Selene was one of the last to reach the bunkers and climbed inside. She met up with Ethan's squad, plus some members of Thorn Company.
“This is gonna be a whole lot of fun,” Ethan said. Even in the faint light of the single lamp, Selene could see the worry on his face.
“We'll be fine,” she told him.
“I just hope that we don't get buried alive,” he said. “I'll take any other method of death other than that.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Selene said. She couldn't say more, because the rockets started falling.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The earth above them started to shake, and dirt fell on their heads. The noise was loud, and it was probably deafening outside. But they at least could be thankful. The rockets were landing close, but they weren't penetrating the bunkers. Or, at least they hadn't scored a direct hit yet. If they did then the occupants were probably screwed.
Once again, Selene wished they had Griffon or Bravehart with them. If they had some way to fire back, then at least she could have that satisfaction. But right now they had to wait, helpless and hoping that the enemy wouldn't kill them.
It bothered her more than it should have, but Selene felt restless. She wanted to fight, and she agreed with Ethan. Death could come claim her, but she wanted it to happen while she was in the thick of things, not while she was huddled underground when a shell or rocket came through the roof.
As suddenly as it began, the explosions stop.
“Everyone, report,” Selene ordered into her radio.
It went better than she hoped. No casualties. But the spotters reported Ragnarok troops moving back across the marsh crossing and closing fast.
Selene urged her troops back out into the fray and headed for the front line trenches. The rockets had had done a number on the surrounding area. Most of the forest had been shredded. Leaves, branches and even whole tree trunks lay scattered about like someone had gone through with a giant weed whacker. One of the communication trenches had taken a direct hit, though it really didn't matter since no one was inside. But the crater was impressive, nonetheless.
She heard the steady chug of the autocannons as she approached the forward trench. The sounds of battle became louder and more frequent as more and more troops got into position. Selene moved back to her old post and settled in, observing the enemy all the while.
They were trying to make the best of their bad position. Apparently the commander had hoped the bombardment would do more damage, because his troops were pushing across the marsh in a frontal assault. Then again, there weren't many good alternatives, either. Selene imagined that Sacred Sword or Marauder would have problems if they were put in the same position. She was just glad her troops were on the defensive.
“Alpha Wolf, come in,” Danny said.
“I hear you, Bravo Wolf,” Selene responded. “How's it going on your end?”
“We pushed back an enemy platoon that was trying to cross,” he said. “They might bring more, but it's going to be tough sledding for them. How are you doing on your end?”
“Holding, but it's going to be rough,” Selene said.
“Let me know if you're going to collapse, because we'll need to withdraw before that happens.”
“Copy,” Selene told him. “Alpha Wolf, out.”
She lined up her sights and fired off a burst. An engineer fell like a rock, hit by a lucky shot in the head. More of her comrades fell beside her, gunned down by the hail of lead coming from above. The machine guns up here were murderous for the enemy below.
But this couldn't last forever. Somehow, some way, Ragnarok was going to find a way to break through. They had too many good troops and too many smart leaders for anything else to happen. And it might not even be here. They could break through on the river, or even in the eastern swamps.
But before any of that was going to happen, Selene was going to make them pay for every inch of ground. The pile of Ragnarok bodies was large. She was going to make it larger.
Crack!
The lead soldier tumbled backward into the murky water, stone dead. Miko's shot had caught him straight in the chest.
Danny activated his radio. “Bravo Wolf, smash 'em!”
Machine gun fire tore through the enemy troops struggling through the swamp. A dozen of them fell into the water and sank like stones.
Once again, Danny had to admire Ragnarok's sheer tenacity. Faced with an impossible position, the enemy just kept coming, trying to keep the pressure on his troops. And even though they were dying in droves, there was just no quit in them.
Danny wondered if they were trying to tie down his troops so they couldn't aid Alpha Wolf. If they didn't know he had just a platoon up here, they might commit a considerable number of forces over here to keep them pinned down. And it they did, he would flip that tactic in the opposite direction. There was no way that Ragnarok could take this position while it was defended, not without suffering horrendous casualties.
On the other hand, human wave attacks were possible in a game like World at War, since none of the casualties actually died. They could respawn, rearm and be back on the front lines within a relatively short period of time.
Still, even though it was possible, that didn't make it a good strategy. The dead troops' weapons and ammunition would remain where they fell, which meant the enemy's stocks would be severely depleted the longer this went on. And every minute they wasted was another minute closer to the time that Hydra and Ronin would launch their joint attack.
It would be massive, including all three battalions in the south plus every soldier that Ronin and its allies could spare. They would smash through Ragnarok's southern defenses and they wouldn't halt until the enemy stopped them cold. Ragnarok would be forced to respond, lest they lose huge chunks of their territory.
That was in the future, though, and it didn't matter if Ghost Battalion didn't hold the north. Danny looked down his sights and fired into the darkening swamps. They'd be turning red soon enough.
“I really wish we had an actual map table,” Nora commented.
“We'll have to make due,” Anna said. “We survived without them.”
“Yeah, but that'd be helpful right now. Oh well,” she said, looking at the paper map spread out before them.
At least there wasn't a lot to keep track of on her end. Black Wolf Company held two of the crossings through the swamp, supported by Spectre Company at the third. All three positions had come under attack, though Alpha Wolf and Bravo Wolf were taking the brunt of the attack.
So far they were holding, but night was fast approaching, and that worried her. Everyone in the battalion had night vision gear, but it would still reduce their visibility and effective firing range, allowing Ragnarok to close in on them. The only saving grace was that the enemy would have the same problem, but it might tip the balance in their favor, nonetheless.
Nora was also worried that the enemy would simply pull back and then blast the crossings with everything they had. If that happened, they would be in trouble. The bunkers provided reasonable protection, but they probably couldn't stand up to a sustained bombardment.
And then there was the even bigger problem of the length of the battle. Everyone had families, jobs and other responsibilities, and they would need to log off eventually, if only to sleep. When that happened they stood to lose a lot of troops.
Of course, that went for Ragnarok as well. But Nora couldn't make any estimated as to how badly it would hurt them versus how much it would effect Ghost Battalion. She hoped they could make it a moot point. If they could end the battle quickly, then none of it would matter.
“I'm surprised at how daring they're being,” Anna said. “They're trying to push through the eastern swamps as well, even though that's a death trap.”
“Yeah, I wouldn't want to mess with that place, especially at night,” Nora agreed.
“If you get past all the creatures, you still have the best light infantry in the region wait
ing for you at the north end. Or at least, the ones who haven't been harassing you all the way there.”
Nora smiled despite the situation. “I bet Liz is having a blast out there in the dark.”
Anna smiled back. “Your guess is right on the money.” She looked back down at the map. “I'm surprised that Ragnarok hasn't tried to spearhead their attack on the crossing with their elite troops.”
“They probably don't want to risk them at this stage of the battle,” Nora said. “The Valkyries will die as badly as any number of scrubs will. The defenses are too strong at this point. Once they're able to get some push they'll probably send them in.”
“So you think they'll be no shows if we can keep the attack force at bay?” Anna asked.
Nora frowned. “I'm concerned that they'll try to flank our positions. There's a whole wide river there, and they have boats.”
“Haven't you heard?”
Nora turned around to see Karen walking toward them. “Heard what?”
“Raven is patrolling the river tonight. They'll sink anyone who crosses their paths.” Karen informed them.
Nora nodded. “Well, that puts my worry to rest.”
“And their air force should be grounded at night as well,” Anna said. “I can't imagine they'd try landing a plane in the middle of the night.”
“Could we use that?” Nora suggested.
“How so?”
“Their fighters are grounded for a while because of the dark,” Nora said.
Karen quickly caught on to her plan. “So if we put Raven Flight in the air, they'll have free reign over the battlefield until it's morning.”
“That might give us enough time to pinpoint their artillery and launch strikes,” Nora said.
“One of you, get ahold of Robbie and have him arm Raven Flight for an attack. It's a risk, to be sure, but we need to take some chances,” Anna said.
“I'll do it,” Karen said.
Nora stopped when she heard a signal from Selene.
“We need to take some risks,” she agreed. “Ragnarok is bombarding them again.”
This time Ragnarok was playing for keeps.
The earth shook again as the shells and rockets fell. Selene's units could do little more than cower inside their bunkers. One had taken a direct hit, killing the Thorn Company members inside instantly. The rest of the bunkers managed to survive, though one of the pillboxes was also knocked out.
As soon as the bombardment ended, Selene urged her troops back to their posts. They were shaken and tired, but they were the only line of defense. If they fell, then their entire force on this side would be cut off.
But holding their ground would be no easy task, The bombardment may not have killed many of them, but it had torn up there positions. It was difficult to find spots where they could fire from cover. Parts of the trench line had been completely destroyed, and others were severely damaged.
Most worrying of all, they were starting to run low on ammunition. They could fight for another hour at this rate, but beyond that she wasn't sure. Selene was doubtful that a supply convoy could get to them in the chaos. They might need to fall back as a matter of practicality.
No matter, right now. The only thing they could do was fight, and Ragnarok was giving them the fight of their lives. Even with all the bodies, even with the withering fire, they kept coming. And this time, their bullets were starting to find their marks.
“Alpha Wolf, we just lost two more,” Ethan said. “I think there's at least one sniper out there.”
“Is it him?” she asked.
“The Wraith? Yeah, it might be. He's targeting heavies and snipers.”
Selene's mind raced. The best counter to that was another sniper, but Miko was with Danny's platoon. And anyhow, they didn't even know if the Wraith was actually out there. He wasn't Ragnarok's only competent sniper.
Her wrist alert went off. “This is Alpha Wolf,” she said.
“Alpha Wolf, this is Raven Flight,” Robbie said on the other end of the line. “We're headed south to try and take out some of the enemy artillery. What's your status, over?”
“We're getting pounded out here,” Selene told him. “Is there any way you can give us some help?”
“I'll detach Blake and another chopper under the callsign Shrike,” Robbie said. “Call them if you need some fire support. We'll try to hit them where they're firing from.”
“Thanks,” Selene said.
She leaned out over the lip of the trench and fired off a burst into the chaos. A bullet cracked by her ear and forced her to flinch back into cover.
“Logan, how you holding up?” she shouted down her link.
“We're holding, but it's rough,” he replied. “We'll do out best.”
“Keep it up. Gavin!”
“It ain't good,” came the response. “The Thorn officer in charge of this section just ate a bullet. We're trying to rally them, but they're pretty spooked. I don't think they've seen anything like this.”
“Do what you can,” Selene ordered. “Help is on the way.”
But would it get there in time? And even if it did, would it be enough? There were hundreds of Ragnarok troops swarming at the foot of their positions, and Hydra's casualties just kept growing.
Selene switched channels. “Bravo Wolf, come in. Bravo Wolf, come in.”
“I hear you,” Danny replied.
“How hard are you being hit?” she asked.
“Well, they're still coming after us, but they're not making any progress. The cliffs over here are too much for them. How's it on your end?”
“Not good,” Selene said. “We might have to withdraw soon. Are you going to be able to fall back quickly if that happens?”
“Yeah, but we might need to beat off an attack first.”
A soldier to her left fell back into the trench, wounded but not dead. Selene moved aside to let a medic through.
“I'm hoping that we'll be able to hold out, but if not then we'll need to retreat, and we'll need to do it quickly. Can you be ready on my signal?”
“Copy that. I'll pass the word along to Neil as well.”
“Thanks,” Selene said.
She reloaded her gun and stood back up. Hopefully their air support would be enough to turn the tide.
If not, they were in serious trouble.
“Ragnarok forces in the eastern swamps are being thrown back,” Liz said over the radio. “We should have them completely routed soon.”
“Good news,” Anna said.
Nora nodded and switch back to her previous frequency. She had been monitoring the radio traffic in the western sector, and it didn't sound good. Selene's group was getting pounded into the dirt by Ragnarok's relentless attacks. As it stood now, it was only a matter of time before their line broke.
“Should I put my company on standby?” Karen asked.
She had a worried look on her face, and Nora thought she was probably wearing one as well. Both of them were in the same boat. Both were Black Wolf members and wanted to be fighting with their comrades on the front lines, but their duties called them elsewhere. Nora had a responsibility as strategist due to her position as acting company commander, while Karen had her own company to command.
Neither of them could forget their friends fighting on the front lines. But right now, the only thing they could do was hope. Ghost Battalion simply did not have the numbers to effectively counter such a large force. They could only hope that their elite troops could weather the storm.
And, much as she was loathe to admit, that was looking less and less likely by the minute.
“Has anyone heard about how the attacks in the south are going?” Karen asked.
“Now?” Anna asked.
“That is what this is all about,” Karen said.
“The attack on the last district happens tomorrow,” Anna told her. “Did Danny forget to tell you that when he came back?”
“Yeah, I guess he did.”
Nora looked back down at the
map. “And that's all we need to remember. Whether we like it or not, we're a diversion and nothing more.”
“Tell that to the people on the front lines,” Karen said lightly.
Nora smiled. “Oh, you don't think they'd like that idea right now?”
Five to ten minutes. That was how long they had until they were overrun.
Black Wolf and Thorn had fought valiantly, killing scores if not hundreds of enemy troops. They had thrown back four separate assaults, and had weathered two bombardments from the enemy's artillery. No one else could have done better.
But Selene had to credit the Ragnarok troops as well. No matter how many were killed, no matter how many times they were thrown back, they simply would not quit.
Their efforts were about to pay off. Small teams of Ragnarok troops had forced their way to the base of the ridge and were forcing their way up the slope. The Hydra troops above couldn't fire on them without exposing themselves to the Ragnarok troops still crossing the marsh.
They had resorted to throwing grenades down the slope, but that was a double-edged sword. Ragnarok could throw their own grenades back at this close range, and a half-dozen troops were killed as the explosives landed in the trenches. Selene herself had narrowly dodged one of them.
“Shrike, where are you? Shrike, please respond,” she called over the radio.
“Alpha Wolf, this is Shrike 1,” Blake replied. “We're nearing your position. Need help.”
“Yes,” Selene said. “Do you see our position?”
“One second. Yeah, I see it. It's on the ridge, right?”
“Yeah, and we need help now. Kill everything that's not on the ridge,” Selene said.
“Any preferences?”
“Fast.”
“Got it.”
Selene felt a rush of wind, and then the sky lit up. It sounded like several buzz saws were going off overhead.
“Wow, will you look at that,” Gavin commented over the radio link.
Selene chanced a look. Sure enough, the enemy was reeling. Anyone caught out in the open was cut down, sometimes even cut in half by the hail of bullets. Then the two helicopters lit into the rest of the swamp, targeting things that she couldn't see at this distance.
Werewolf: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 4) Page 22
