Beachhead Series Collected Adventures Volume One: Invasion Earth series box set

by Chris Lowry

  One suit, two men. He shook his head. It wouldn’t work.

  He whistled instead, long and sharp.

  The abrupt sound startled Steph and Jake, making them jump.

  “He still out there?” Waldo asked.

  “Never left,” said Lt.

  They waited a few minutes, and a shadow moved out of the trees. It was a man shaped bush, leaves swishing and swaying in a non-existent breeze.

  “I’m busy,” said the man in a repurposed ghillie suit.

  “Sorry to disturb your nap,” said Lt. “You got eyes on a patrol around here.”

  “Maybe.”

  “These two need watching while you point us in the right direction.”

  A leaf covered hand reached up and pulled netting and a hat away from his face. Sherill stared at Lt for a moment, eyes hard.

  “I’m not babysitting.”

  “We don’t need watching,” Renard pushed himself off the ground.

  “They can’t keep up,” Lt explained.

  “You’re going to bust a patrol while you wait for them to catch up with you?”

  “Something like that,” Lt drawled. “Why don’t you take your finger and point us in the right direction to do some good. We’ll kill us a patrol while you bring them along.”

  Sherill sighed.

  “I don’t have a suit.”

  “You got one of them bandito’s practically brand new ghillies.”

  “No computer in it,” Sherill huffed. “Low tech.”

  “It works, don’t it?”

  “I could do some good in one,” he said.

  “You do plenty good with that long rifle of yours,” Lt told him. “And I need your help.”

  He said it like it cost him something. Sherill nodded, seemed to understand, as if a secret communication passed between them.

  “The Licks have a run about six klicks west. You stay on this route, it connects. If I was going to do it, there’s a crossroads as pretty as an X where they meet. High ground on the east side. Good spot to set up.”

  “If you was doing it,” Lt said.

  Sherill nodded.

  “How regular?”

  Sherill made a show of looking at his wrist, the dangling leaves and moss shivering as he did so. There was no watch there.

  “Regular,” he answered. “That’s as close a time as I can get.”

  Lt squinted in the direction he indicated, then looked at Jake and Steph.

  “You need help, Sherill?”

  “For them? Please,” he scoffed.

  “They said they were on Mars,” Babe told him.

  “Really?” Sherill regarded the two veterans. “Martians, huh? Got collected.”

  It was Weber’s turn to regard him. Renard didn’t bow down, but didn’t look at him either.

  “Not my lucky day,” Weber said.

  “But here you are and Mars is gone.”

  They stared at each other for a moment, measuring, eyes roaming as each took in what the other had to offer.

  “I’ll be fine alone,” said Sherill.

  Lt nodded.

  “Two hours.”

  “About that,” said Sherill. “If they can keep up.”

  Lt led Babe, Waldo, Steph and Jake in a trot through the woods.

  The nano’s flowed through his bloodstream, working to repair the microtears in his muscles even as they happened.

  He imagined the tiny robots breaking down the lactic acid in his legs before it had time to build up. Imagined them working on the air sacs in his lungs, helping them expand and transfer oxygen to his blood stream.

  He wasn’t tired. He wasn’t fatigued. The rifle on his arm felt weightless, the pack on his back no more than feathers.

  He ran faster.

  His squad increased speed to keep up, and he could tell the miniatures were working on them too.

  They reached the crossroad in twenty minutes, none of them out of breath.

  “That was-.” Waldo grinned.

  “Fucking amazing,” Lt finished for him.

  And it was. They all felt that way judging by the look on their faces.

  Babe grinned at him.

  “You want two on the far ridge to set up a cross fire?”

  Lt hefted his rifle.

  “I was thinking a little more scalpel than baseball bat this time, Babe.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Weber and Renard followed Sherill through the trees.

  “Sure you don’t want to walk behind us?” Weber spoke to his back. “We could jump you, take your weapon.”

  They heard him laugh.

  “You could jump me,” he agreed.

  “But your weapon?” Renard asked.

  “You have guns. Nothing to be gained by hopping on my back.”

  They paced him in silence, and even though they weren’t as fast as the suits, they made good time and arrived at the crossroads in two hours and fifteen minutes.

  Lt sat under a tree, visor propped open as he waited for their approach.

  “You’re late,” he said.

  Sherill waved his empty wrist.

  “Watch broke,” he said. “Can’t rush a good walk in the woods.”

  Lt pushed off the tree and propped his blaster over his shoulder.

  “Nothing beats a good walk,” he said as he led them to the asphalt on the crossroads. “Unless you can hitch a ride.”

  Babe and Waldo sat in the open cockpit of a hovercraft studying the controls while Jake and Steph watched them debate the purpose of levers and buttons.

  Sherill made a pleased noise in his throat.

  Scorch marks marred the smooth surface, but it floated four feet off the ground in a smooth hover.

  “It’s gonna be a tight fit,” said Lt.

  He helped Weber, then Renard onto the smooth skirted edge and they scrambled into the open space.

  Sherill pulled himself up and settled on the edge of the cockpit.

  Lt hopped up with ease and stood behind Babe.

  “Who drew the short straw?”

  Waldo put his hands on the yoke.

  “We think we figured it out,” he said.

  One of his fingers reached out. He tried not to wince as he jammed a button.

  The hum of the engine moved up a notch, then another. Waldo eased the yoke forward.

  The hovercraft stuttered to a start, causing everyone inside the cockpit to grab an edge for balance.

  Sherill slid off the edge and into the cockpit floor.

  “Probably safer down there,” Lt warned.

  The big man cradled his rifle and wished for a seat belt.

  But he didn’t need it. Waldo smoothed out the take off as the hover craft accelerated over the blacktop.

  It gained speed, wind whipping across their helmets.

  Weber and Renard ducked down on the floor since they weren’t protected by suits.

  Lt gripped the back of the pilot’s chair and watched the road. He felt a thrill in the pit of his stomach as they raced along. It had been three years since he’d gone this fast, and he had forgotten how much he loved the feeling of speed.

  The hovercraft cut their time to less than an hour to reach the hidden compound.

  Lt tapped Waldo on the shoulder as they reached a five mile mark and used his finger to point him down.

  Waldo pulled the yoke back in increments, reducing speed and brought it to an almost smooth stop.

  “Valet this damn thing,” Lt said as he hopped over the side.

  “I can take it all the way, Lt. It’s easy to control.”

  “Waldo, I’m glad to hear it and I’ve got no doubt in my mind, you’re the man for the job. But if this thing’s got a tracker on it, I just as soon as not take it to our secret suit base.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Sherill, you keep watch on it.”

  Sherill didn’t say a word, just slipped over the side and disappeared into the trees.

  The others joined Lt on the ground.

 
“Is it okay to just leave it?” Renard asked. “We were plagued by bandits at our compound.”

  “We helped the people here solve that problem,” said Babe.

  “Exterminated that plague,” Waldo added.

  “Let’s go see what Doc has for us,” Lt said.

  He sent Jake and Steph on point, and let Waldo and Babe cover the two veterans as they made their way to the base.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The last three miles to the compound were quick. Not as quick as they could have been, but the hour in the hovercraft let Weber and Renard rest their legs, and they moved faster toward their destination.

  A sentry spotted Jake and showed himself beside a tree. He gave a quick wave, then ran toward the fence.

  “Early warning system,” said Weber.

  “Need ‘em if you’re not living under a rock,” said Lt.

  “Technically, it was a mountain.”

  “You say potato,” Lt grinned.

  “You were taking us to High Command, but now that it’s gone,” Weber said. “What is this? What are you taking us to?”

  “A little late for second guessing,” Babe said.

  “I’m not second guessing,” said Weber. “I’m asking what to expect.”

  “This is a civilian compound,” Lt explained. “No one to turn you over to, or in to, or even speak about to you.”

  “What does that mean?” Renard asked.

  “That means you’re sticking with us.”

  “What if we don’t want to stick?” Renard said.

  “I don’t force nothing,” Lt said as they reached the fence.

  Jake and Steph folded back the cut links to create a tented opening that the others slipped through before they followed.

  “We’re going a mission,” Babe told the veteran duo.

  “Killing Licks,” Weber nodded to Lt. “We get it’s his hobby.”

  “Hobby hell, it’s my business.”

  “And brother, business is good,” Babe and Waldo parroted together.

  “Guess you’ve heard me say that a time or two,” Lt shrugged.

  “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

  “You’re right, Babe. It is the God’s honest truth, and where we’re going, it’s the land of opportunity as far as killing Licks go.”

  “After your man.”

  “After my man.”

  They stopped outside of the door as people poured through the opening. First in twos and threes, then a wave of people streaming down the steps to surround the squad.

  One of the dirty faced women clapped, and the rest quickly joined in. A sound of joyous appreciation filled the asphalt lot in front of the building.

  “What the hell are they cheering at?” Waldo asked.

  Lt looked around.

  The squad in suits looked fearsome. Black matte armor, reflective faceplates on helmets. Strong, and powerful.

  “Hope,” he said, just loud enough for Weber to catch.

  “Hope?” the veteran repeated. “You’re bringing them hope?”

  Babe raised a clenched fist in the air. The act seemed to excite the crowd more. They cheered louder.

  Waldo saw him, and mimicked the movement.

  The people clapped harder.

  Lt waved as he motioned Weber and Renard up the steps.

  The rest of the squad followed them inside. The crowd followed, growing quieter inside the enclosed structure.

  “Lt!” Crockett shouted.

  He greeted Babe and Waldo with fist bumps.

  “Where’s Danish?” he grinned.

  Lt popped his visor. The grin fled as Crockett saw the look on his face.

  “Damn it,” he cursed.

  Babe shed the ruck sack and passed the armor to him.

  “Suit up,” Lt said, his voice soft.

  Crockett nodded, and carried the ruck after Lt into the lab space.

  “Doc!”

  Doc jumped, rattling a hanging suit so it sounded like plated windchimes.

  “Was that greeting for you?”

  Lt ignored him.

  “Are my suit’s ready?

  Doc stood back from the rack.

  “I did my best,” he said.

  “Do they work?”

  “Yes,” he nodded after a moment. “I can’t run the diagnostics the way we once did, but they are as ready as they will be.”

  “And you got the fucking lights on in this place,” Lt clapped him on the shoulder. “Good fucking work.”

  Doc glowed under the praise.

  “Babe, get those two in here.”

  Doc watched Babe lead Weber and Renard into the lab. They gawked as they stepped through the plaster opening, wide eyes trying to take in all of the room at once.

  “You remember how to put these on?” Lt asked.

  Weber grabbed the first suit and examined it, hands running over the smooth lines.

  “All too well.”

  “You’re going with me, so suit up.”

  “I thought we had a choice,” said Renard.

  “Yeah, you had a choice of me choosing. I choose you to go.”

  Weber kept a hand on the suit, but stared at Lt for a moment.

  “I didn’t sign up for a suicide mission.”

  “You didn’t sign up at all,” said Lt. “You were conscripted, at least that’s what you told us.”

  “I was,” Weber answered, steel in his voice. “We were.”

  “And since you were MIA, not KIA, you never gave up the duty.”

  “You’re going to win us over on a technicality?”

  “Nope, no need to win you over,” Lt nodded at his hand. “You ain’t took your hand off that suit since you got in here.”

  Weber looked at his hand as if it belonged to a different person, but he didn’t remove it.

  “It becomes a part of you,” he said in a hesitant voice. “You’ll see. It haunts you.”

  “Yeah, well I don’t believe in ghosts,” Lt said. But it was a lie.

  He saw the ghosts of the men he got killed every time he closed his eyes at night.

  Weber turned to the Doc.

  “Is the nano there?”

  Doc nodded.

  “All of it?”

  Doc frowned. He chewed on his lip for a moment and nodded again.

  Weber sighed. He lifted the first suit off the rack and draped it over his shoulder.

  “Where do I change?”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  It felt like slipping into an old friend, Weber thought as he strapped on the armor.

  The fabric adjusted, and he didn’t even feel the tiny sting of the needle as it pierced his skin.

  What he did feel was relief. Instant, euphoric relief, and the wonder of it brought tears to his eyes.

  Three years. Longer still, he had lived with pain. The aches from the crash, his injuries and living as if in the dark ages since returning to earth. It all disappeared as the nano went to work on his system.

  Lt watched the man stand straighter.

  Watched both of them adjust, shoulders thrown back, heads held higher.

  He was impressed.

  He had been injured once, and the pain made him want to curl in a ball. He imagined living with it, day after day, and saw the results of its absence in the men.

  They no longer slumped in on themselves. No longer carried their back in a permanent cower.

  “The robots worked fast,” he said.

  Renard stretched both arms above his head, slow, methodical.

  “I haven’t been able to do that since the crash.”