Warner breathed a sigh of relief. “Another light battery on the left” called out Parinya. “Three missiles away. Heading our way. Alain engage.” Alain started pumping cannon rounds into the oncoming missiles. They were now less than twenty seconds away. The railing sound inside the warthog was deafening. “Scratch enemy runners. Alain cease fire” said Parinya. The Hermes missiles had put paid to this threat too. Everyone in the cabin took their first breath for a minute.
“Alain, enemy pulse gun on the right.”
“Got it” responded Alain and let loose another bust of 30mm pulse cannon.
“Good shooting…another half left.”
“Onto it.”
“Sir, I’m going into the tunnel now. Get ready.”
Warner checked that everyone else was ready to go. He had Bravo Team, now led by Sgt Buster Williams. Buster gave him a nod, as did Cpl Dai Shu and Trooper Dakota Bridgewater on the quanto. They were all that was left of the original Bravo Team he had led on Tindel. ‘Had it really been only a month ago’ he asked himself. It felt like ages. ‘Focus Dave’ he said to himself. He nodded back to his comrades.
He then closed his eyes for a moment and repeated his mantra three times. He said a short prayer that he be kept safe and that above all he would do his duty.
“Dock ahead” called out Parinya. “We have company. Alain to your front.” Alain didn’t even bother to reply. He raked the far platform on which the enemy had set up several positions. They were no match for a 30mm cannon round.
“Get ready to dismount.” The warthog’s thrusters switched orientation and it pulled up sharply. “Go” ordered Parinya. Dai pushed the hatch open. Dakota was first out. She hit the ground and was firing her quanto before Dai got to ground. The trooper behind went to the left and Buster dropped in behind Dai. He directed his other marines up to the left and they formed a rough line. Warner hit the ground last man out. There was still some incoming fire but not much. He checked his compatriots and they were all OK.
Alain shifted his fire onto the tunnel. There was a desultory fire coming from behind where the blast doors used to be. It soon stopped. Buster didn’t wait. He ordered his team to fire and move in two groups. Warner went with Buster’s group.
The first group reached the platform, mounted it and took cover. It was now Buster’s group’s turn to rush forward. They headed for the old blast doors. There was no return fire. They stopped and went to ground just short of the old doors.
While Buster directed his first group to clear the corridor and rooms behind the dock Warner looked around. He could not believe the destruction. There were two big battle shuttles destroyed at odd angles on the road. Destroyed bits of equipment had been piled up in the left centre of the dock, out of the way of any vehicles using the dock, thought Warner. There was a huge row of enemy bodies lined up against the back wall. There must have been over a hundred. There was obvious organisation at work here and they too respected their dead. Surely these were signs of civilisation.
But now his focus was distracted by the arrival of the second warthog. Alpha Team poured out and went to ground. “Whisky 2, go back for the second lift.”
“Roger Sir.”
“Emma, we have secured the dock. Whisky 2 is returning. Any news on what channel to use to communicate with Klaster Control?”
“Yes Sir, patching that through now. Commander Suzuki says that her detachment has secured what’s left of the facility. The main building is just rubble. She’s trying to clear debris away to gain entrance to the elevator shaft.”
“OK good. Tell her to press on and if it’s possible to get some troops down the shaft using her warthogs. If not, then they are to secure that area with one team and bring the rest of her force here.”
“Roger Sir.”
“Klaster Control this is Hermes Sunray.”
These were the words she had prayed to hear. “Dave, thank god you are safe.”
“Rihan, are you OK?”
“Yes, for now. The enemy are making a big push to clear out our forces of the fourth section of the tunnel from the main entrance. I have just committed our last reserves. They’re loggies not grunts but it’s all we have left. Chuck Yeager’s in charge of the troops there and Liz Adair and 8 marines are holed up in a room at the far end of the second section. They are very low on air. Sgt Kate Toomey has a small force at the old facility entrance. It doesn’t look like there are any enemy down there. Where are you?”
“We’re in the dock. I have Alpha and Bravo teams here with me. Ivan’s coming with the second lift. Should be here in twenty minutes. Reina’s Washington detachment has secured the old facility or what’s left of it. I’ve asked her to try and find a way to get down the shaft there. If not they will come here. Can you advise your people at both entrances that we are on the ground? Can you patch us through to Chuck, Liz and Kate?”
“Doing that now. Take care honey! No heroics!”
“Don’t worry. I’m not feeling very heroic! You take care too. Love you.”
“Ditto!”
Chapter 5. Pulton 1 1020, 26 May.
“Chuck, this is Warner”
“I’m so glad to hear you Sir. Where are you?”
“We’ve just secured the dock and the upper level. I’m going to hover down in a warthog to your level. What section are you in? Are there any enemy in section 1 on your level?”
“We’re in section 4 in a close fight with the enemy. There’s about 40 of them here and probably another 20 in sections 2 and 3. Liz is holed up with a team in the room on your left towards the end of section 2. They need air desperately. We will hold here. Can you push from your end?”
“Yes will do. Hold on.”
“Liz this is Warner.”
“Sir” said a listless Liz.
“Are you OK?”
“Not really, getting very low on air in here. Are you the blue dots in the dock?”
“Yes. Can you break out?”
“No, they have barricaded the door. We tried that a while back.”
“OK, hold on we’re coming soon.”
“Right Sir.” Even if the door wasn’t barricaded, Liz did not think they had the strength to fight. She looked at her troops. They were all sitting up against a wall. Two were even lying down. “Sir, please hurry!”
“We will.”
Sgt Li Lo the Alpha Team leader came up to where Warner and Buster were. His team were some twenty metres to the left and behind. Li had been called short arse throughout recruit training but no one would dare use that name in front of him now. He was a young sergeant who should have been a young officer.
“OK” said Dave “here’s the drum. Our main force below is in a close fight with about 40 enemy in section 4. They think there are another 20 or so enemy in sections 2 and 3. Don’t know about section 1. We also have a small team of our marines holed up in a room off of section 2. They are low on air.”
“We’re the cavalry. We’ve got to descend the light elevator shaft in Whisky 1, and attack through sections 1, 2 and 3 to relieve our force in section 4. Buster your team will go down first and clear section 1 with fire support from Whiskey 1. Li you will then go down and clear section 2 with fire support from Bravo. Our second lift will then arrive and clear section 3 and 4. Understood?”
“Yes Sir” said Li and Buster added “Got it.”
“Buster, mount your team and Li, form up and wait my signal.”
“Parinya patch me to Ivan.”
“You’re through now.”
“Ivan, we’re about to launch an attack to secure the first two sections of the lower level. Get yourself down via the light elevator shaft using your warthog. Once you have your troops on the ground in the lower level, form up in two lines forty metres apart ready to carry the assault into section 3. Let me know when you’re formed up.”
“Will do Sir.”
“Yeager reckons there some 60 enemy between him and us. We have them trapped and they know that now. Expect a tough fight.
”
“Roger that.”
Dave jumped aboard Whisky 1 and scrambled through the main cabin to sit behind Parinya. “Parinya, take us down the shaft. Hover 30m above the bottom. We’ll repel from there and secure the shaft entrance. Once I give the signal, descend to the bottom and provide covering fire. Got it?”
“Got it” said Parinya.
As they descended down the shaft, Buster and Dai broke out the repelling lines and affixed them to the anchor bar near the hatch entrance. Dakota slung her quanto over her shoulder, thread the first repelling line through her belt loop, wrapped the line around her left forearm and secured it in her gloved left hand. She gave it a tug, looked to Buster and gave him the thumbs up. The rest of the first wave followed suit.
There was precious little clearance in the shaft and so Parinya was totally focussed on the descent. Dave was anxious to get down as soon as possible but he wisely left her to it. It seemed to take forever. Finally Parinya called out “Release in 1 minute.”
Buster hit the hatch release and the door slid open. It was almost pitch black but their thermals showed up a green hash just two metres away.
Dakota double checked her grip. Her face was set with grim determination. “Go” said Parinya. Dakota took a half pace and turned around to face inward. Her feet were on the edge and she bounced the line a little before kicking off and descending. Buster was next followed by the next two troopers.
All four were now dangling about ten metres above the shaft bottom. There was little light reflected in from section 1 but there was, thankfully, no enemy below. Buster released a drone and somehow managed to move the little stick on his controller fastened to his left hand. The drone descended and scanned out into section 1.
“One enemy 50m from entrance. Go” said Buster and the four descended rapidly to the ground.
Dakota hit the release on her belt loop, swung her quanto off from her shoulder and dived to the floor bringing down the bipod and aiming down the sights. The lone figure stood some fifty metres ahead. It was frozen like a deer in the headlights. In a second it was reeling from Dakota’s first burst and it crumpled to the ground as Buster finally searched through his own sights. Another figure some two hundred metres in began firing at them. It should have taken cover for it took Buster only four seconds to make the kill.
“Come on” ordered Buster “we need you guys down now.”
Dai touched down first and pushed forward 20m into the tunnel with Dave and another two troopers. There didn’t appear to be any other opposition so Dave decided to order Parinya back up so she could bring Li’s team down. Dave let Buster manage the fire and movement through to the end of the section.
Just as Buster’s group got within ten metres of the blown blast doors a helmet appeared taking a peek from the other side of the breach. It withdrew immediately, narrowly avoiding a burst from Dai’s rifle. Once his group were deployed Buster manoeuvred the drone through the breach. He checked the display on his controller. He’d counted ten enemy troopers before pulse fire erupted from the next section and the display went dead.
“Ten plus enemy ahead” hailed Buster. “The drones a gonna.”
“OK we wait for Alpha team” said Warner. It took another three minuted till Li’s team joined them and another two minutes to brief him.
“Go” ordered Dave.
Li fired two grenades from his launcher through the breech and his first pair of troopers rushed through and dove to ground on the right hand side. The enemy opened up on them from a hundred metres catching one of the second pair as he came in. The three remaining began returning fire. Li fired another grenade through and dived in, rolling away from the breech. The remaining three troopers in his team followed suit. One was shot mid-air. He hit the ground writhing next to Li. By the time Li noticed and went for his emergency dressing the trooper was dead. Li faced forward and fired another grenade at the centre of the enemy group. It proved very effective as half the flashes stopped. “Come on” called Li.
Dave whacked Buster on the back of his shoulder and Buster charged through, deploying on the left hand side. Bravo Team went through in two groups followed by Dave. Thankfully the enemy fire had slackened and they all made it through.
“Buster, open up.” Warner waited till he could see the flashes. He also noted a few returning flashes from 200m down the tunnel. “Li, go!”
Li ran forward at the crouch with his whole team. They went to ground twenty metres ahead. No further casualties. “Bravo up” ordered Dave and Buster lunged forward with his team mates. Again no casualties. But Warner noted that there were now more enemy flashes and he checked the scanner and could see red dots coming in from section 3.
Li charged ahead again. The man on his right was dropped. His three colleagues hit the ground, and crawled a little before firing. The fire from Buster’s team was being matched by a superior number of enemy weapons. They had an automatic gun trading bursts with Dakota’s quanto.
A rocket sailed by Warner not a metre away. Warner turned to see the first warthog exiting the shaft and moving into the first section behind him. The rocket thankfully missed. Warner could see the troopers piling out of the warthog and hitting the dirt. He needed some heavy firepower if he were to progress.
“Parinya, can you come forward to the doors and provide covering fire?”
“On it” and she glided the warthog forward hugging the left hand side of the road. She could see Li’s team on the right some 60m ahead trading fire with enemy flashes 150m forward. “Let ‘em have it Alain.”
The 30mm cannon fire directed from near the roof of the tunnel shot over the heads of Alpha Team. Li was glad it was on their side. Alain raked from right to left. The churning effect on the ground ahead was fearsome. The enemy flashes ceased.
“Buster forward” called out Warner and Bravo Team charged twenty metres then went to ground. “Li forward” and Alpha Team rushed past Bravo Team and went to ground. Warner repeated the instructions and now they were only 100m from the end of the section. A group of enemy soldiers came through the blown doors firing. They caught Alpha Team mid stride and two troopers went down.
But the enemy foray was short lived. Alain cut them to shreds. “Bravo Team forward” Warner called. Buster and his troops rushed passed the door on the left and went to ground. “Alpha Team forward” and the remaining four members rushed up just short of the door. “Hold there” said Warner.
“Buster clear that door.” Buster nodded to Dai. She crawled over to the door, saw the problem and pulled out some plastic explosive. She applied it, added the det and then moved forward the twenty paces to Buster.
“Sir, I’m ready to blow it. Can you advise those inside to stand back.”
“Roger” said Warner. “Liz, we’re outside. Stand back. We’re going to blow the door.”
“Wait one” said Liz. She dragged the soldier lying down in front back behind the upturned desk with the rest of them. “We’re ready.”
Warner gave Dai the thumbs up and she blew the charge. It was a ripple really not a large blast at all. The metal bolted over the doorway on this side was cut through in an arching line. A few enemy shots were still coming through the gap ahead so Dai crawled back and half lying, half sitting she kicked the metal sheet till it broke away.
“Liz, we’re coming in. Hold your fire.”
“Roger” said Liz. She had little energy left to breathe let alone fire.
Dai crouched and opened the door. She entered and saw a helmet rise from behind a piece of upturned furniture. “Maam, you’re safe but the enemy are still firing down the tunnel. You need to stay here till the next assault clears the section ahead. Here, and she pulled out an oxy pack from her bumpack. Spread this around.”
Liz was overcome with relief but she was too tired to help. They all were. Dai realised this. “Sir, I’m going to have to stay here for a bit. They’re too weak to help themselves.”
“Understood. You copy that Buster?”
“Yes Sir. We’ll manage.”
Dai started to connect the oxy pack to the people lying down.
Chapter 6. Pulton 1 1040, 26 May.
“Ivan, are you ready?” asked Warner.
“Almost” replied Ivan. He was puffing hard as his long legs pumped to bring him up 20m behind Warner. Warner turned to see Ivan giving the hurry up sign. The team of military police (MPs) was right behind him. Charlie Team were only just standing up from their dismount some 100m behind.
Ivan was now down on his knee. He had his arms outstretched on either side. The MPs lined up in an extended line centred on Ivan. Sherri Chang was by Ivan’s side. A few shots were still coming their way, so all were crouched. Ivan checked to see Charlie Team lined up another 20m back. Emilio was giving him the thumbs up.
“Ready Sir” said Ivan.
“Parinya, can you get through that hole?” asked Warner.
“No Sir” said Parinya “And I doubt we will be able to get an angle to provide fire support without cutting down our own troops.”
“Right” said Warner. He thought for a moment. “Li I want Alpha Team to provide the initial covering fire. Buster, I’m going to push your team in first. Go left, deploy and then provide covering fire. Once he’s through and up firing, Li, I want you to do the same but end up further to the left. So you will both be on the left. Buster you will be in charge of the combined Alpha/Bravo Group. Once we have sufficient fire going I’ll order you Ivan to assault through on the right. I’ll then fire and move you as two big groups till we reach the fourth set of doors. Is that understood?” Affirmations came in from all team leaders and Ivan.
“Chuck?”
“Sir.”
“We’re about to attack into the third section. Can you pin as many of the enemy in your section as you can and prevent them from intervening.”
“You got it.”
“Li light ’em up” said Warner and Alpha Team opened with a strong volley of fire. Li’s quanto was spraying fire down the tunnel as Warner gave Buster the order to go. Bravo Team was up and running through the left side of the door. Buster went first followed by Dakota. The third trooper through was hit and fell. The rest clambered over the body, now lifeless. They dived to ground and began returning fire.
The Awakening: Book 1 of Warner's World Page 41
