Mercenary

by Dennis Young

  “Shit! Bird One just about took our heads off!” Briggs’s voice was nearly a scream.

  Mac chuckled, then hit the comm button. “Briggs, OpCom in thirty seconds.”

  “Copy. Fuck…”

  “You can do this, Briggs,” said Talice.

  “Firing,” came Abie’s voice. Bird One shuddered, then again. “Targets destroyed. Ascending.”

  “Take out that other gate!” Talice hung on to the corner of the TacOps control board.

  “Copy… turning.” Bird One banked violently, then shuddered again. “Target destroyed. Screens are clear, no enemy airborne in sight, no missiles. We’re ascending, unless you’ve got something else you want me to shoot at.”

  Talice shook her head. “No, I want you to follow the ATVs, and as soon as they approach their entry point, pivot, hover, and drop the deployment ramp.”

  Mac glanced up at her quickly.

  “Okay, boss, but what the hell?”

  “Mr. Evans and I are going in with the troops.”

  * * *

  They watched the screens as the team moved out, accelerating for the ruined gates. Briggs ordered the ATVs to head for the center gap, closest to the target buildings. Nemesis survivors from Bird One’s bombardment rallied and peppered them with small-arms fire.

  “Abie, cover fire! Keep those elements pinned down while our ATVs hit the wall!”

  Again, Bird One shuddered with Hellbore fire.

  Mac directed the drones above the wall, dropping grenades to clear the path for Briggs’s command. “That’s two each, I’ve got one left per drone.”

  “Team One, Cover One, go! Team Two and Cover Two, hold up at the wall and provide suppressing fire!”

  “You hold that mike any tighter, you’ll break it,” Evans observed.

  Talice nodded, set down the microphone, and activated her headset. “Mac, put this on speaker so we can hear what’s going on.”

  The speaker roared to life with the sounds of battle. Mac lowered the volume quickly, then took the drones out of range, zoomed in with the cameras, and watched.

  “Approaching Building A, no further resistance.”

  “Team Two, Cover Two, proceed at your discretion. Stay safe.” Talice switched to shipcom. “Abie, get us in close to the wall, and once our team is clear, rake it again. Then hover, pivot, and lower the ramp.”

  “Got it. Hang on.”

  Bird One dropped, accelerated, and shuddered as the Hellbores cut loose once more. Then slowed, turned a one-eighty, and chill air filled the ship as the ramp lowered. “Down! Get out before they find the range and send a fucking missile up our ass!”

  Talice slapped Evans on the shoulder. “Go! Get out, hit the deck, then wait for my order to move!”

  Evans ran down the ramp and out into the cold. He slid, fell, and rolled to a stop. Talice followed, ducked as the ramp rose above them, then was blown about as Bird One rose on thrusters. The ice below them cracked and shattered for twenty meters around.

  Abie’s voice was clear in Talice’s helmet receiver. “Clear. Ascending to fifty kilometers.”

  “Hold at twenty!” Talice raised her head, looking around. Evans was ten meters away and gave a thumbs-up. “We’re down and in one piece. We need cover fire as we head for the wall.”

  “There’s damn little wall left!”

  “Where’s the fire coming from?”

  A pause. “Towers west and east, auto-feeders.”

  “Take them out, advise when they’re neutralized.”

  Bird One passed overhead. The Hellbores fired again. From the outside, they sounded like rumbling thunder. Talice glanced to the west as the tower blossomed into fire and disintegrated. Then the east one followed.

  “Done! What else you want me to shoot at?”

  “Rise to twenty, if it’s not clear, go to fifty. Stay on the line.”

  “Copy that. Ascending to twenty. Woops!”

  Two missiles rose from somewhere in the compound. Bird One climbed, dodged, veered, and rose again. The starboard minigun fired, and one missile flashed into hot junk. Bird One accelerated, nearly straight up. The second missile followed, then exploded as the port minigun found the range.

  “Fucking great shooting!” Talice took a breath, then rose to one knee. Evans did the same. “Head for the wall, stay low, don’t run in a straight line!”

  Evans ran and Talice followed. No one fired at them before they reached the remains of the center gate. They paused, panting.

  “We’re going to run into an ambush somewhere along the line. Mac, are you with us? We need drone cover.”

  “I’ve got you. Head north twenty meters, then turn left at the side street. Watch the windows north. I’ve got them in my sights, and when you’re at the corner, I’ll rake with my 10mm drone.”

  “Copy.” Talice looked to Evans, imagining his face behind his darkened visor. “Stay low, keep your gun and head moving side to side. If you see anything at all, shoot first and ask questions later. Short, controlled bursts, two seconds max. These guns fire ten rounds a second. Magazines hold a hundred.” She switched channels. “Briggs, report.”

  “Firefight. Nothing serious.”

  Talice could hear the sharp full-auto reports of pulse rifles. “Building A is your priority, I’m headed for C.”

  “What? Where the hell are you?”

  “Couple hundred meters behind you. Focus, big guy.”

  “Hua. Stay safe.”

  Talice took a one-second look around the corner and found three targets. “Mac, you’re right, north wall, looks like third story. Check the roof, too.”

  “Copy, targeting. Give me a three second countdown before you take off.”

  Talice looked back to Evans, crouched and waiting, watching their backs.

  “You ready, Mr. Evans? Run west, watch north, don’t stop until we get to the next corner. Main doors are on the west side. Got it?”

  “How do you do this?” Evans’s voice was calmer than Talice thought it would be.

  “Don’t ask. Ready? Mac, going on three, two, one, now!”

  They leapt into the alleyway as the drone dropped from above and fired a five-second burst, raking the north wall. Masonry and wood splinters showered down. Talice fired blind, up and to her right. Evans did the same. They slid to a stop at the corner, and again Talice checked the sightlines. She turned to Evans, again watching their backs.

  “Check your ammo. We’re going up to the doors, then through. Mac, you still with us?”

  “Right here, Princess.”

  “Drop the drone before we get to the door and blow it. We’ll follow in, then check on Briggs and the team.”

  “Will do. Three seconds again.”

  Talice glanced around the corner once more, seeing no one. “Okay, three, two, one, go!”

  They ran, and Talice saw the drone drop ahead of them, fire, and rise. The doors exploded inward, and they followed the dust and smoke, firing as they entered. Two went down in a hail of 10mm rounds, then quiet. Talice crouched behind a desk, Evans across the way and standing behind a column, changing his magazine as she watched.

  “Smack it into place. Hard!” She switched channels again. “Team Two, report.”

  “Approaching Building B, light resistance. Marines are making a lot of noise on the north side.” Bělinka.

  “Copy, do you need support?”

  “Naa, we can handle… aggh!” A roar filled Talice’s headset.

  “Bělinka!”

  “That was close. Grenade, bounced off a vehicle. No injuries.”

  “Look sharp. Focus.” Talice switched back to Mac. “Send the 10mm drone around to Team Two.”

  “Copy, what about you?”

  “We’re in the building, will advise.” She changed to Evans’s channel. “You okay? We’re headed for the stairwell.”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “I’ll lead, you watch our backs like you’ve been doing. Good job.”

  “I’d never
make it as a Marine.”

  “Yes you would. I’d beat your ass if you didn’t at least try.” She peered out from behind her visor. “Let’s move.”

  * * *

  Inside Building C…

  It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It wasn’t supposed to be a firefight. Talice eased her way through the Building C lobby as Evans followed, watching every direction but hers. She caught his movement from the corner of her eye and nodded to herself. But I’m here, doing what I wanted to do, leading the team, even if by proxy. And hopefully, finding our targets. Mikal for sure. Jance, if I can find her. Konee, if she’s still alive.

  She dared not try to contact Konee again. If Konee was telling the truth, if Jance was really rogue and Mikal a deep-cover operative for… whoever, then she either found safety or was dead. If she lied…

  “Stairs.” Talice paused at the doorway to the staircase with Evans two steps behind. “Drop back about five steps. Don’t follow too close up the stairs.”

  “Got it. I’ll watch to see if anyone follows.”

  “A minute.” Talice switched to a private circuit. “Mac, report. What’s going on with the other teams?”

  “They’re in the buildings. Not much resistance so far, but no targets located.”

  “Copy. We’re headed upstairs and will check each floor. I’ll advise if we find anyone.”

  “Hang on… okay, Briggs says they just had a gun battle with four bad guys. He thinks Target Two is neutralized. No casualties or injuries to Team One or Cover One.”

  “Copy. Get vid and photos. And don’t forget he’s got a DNA kit. We need to confirm.”

  “Copy that, I’ll advise.”

  Talice clicked back to Evans. “One down. Okay, let’s move in.” She pushed the door open slowly. Waited. Began to step in.

  Tink!

  Shit! “Grenade!”

  Talice flung herself toward Evans, and they collapsed aside as the door slowly swung close.

  BOOM!!!

  The explosion slammed the door closed and buckled it outward. Cracks appeared in the wall around the doorway. Masonry dust filled the air.

  Talice’s suit receivers had shut down as the grenade exploded, but the concussion rattled her badly. She rose to hands and knees. Evans was in a heap beneath her. She activated her comm system again.

  “You okay? Talk to me!”

  “… Yeah… give me a minute.”

  Talice rolled to her knees, swept the lobby with infrared and visual, seeing nothing. Damn, I would have sent a team in through the doors to finish us off after that. Tells me there’s no one outside, they’re all above.

  Evans sat up. “That hurt.”

  “Not as much as it would have if we’d been in the stairwell. Okay, let’s see if we can get in.”

  “We’re still going up there?” Evans’s voice was incredulous.

  “We have a job to do, and unless you want to take the lift and have them cut the cables while we’re in it, yeah, it’s the stairwell.”

  Talice tried the door. It moved, but barely. “We’re going in fast, up the stairs in a hurry, just in case they toss another grenade. Don’t stop, just watch behind and shoot anything that follows. Copy?”

  Evans got to his knees shakily and picked up his pulse rifle. “Lead the way. I’ll try not to fall over.”

  Talice hit the door. It scraped along the concrete as the hinges squealed in protest. They took the steps two at a time, rounded the landing, up the second set, and to the second-floor door.

  “When we go in, dive left, I’ll dive right. Shoot anything that moves.”

  Evans gripped his weapon. “Okay. Got it.”

  Talice wrapped her hand around the door handle, staying behind it. “Okay… go.”

  Talice yanked the door open. Evans dove left. She dove right. Gunfire erupted and shattered the door as it closed. Evans scrambled behind a pile of junk in the corridor. Talice rose to her knees and fired two three-second bursts, left to right. The whole of the hallway exploded with her fire. Two figures went down in a spray of blood and body parts. Another dove through an open doorway, screaming.

  “Come on!”

  Talice followed the runner, Evans close behind. “Hold here!”

  She leapt through the doorway, firing. The third defender screamed again, disintegrating into blood and gore against a wall.

  Silence fell. Talice waited another minute. Then another.

  “You okay?”

  “Corridor is clear.”

  “Good. Don’t come in here. It’s not pretty.”

  Evans chuckled harshly into his suit pickup. “It’s not pretty out here. I think I’m gonna be sick.”

  “No, you aren’t, you’d have to take off your helmet and that’s not gonna happen. Swallow hard and take a drink from your tube. You’ll be okay.”

  Damn, I’d better drink some S-H, too. Talice found the tube and took three quick, deep swallows. Fuck… this isn’t fun. It’s just… shit.

  “Alright, I’m coming out of the office in a minute. I’ve got to check IDs. Don’t shoot me.”

  “Copy that. Sorry, I’ve just… I’ve never done this before.” Talice stifled a laugh. “Yeah, it’s tough the first time.” And the second, and the third, ad infinitum…

  She rose, looking round the office. No one shot her as she stood. She checked the dead face against her visor recognition pictures, but it didn’t match the target. She slowly exited, noting Evans behind the railing, and checked the two dead in the corridor. “It would appear anyone in this building we’re looking for is upstairs. So it may get very interesting now.” She knelt beside Evans. “Give me a minute to check in, then we’ll head upstairs.”

  He nodded, but didn’t speak.

  Talice switched to Mac’s channel. “Mac, report.”

  “Team Two just took out Targets One and Three. Martin took a hit, out of action, but alive. Hold on… Okay, Briggs and Rory just about caused the third floor of Building A to collapse with their SmartGuns. Target Four eliminated. They had to do DNA to confirm. Wasn’t much left. Two wounded, not bad, Rory’s HCS was penetrated by AP rounds, so watch yourself.”

  Fuck, they’re using AP in small arms! Fuckers! “Copy that, thanks. We’re on the second floor, just took out three bodyguards. Target Five must be upstairs.” And Jance. And Konee.

  “Copy, do you need backup?”

  Talice thought for a moment, glanced back to Evans, waiting. “No… this is ours. Once Teams One and Two have full confirmation, pull them out. Get the wounded back to Bird One and attended.”

  A pause on the line. “How about if I send Junior and Ollie to watch your backs?”

  Talice smiled inside her helmet. “Okay, I can take a hint. Thanks. I’ll report back as soon as we’re finished here. Out.”

  She broke the link, then stood, looking back into the office. “Let’s go, Mr. Evans. We’re nearly done here.”

  “Oh, you’re nearly done here, alright. Hello, Talice.”

  Evans screamed.

  Talice whirled at the voice in her helmet. Jance!!!

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  No Quarter

  The Time of Your Life

  “The only chance of life

  lies in giving up all hope of it.”

  Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

  Building C, Second Floor Landing…

  Jance stood before Talice, having appeared as though from nowhere. A heavy full-auto pistol was in one hand and a long, curved knife dripping blood in the other. She wore heavy body armor, not an HCS, and an open-face helmet, which Talice found foolish.

  Talice glanced back to Evans, sprawled on the floor. His HCS was cut through the back, deep and red around the jagged tear. He was motionless, possibly dead.

  Talice began to worry. Razor-filament blade. Cuts through anything. We’re fucked.

  “How’s the arm?” She raised her visor, then motioned to Jance’s hand with the pistol. “Train about took it off, didn’t it?”

  “
Yeah, I owe you one for that.”

  Talice shrugged. “Don’t bother. My pleasure.” She cast a sideways look to Evans. “Did you kill him? Why? I thought you two were fuck-buddies.”

  Jance’s eyes narrowed. “He ran out. Apparently, he scampered right to your bed. Mikal was pissed, to say the least. We never figured out why he ran, either.”

  She doesn’t know he’s an operative! Konee might have been telling the truth, that Mikal is undercover for someone and was working with Evans! Hell, he might be the inside guy for Fawkes! And Evans didn’t know?

  “So… I take it you’ve been listening to our adventure?”

  Jance laughed. “Marine comm is so easy to tap. Twenty years behind the times.”

  Which tells me you don’t know about our secret wristcoms. At least we’ve got that.

  “Where’s Mikal?”

  “You think if I knew that I’d be here?”

  “And Konee?”

  Jance shook her head and said nothing.

  Talice’s heart skipped a beat. Fuck.

  She looked again to the gun in Jance’s hand. “You gonna shoot me now? Or maybe cut me into little pieces with that toy? Not even gonna give me a chance?”

  Jance dithered over the questions. “This isn’t what I want, no, but I can’t have you following me. I’ve got things to do. Nemesis Corp may be finished here, but there are other places, I’m sure you know.”

  “Yeah, and the Marines will take them down one at a time. Dammit, Jance, we were teammates. I was your OIC. You were one of the best. It’s not too late to get out of this.”

  Jance laughed. “Why the hell would I want out? Talice, there’s real money to be made! Hell, other systems are ripe for the picking! You think Theia and Eos are civilization? We’re on the frontier, Dear One! Revolution is big business in some places!”

  “Is that what Mikal sold you? He promised you the stars, and you spread your legs for him?”

  Jance frowned, and her hand tightened on the pistol grip. “Mikal… let’s just say, he wasn’t the man he thought he was. Now…”

  Fuck, he’s dead. Konee, too, probably. Dammit to hell…

  “But you’re right,” Jance continued. “I really don’t know what to do with you. No, I’m not gonna shoot you… well, I might wing you a little, just for fun. Yeah, this isn’t what I wanted.”