short of a rise that went up and over a rail line. An engine and five cars were parked under the bridge.
Mace asked as they left the roadway, “You have a functioning train?”
The lieutenant nodded. “One of many. If there are ships in the sky we don’t move. You’ll also find several thousand ATV’s, motorcycles, and trailers in the woods surrounding here. Most of the vehicles in the complex just over the trees there are functional. If we can hold them on their approach to here, that’s our way out.”
“You fall back to Baltimore?”
“No, sir. We head up I-695 and then east on I-70. After that it’s down I-81. The king has decreed that your cave complex in West Virginia will be our new headquarters. We’ll be staging all operations out of there.”
Johnny said, “Nice of him to ask.”
The group came to a stop beside the train tracks. Malcom Stark stood in the doorway to a passenger car, his right arm heavily bandaged.
Mace sighed, “You nearly killed us all back there.”
Stark replied, “What were the odds of the two invisible craft on this planet being in that location? Anyway, I’m glad you survived. We’ll need your help to fight this war.”
“How bad is the arm?”
Stark frowned. “Broken in three places. Now if you’ll come aboard we can get moving. I have a convoy waiting to take us back to the cave.”
As Mace stepped aboard the train he took note of the only other passenger in the car. A tall, dark-skinned man sat in the first row of seats. The man stared intently at the new passengers as they each walked by to take up a seat.
Stark stopped next to the dark man. “Mr. Hardy… others… I’d like to introduce you to George Stanislaw.”
Stark took a deep breath. “He’s the brains behind all our operations. All the planning, the negotiations, every action we take. Mr. Stanislaw is the true king. I am but a figurehead, a spokesman. And I must insist for security purposes that this information stays on this train. You will not speak of Mr. Stanislaw or of anything you learn here today.”
“Wait…” said Johnny. “You’re saying you aren’t even in charge?”
Stark nodded. “As I said, I am the spokesman. I am the face of the kingdom. Mr. Stanislaw designs our strategies and gives me the orders to disseminate.”
Johnny shook his head. “Well, I give you credit for keeping the lid on that little secret.”
Mace said, “We may have a problem when we reach the cave. Jasper Collins is there. He’s not very fond of you.”
Stark replied, “I will deal with Mr. Collins directly. He will see the need for cooperation.”
Stark sat, gesturing toward Stanislaw. “George will take all questions or comments from here. The pain medications I have been given are beginning to take their toll.”
George Stanislaw stood as the train began to slowly move forward. “We have much to discuss, Mr. Hardy. In fourteen minutes we will be making another stop. You will be changing modes of transportation to a caravan of armored personnel carriers and Abrams tanks.”
Johnny said, “You have tanks? Why haven’t we seen them in use?”
George grasped the edge of the seat beside him to maintain his balance. “What good are they against an enemy with warships? They’re deathtraps if the enemy controls the air.”
“How many do you have?”
George leaned against a seatback. “Nearly four hundred.”
Jenny said, “I don’t suppose you have any Apaches, do you?”
George nodded. “Fourteen that are airworthy.”
“Why aren’t you putting them to use?” Johnny asked.
George Stanislaw stepped into the aisle. “Up until now we didn’t know the enemy’s strength in the air. Their single fighter is vastly superior to what we have. Our Stingers are only handheld. The air-to-air units were all used up much earlier. I won’t order an Apache up unless we have Stinger support on the ground.”
Johnny said, “Why aren’t you engaging that column with tanks?”
George slowly walked up and down the aisle. “The column advancing behind us is about to be introduced to our Abrams force. There are twenty-four M1A2’s waiting in those woods. When they’re halfway to the interchange we just left, those tanks, along with our TOW and Javelin forces, will engage. I expect it to be a hard fight, but one that will cost the Dedrus dearly. I anticipate they will prevail, but the cost will be such that it severely slows any future operations.
“What about the other two columns of Dedrus?”
George stopped, placing his long slender fingers atop Mace’s seatback. “We have a force assembling just north of Richmond. Again, my hope is to slow their progress until such time as we can assemble the forces needed for an assault. Garrisons across the south are assembling in Atlanta for a push north to meet the Richmond column.
Mace gestured back toward where they had left from. “That column… you have enough forces here in the Northeast to defeat it?”
“The remainder of our northeast contingent will make a stand at New York, and a final stand at Boston if necessary. I’m afraid both cities may have to be sacrificed as the other two columns are dealt with. If we fail in the northeast, our southern and Midwest forces, should they survive, will be brought in to deal with them.”
Johnny said, “You have two dozen M1’s back there. Those are foot soldiers. You should be able to mop the highway with them.”
George shook his head. “Unfortunately our armor is not effective against their laser weapons. A handful of strikes will penetrate a hull. Once the cockpit is exposed, a single strike cooks the entire crew.”
Mace asked, “What happened to the laser weapons we provided you with that came from the Hoorka?”
“They have been deployed and the charges for them used. They were only mildly effective against the battlesuits we’re seeing out here. The defense of the Dedrus units far exceeds the power of the Hoorka weapons.”
Mace sighed. “We overheard some of the Dedrus talking. These aren’t even their elite troops. Those are off fighting some other war. This is their second line, the regular troops. The originals were their reserves, almost more policemen than warriors.”
George asked, “Your method of defeating their ships… does it remain operational?”
Mace hesitated before offering a response. “Yes. It’s currently in use back in the Dedrus colonies, seeing to it that they don’t send any more ships or troops. And if you are wondering if it could be used here, it can’t. As with all wormholes, they don’t function well in a gravitational field.”
HADRON Emergent Page 22
