Then something grabbed him and pulled him up stop. A suited somebody was manhandling him to someone else. They forced a breathing apparatus onto his face. He sucked in the high oxy mix and for the first time in two minutes felt like he might survive. His ears were still ringing and he couldn’t make out words but the guy who had him by the collar left him in no doubt as to where he should go. They grabbed the mask away from him and a helmet appeared from somewhere. It was placed very roughly over his head and rubbed hard against his left ear. “Shit” he yelled out. But he knew he had to lock it on. He heard the click as it locked and started to breathe deeply again. The guy next to him turned his thermals on and was now pointing. He was also saying something but Bill couldn’t make it out. He stumbled forward.
Another suit appeared in front and grabbed him by the arm and manhandled him into a pile of other people. The elevator, it must be the elevator, thought Bill. Then someone else pushed him in the back, forcing him into the person in front. It was getting so tight. He felt like a sardine. He heard a door close behind him and then he was descending. The smoke in the elevator was forced out as they dropped. He could finally make out the face of the person in front. They looked terrified. He wasn’t sure if it was because of what they were looking at. They were looking at him and yes he was terrified.
Up above Sue Chalker was counting. She was shy two people. “Rihan” she hailed.
“I’ll be there in a minute” and Rihan terminated. She was desperately trying to activate the backup fire control system. She was in her suit with helmet and thermals. The console on the wall was hard to make out. She turned off the thermals and hit the helmet light. Yes she could see it now. Her hand moved to the control and she hit it, just as she was grabbed from behind.
She instinctively struggled but it was useless. Whoever it was, was far stronger and their grip could not be forced.
“Sir. You must come now” said Cpl Dan Tomishenko, the guard posted to look after her. He was a huge man with biceps bigger than most people’s thighs. Not the brightest on the team, but Dan now knew that time was up. He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead he threw his commanding officer over his big shoulders and carried her out in a fireman’s hold.
Rihan gave up any effort at further struggle. What was her dignity anyway? Without her thermals she was soon lost as her head swayed from side to side as the big marine slalomed his way down through the barricades. He planted her back on to her feet opposite Sue.
“Sir” was all Dan said and stepped away. The soft glow of light illuminating Sue’s face showed her relief. But she didn’t have much time.
“Rihan, you must get into the elevator now.”
Rihan just nodded and Sue guided her in gently. Rihan looked around and saw that the elevator was only half full. “Where are the others?”
Sue just shook her head, then hit the door control and she was lost to sight.
“Hugo?” hailed Sue.
“Sir” said 2nd Lt Hugo Pirelli the commander of 1st Pl charged with defending the elevator. Fresh out of junior officer school he had only been assigned to this company two weeks before. His small frame was crouched behind a barrier and his narrow face betrayed real fear.
“Where are you?”
“Near the main entrance.”
“Can you see any enemy movement yet?”
“Not since the first transport landed.” I have nothing on my scanner.
“Any more casualties?”
“No, apart from Fergus, Bravo Team is still good. You?
“Withers made it but not Omar. Looks like the techs out in the dock got fried. Otherwise Alpha Team here is good, as is Charlie Team below.”
“Hell” exclaimed Hugo “another beam attack on the second wing. We’re sitting ducks here.”
“Hold it together Lieutenant. There just prepping us up before the assault. They won’t be creating a pile of rubbish to block their way in.”
“Enemy soldiers spotted” and Hugo began firing. Sue could hear the thumps and thuds of pulse fire through the open channel. The inexperienced Hugo still hadn’t closed it. “I count 20 or so on the scanner.”
“Fire and move your way back now” ordered Sue.
“Roger.”
“Bravo Team, the enemy assault has started. To your positions” ordered Sue. “Charlie Team, enemy assault underway. How long till that elevator gets here?”
“It still hasn’t reached us. Looks like another couple of minutes to go before it’s down and then five for the return.”
“Just get everyone out asap and then hit the return. We need it here yesterday.”
“Roger.”
The sound of pulse fire could be heard down through the corridors. Sue listened to the Bravo Team channel and Hugo’s commands for his groups to move. ‘Maybe he’ll work out after all’ thought Sue. She was definitely worried about him earlier. He looked like he was going to lose it. But the heat of action can do that and the power of training drills helps to occupy the mind and keep it from focusing on the danger.
A series of explosions told Sue that grenades were being used. Hugo’s voice had steadied. He was doing alright and then it stopped.
“Hugo?” hailed Sue. Nothing. “Hugo?”
“Perez here. He’s gone maam” said Cpl Simone Perez. Another explosion.
“Perez?” Nothing. “Perez?” Nothing. “Alpha Team get ready. Incoming soldiers.”
Sue took cover behind the last barricade. “Charlie Team, ETA on elevator?”
“4 minutes.”
“Right…We’ll pile in here and descend when it arrives. Once we get past the baffle hit the baffle switch and be ready to shut down the elevator once we get to the bottom.”
“Roger.”
Sue looked at her scanner. She could see the red dots channelling through the corridor. They were too dense to count, but the total figure on the sidebar showed 32. “30 plus incoming” she hailed on the 1st Pl channel.
Up front on the first barricade was Trooper Tony Pang. His barricade was about ten metres from the corner ahead. He had his pulse rifle up on full auto. A strand of his black hair was caught in the padding of his helmet. It was annoying the hell out of him but he knew he couldn’t do anything about it now. He gave his helmet a bump with his left arm and then re gripped the stock of his rifle. He was going to let it rip as soon as he saw one of these things come around the corner. The toxic smoke had all but dissipated now that the backup fire control had cut in. But there were no lights, just his thermals to rely on.
He would fire then double back behind the third barricade, passing his mate Freddy Shirer on barricade 2. Freddy was a small man built up through zealous work outs. He would throw a grenade over barricade 1 and after it went up blaze away at the corner position. Well that was the plan they agreed on. Now that contact was imminent Tony was having second thoughts on it. Would he be able to get around the second barricades before he got shot? Noises coming. Shit. Then he took a deep breath. He resolved to stick to the plan anyway.
“What’s that sound” he called out “the scraping and bumping sound?” But no one responded. A dark suited figure rounded the corner. ‘Christ thought Tony. He’s huge.’ The figure’s helmet touched the roof and it was bending over. Its arms held a weapon of some sort and the figure was peering ahead.
Tony pulled a long burst, at least five rounds. They struck true and the figure fell to the ground. Tony swivelled and charged on the angle to round the second barricade. A grenade was thrown by this incredible long arm around the corner and high. But it hit the netting that had been erected for just that purpose and bounced back rolling off the corner wall. It went off and ripped the thrower to shreds, plus his mate behind him.
Tony made the third barricade. His team leader Sgt Kate Toomey, grabbed him in case he kept running. She pushed him across from her and when she saw him face up, she returned her gaze down the corridor. Kate was a veteran with a rep for keeping her cool. Her blue eyes were focusing hard now. She shifted he
r left leg so she could lean in better, content that her strong thigh muscles were providing a good foundation.
Another grenade was rolled in on the floor just as Freddy Shirer’s grenade rounded the corner. Both went off at the same time but only Freddy’s hit pay dirt. The enemy grenade bounced back from the second barricade by which time Freddy had ducked behind it. His ears hurt from the blast but otherwise he was good. He popped up and gave a burst down to the corridor. Sue’s scanner showed the red dots had stopped pressing forward. The count now read 26. Then the dots started moving forward fast. “Enemy charging” she hailed.
Freddy popped up firing a long burst at the first two shapes that rounded the corner. They were attempting to charge and were firing their weapons as they came around. These were of necessity un-aimed shots. Freddy’s aim was true and he got them both. He fired again at the next two who were struggling now to get over their fallen buddies. He got one but the survivor fired a grenade launcher straight at him. It took Freddy’s head clean off.
Tony saw his mate fall as he popped up to fire. It enraged him and he just held his trigger down emptying the magazine into the oncoming figures. Kate Toomey threw a grenade and grabbed Tony, pulling him down behind the barricade. The explosion took the momentum out of the charge. Another six enemy bodies piled up in the corridor but they had the first barricade.
“How long till that bloody lift arrives?” asked Sue.
“1 minute” came the response.
Tony was shaking behind the barricade. The image of his best friend headless was all he saw. The shock had paralysed him. Kate was popping up and letting off a short burst, then ducking down. Tony should have been popping up as she was going down so that they were providing a constant fire. She needed him and she needed him now. “Tony” she yelled. But he wasn’t listening. She gave him a whack across the helmet with the side of her rifle. That got his attention. He shook himself out of it and popped up and returned fire.
Another grenade was hurled but hit the netting above them and bounced back towards the enemy. Another red dot disappeared from Sue’s scanner. She could see more of the red dots crowding near the corner. She knew they were preparing for another charge.
The elevator arrived. ‘Thank God for that’ thought Sue. “Alright it’s time to go everyone. Kate, fire and move your team back to the elevator.”
“Roger” responded Kate. “On my command, Group 2 covering fire. Group 1, with me. Move to elevator.” She lobbed and rolled two grenades. Immediately after they went off she said “Move” and pushed Tony in front of her. Tony zigzagged past barricade 4 and 5 and ducked behind 6 as a burst of fire came perilously close to cutting him in half. Kate had fallen over and was grabbed by Dan Tomishenko and pulled behind barricade 5.
Troopers Krishna Kappalla and Gebre Salassie on Barricade 4 were alternatively popping up and firing almost constantly now. Pulse shot was falling all around them. But it was not well aimed. The enemy was having a hard time of it. The bodies of their fallen were constricting them. One of their leaders started organising for the bodies to be pulled back around the corner so they could have more room. Two of them were firing in the general direction to provide covering fire for this little operation.
“Kate?” yelled out Sue.
“Sir.”
“What the hell are you waiting for?”
Kate sat and then crouched regaining her breath. She took a deep breath in and charged out towards barricade 6. She took three big steps and then dived and rolled in behind it. Sue arrested her motion and held her. Kate looked up, her breathing fast and furious, but boy she was glad to have made it.
“Barricade 5 covering fire. Barricade four and Tony, in the elevator.”
Now it was the turn of Dan and his buddy, Trooper Samantha Stone, to pop up and fire. Sam, as she preferred to be called, looked like a midget next to Dan but despite her small stature she was fit and strong. She shot up and took aim. But now with more room to manoeuvre, the enemy soldiers had pushed in behind barricades one and two. They had four soldiers laying down fire and were quickly winning the fire fight. Samantha Stone was shot in the helmet. She lost compression. She knew that she had to run or suffocate. She made a dash behind, holding her breath while her lungs screamed for air. She was hit in the back and then her shoulder before she fell splaying her arms forward. She raised her head and tried with her good arm to raise her body but was quickly raked with fire. She didn’t get up again.
Seeing Sam fall, Sue and Kate opened up on the enemy just as two more tried to push for barricade 3. They were both hit. One fell and the other crashed in behind the barricade. Dan could no longer pop up due to the intensity of the enemy fire. They now had six shooters to their three. Dan rolled a grenade from around the edge of the barricade. It went off in between two and three. He charged for the sixth barricade and made it. When he sat himself up next to Kate, he was gulping in air and his chest was pounding. He hadn’t thought he would make it.
Tony Pang started firing from behind the elevator door. He yelled “Come on”. Sue patted Kate and Dan on the shoulder and she then popped up and returned fire. First Kate and then Dan made a run at the elevator some ten metres away. Dan was hit in his left forearm. He felt it whack and lost control of it. It just went slack and hung there like a dead weight. His suit auto sealed at the elbow. It hurt like crazy but he was now charging like a man possessed and his momentum was too great to stop him. He barrelled forward knocking Kate over and into the elevator like a ten pin bowling pin. She crashed into the far wall and was knocked out. Krishna grabbed her and pulled her back behind the open door. Gebre could see Dan lying there and instinctively rushed out and dragged him by his collar. The pain on his wounded left arm was unbearable and Dan let out a mighty scream but no one other than him heard it.
“Come on” Tony once more hailed to Sue. She was all alone now. The fire being poured into the space around her was ferocious. She took out two grenades and lobbed them both along the floor as two enemy charged to barricade 4. The grenades went off just as they reached their objective only to blow them back down the corridor. Tony was firing high down the corridor. Sue pushed off and charged towards the elevator. Pulse fire was now coming back. She dived and rolled and rolled again into the elevator crashing her head into Dan’s leg.
Tony reached for the elevator control.
“Wait” ordered Sue. She pulled the demolition trigger from her belt and fired the control. “Now” she cried out. The lift was already descending as the corridor above was flattened by the charges Sue had laid earlier.
Sue looked to her scanner, but the shielding was already preventing any readings. But she knew that few of the enemy would have survived that.
“Charlie Team?” she hailed.
“Sir.”
“Close the baffles as soon as we pass and be ready to assist wounded on arrival. Once we’re clear activate the blast doors.”
“Roger.”
Sue was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall. Blood was oozing out of Dan’s arm. Gebre was applying pressure to constrict it. Dan was in a lot of pain and it showed on his sweat-soaked face. His helmet was fogging up. Krishna was trying to prop up Kate but she was out cold. Tony was still standing, with his rifle cradled in his arms surveying the scene just as Sue was. She could see the anxiety on his face but it was now turning to relief as it dawned on him that they had survived. He even managed a half smile at Sue. It was only then that Sue felt the throbbing in her left eye and she knew she would have a whopper of a black eye in the morning.
Chapter 6. Pulton 1 1645, 24 May.
Art was staring in amazement at the beam attack on the facility. It worried him sick. His fiancée was there and he couldn’t bear to lose her not on the day he had finally committed to her. He was about to hail her when something else distracted him.
His scanner just picked up a line of red dots moving towards the Pulton 1 mine entrance. “Here they come” he called out to 2nd Pl A Coy.
2nd Pl was deployed in a similar fashion to 1st Pl with Alpha Team forward at the dock entrance. Their job was to delay with fire and movement. 2nd Pl was at the elevator entrance and 3rd Pl was down below on Level 1 outside the elevator doors there. Thankfully there wasn’t the mass exodus of staff to contend with like at the facility. But two heavy transports were still waiting to go down the heavy utility lift. It was currently descending with a full load. The light utility lift was up and waiting.
The dock was a very large area in its own right. Once entry was gained through the outer door it opened up wide, about 100m wide by 200m deep. It was big enough to accommodate a dozen heavy vehicles side by side. Looking from inside to the outer doors, there was a raised reinforced dock running along the inner or back wall from the right to the roadway on the left. It had three doors. The largest D1 was the huge vehicle door over the road on the left. Another personnel door D2 was 10m right of that and there was another personnel door D3 about 60m further right again.
It was on the dock that Alpha Team had set up its first position, Group 1. This comprised half the team. Cpl Hafa Boutros was with the quanto gunner, Trooper Bolin Cheng.
His team members called Hafa ‘dadda’ behind his back because he was a good ten years older than most of them. He had to trim his black moustache of any grey hairs to avoid encouraging them further. His dark, almost black deep-set eyes looked across the dock.
They had blasted a hole into the dock at the right in front of D3 and placed a mobile shield in front through which they would fire. The shield was oriented to face half left. That way the quanto could bring enfilade fire across a line of attackers advancing on the main door.
Bolin made a last minute check of his quanto. He was a bit of a joker and had a tendency to go too far with his wise cracks. But on this occasion the jokes weren’t flowing.
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