Simon Hawke - Khyber Connection

"We expected an attack last night, but only a half-hearted attempt was made, one easily repulsed. We lost one man. Prior to that there had been some skirmishing. The squadron lost one horse when Ghazis opened fire on us from a nuflah, and that night one fool who strayed some fifty yards from his picket was killed by tribesmen lurking in the dark. It’s astonishing that you were able to get through. The enemy is always out there, creeping close at night and sniping or trying to kill the pickets. Everyone’s nerves are a bit on edge. You were fortunate. If you had come just one half hour later, you would most certainly have encountered savages taking advantage of the dark to get in close. They’re building up to it, that much is certain. Tonight may well be the night. I’m looking forward to it."

" I don’t think I am," Andre said.

"Never fear, Miss Cross. I shall keep close to you.

You have had quite an ordeal, but it shall be over soon. Once the pass is forced, we will have broken their resistance. After that it will only be a matter of destroying the fortified villages and bringing them to complete submission. "

"1 hope you’re right," said Andre.

Shots cracked out in the night. Churchill paused to listen. "More sniping"- he said."Orcould this be the push" "

Further shots followed rapidly, and the answer came when the order to strike the tents was passed. The men took to the trenches while others lay flat on the ground, protected by the entrenchment walls, but there was still danger from the dropping bullets. The soldiers con-served their fire. There was nothing to shoot at, no definite targets in the darkness. No one walked unless it was absolutely imperative, and even then they did so at great risk.

— Somewhat ignoble way to spend the evening, don’t you think"" said Churchill, keeping his head low to the ground.

"Iwas tired anyway, — said Finn. "I needed to lie down. "

Criurchi! i’s chuckle was lost in the screaming of the Ghazis who suddenly came charging out of the darkness on all sides of the camp. Volley after volley was poured into them and still they came, waving their swords, charging right into the bayonets of the troops. The new magazine rifles, coupled with the lethal dumdum bullets, took their toll as Ghazis fell by the dozens. There was no panic. The soldiers maintained disciplined fire in the face of a frightening onslaught, and the big guns fired star shells to illuminate the field in a pale, surreal light.

For those lying on the ground, well behind the trenches, there was nothing to do but remain flat and hope a stray bullet would not find them. Only Finn and Andre had a great deal more occupying their attention. They had to keep constantly on the alert for anyone approaching. The first charge was stopped and whistles blew, signaling an end to independent firing. Volley fire was the order now, until another charge threatened to break through.

It was not long in coming. Screaming at the tops of their lungs, the Ghazis came once more, swarming like army ants out of the darkess. Again the devastating fire was resumed. Ghazis charged up to within several yards of the big guns, only to be blown in half when they discharged. The scene in the trenches was a bizarre juxtaposition of men firing while others next to them engaged Ghazis at bayonet point.

Finn and Andre could spare no time to worry about Ghazis. They were watching their own troops, craning their necks all around to see if anyone in a British uniform was moving closer. And then the mortar fire started. The first shell exploded some thirty yards to the left of the camp, taking out more than a dozen Ghazis as it burst. The second one came moments later, striking just in front of the trenches.

Finn leaped on top of Churchill and kept him pinned beneath his weight as bullets whipped past them.

"We’ve got to find the bastards before they zero in! yelled Finn. At that moment a bullet struck him in the arm. "I’m hit!"

Churchill struggled to get up, but Finn pressed him down.

"Stay here!" shouted Andre.

Churchill never noticed Andre clocking out. Another shell landed, sending up clouds of dust and clods of earth as it struck the entrenchment wall. Men screamed. The Ghazi attack continued unabated as they charged the trenches again and again and the British soldiers kept up a punishing stream of fire.

Andre took a gamble. She clocked blind, trying to estimate relative distance coordinates for the heights behind the camp. She thought she knew the weapon being used, or its alternate universe equivalent-a pop mortar, a small tubelike weapon fired from the shoulder with scope sights attached on a slender, collapsible stalk. It would be equipptd with night sights, and it fired tiny, ball-shaped missiles about the size of walnuts. Its operation was completely silent except for an almost imperceptible popping sound made by the launching of the missles.

The plan was clear now. They had never intended to infiltrate assassins to kill Churchill. Instead they had taken up position on the heights in order to drop well-placed mortar fire into the camp, taking out the big guns and cutting down on the British advantage, allowing the Ghazis to break through. A few more shots and they would be zeroed in, able to drop missiles directly into the trenches.

Andre tried to estimate trajectory, to think as they had thought, to find the most logical place to set up their point of fire. They needed to be well away from the attacking Ghazis, and the best vantage point for the battle were the heights directly behind the encampment, on the side opposite the Bedmanai Pass. She still had to find them quickly, but it left a great deal of territory to search. Unless she was very lucky, the odds of finding them were very small. And that meant Churchill’s death-and Finn’s.

Phoenix heard the screams coming from the top of the tower in Drakov’s residence. Sayyid Akbar was home again. He felt the molecular disruptor beneath his robe. It §ave him a profound feeling of security. He was sure the opposition wouldn’t have such weapons. There were only a few in existence, all prototypes made by Darkness. The Temporal Army could not figure out a way to duplicate them. The principles of the weapon’s operation had been explained to them in detail, but they just couldn’t make one. He could not imagine a duplicate Dr. Darkness in the alternate universe. The thought of two of them was unnerving.

Most of the village was empty now, save for the women and children. The men had all gone to take up their positions in the Khyber Pass, preparing for the am-bush of the Tirah Expeditionary Force. Phoenix had remained behind, watching Drakov’s residence. He had seen Sadullah going in and knew the attack would not begin without him. He wondered what Drakov was doing to him to instill the teri. or necessary for absolute obedience.

"Ishe inside""

Phoenix jumped about a foot. The voice had come from about five inches away. He turned to see Darkness standing at his elbow.

"Jesus, Doc, I wish you wouldn’t do that. I swear, you’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days. "

"Don’tconcern yourself," said Darkness. "I know CP R. You haven’t answered my question."

"Yeah, he’s in there, all right. Putting the fear of God into old Sadullah. They’re ready to move. Where’s the expeditionary force""

"Approaching the pass," "said Darkness. ""I’ve found the confluence point, thanks to the adjustment team.""

"They’re okay"""

"They won’t be if I don’t get back to help them," Darkness said. "Forrester is ready to move with the First Division on my signal, which I’ll give him the mo-ment the soldiers from the alternate timeline start com-ing through the confluence. After that both they and you are on your own. I must get to the adjustment team and help them stop the second assault upon the timestream. "