Nick Thomas - Battle Earth IV

“Good of you to join us,” Taylor grinned.

“Sorry it took us as long as it did.”

She looked over to see Eddie amongst the marines with a rifle in hand, and his ridiculous faded red bandana still about his head.

“Finally making a soldier of you, are we?” she asked.

“Don’t get used to it. I fly for a living.”

Taylor looked around and nodded in appreciation. Rains had blended into the unit so effectively and professionally that he’d forgotten the pilot was even with them. It never ceased to amaze him quite how good an asset the Lieutenant was. His appearance would never imply it.

A radio signal cut in with loud gunfire and shouts in the background.

“This is Parker. We’re taking heavy fire in the parking garage, ground floor. Need immediate assistance!”

Taylor shot a glance to Chandra with a look of fear on his face.

“Go! Now!” shouted Chandra.

Taylor leapt to the stairs with his platoon close behind. He rushed down the stairs so quickly he almost fell flat on his face. As he took the final bend to the last stairwell, he leapt the last fifteen steps and landed hard at the base. The ceramic floor cracked under his feet. He got out of the stairway to find Captain Fournier ushering people out of the building.

“Captain! The garage, where is it?”

Fournier turned with a look of shock to see the concern in Taylor’s face. He froze for just a moment before answering.

“South west corner, follow this…”

Before the Captain could continue, Taylor turned and sprinted away in the direction of the garage. He rushed so fast that the double automatic doors in front of him didn’t have time to fully open. The shoulders of his armour made contact, tearing them from the frame. Taylor didn’t even break stride as the others ran over the smashed doors.

The gunfire was growing louder, and he knew they were coming up on the fight. He reached a side door and could see into the garage through a small window. Parker and her unit were hunkered down around several police cruisers that were in a state of repair. Pulses were flashing across their positions, and they were rarely able to safely get any shots in return.

He looked towards the enemy positions and saw a dozen Mechs dug in, defending what appeared to be a large storage container that was definitely not human. Taylor didn’t give it any more thought. He was only concerned with getting to the aid of Eli. He turned and looked down the corridor for another entrance, quickly leaping into action to find one. They rushed thirty metres down the corridor, but there was not a single entrance.

“God damn it, how the fuck do we get in?”

“Sir, I saw another entrance on the far side, but it was barricaded up. Only other way in is the doors to the road, but we’ll have a hard time getting them open from the outside,” Lam said.

He turned and looked in despair for any other options.

“Sir, this wall ain’t too strong. It worked last time.”

He put his hand to the wall and thought.

“Alright, but I don’t want to give them any idea we’re coming. What charges have we got left?”

Silva rushed up to their position and overheard the last of what they had said.

“We’ve still got two breaching charges. They’ll take this baby down, no problem.”

“Do it,” said Taylor.

Silva turned and pointed to two of his team members to come forward. They drew out satchel charges and ripped off the tabs on the rear of the charges that revealed a self-adhesive surface. They slapped them onto the wall and pressed just a few buttons before turning to the Major.

“Twenty seconds, Sir.”

“Clear out, take cover!” he ordered.

He rushed ten metres back and ducked his head down. He stared at his watch, counting the seconds. The satchel charges blew with a surprisingly quiet eruption that was a perfectly controlled charge, removing a segment from the interior wall wide enough for three marines to fit through.

“Go!” he shouted.

Lam was through the breach before Mitch could get back onto his feet. He was moved by his companion’s faultless bravery. They were as eager to take on the Mechs as he was. He couldn’t tell if they were rushing to the relief of friends or just wanting to feed their bloodlust, but it didn’t matter.

As he got through the breach, a pulse rushed past him, killing the marine beside him. He had no idea who it had been. Mitch continued onwards while firing to the cover of a workstation. He hunkered down and pulled out his last grenade, launching it over to the enemy positions. Before it had landed, he was back on his feet and firing like hell. He watched in joy as the creatures were pelted with dozens of rounds before the grenade erupted amongst them.

He ducked back down to change his magazine to see Chandra rushing through the breach to join him. Gunfire raged from Parker’s side of the room, and Taylor leapt to his feet to join in. Seeing the enemy taking continuous fire before them, and ducking for cover, he jumped over the desk.

“Taylor!” screamed Chandra.

It was too late to stop him. Mitch rushed at the enemy positions and jumped up onto the roof of a police cruiser that formed part of the enemy defences. He was stood tall above the last surviving creatures and quickly pointed his rifle, opening up on full auto. The others watched in amazement Taylor fired down into their positions. Chandra’s face turned from concern to a hopeless grimace as she watched the morbid scene.

Taylor dropped the magazine onto the roof of the car and drew out another while he still stood on the roof.

“That’s enough!” Chandra shouted to him.

He snapped around and glared at the Major. For a moment, he was in such a frenzied state he’d forgotten the friend she was to him. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. Taylor turned back to the carnage below and looked at the wash of blue blood seeping across the hard floor. Then the reason they had gotten there sprung back into his memory, and he turned and jumped from the roof. He rushed to Parker’s position to find her sat beside the body of a dead marine.

“You okay?” he asked.

She looked up with sad eyes. Two tears seeped down her face. Chandra paced up to them and placed a hand on Taylor’s shoulder. She looked down at Parker and the body of the marine beside her, but she knew there was nothing she could say to help, besides taking her mind off the loss.

“Any idea what’s in that container?” asked Chandra. “Clearly it was important to them.”

“No idea, but it had better be worth it.”

Chandra nodded in agreement. She turned and hauled Taylor with her to investigate. As they reached the breach, a soldier stumbled through in pain, struggling to breathe. It was Williams, who Taylor had seen left for dead in the stairway.

“Still with us, then?”

Williams looked up with a pained expression and replied in a hoarse voice.

“Just about.”

The two officers continued onwards to the container. It was ten metres long and five metres wide by five metres high.

“How on earth did that even get here?” she asked.

“And why?”

Jones and Fournier stepped up beside them as they stopped beside the curious container.

“Everyone from the bunker safe and secure?” asked Chandra.

“Yes,” replied Fournier but was distracted by the sight of the container. They could see dents and gashes in the outer frame that could not have been caused by the firefight.

“Looks like that came down with a bird!”

They turned to see Eddie Rains approaching. They turned back, realising what he was saying made sense.

“Must have been shot down towards the end of the war,” he continued.

“Yes, I have a report of a crash site just half a kilometre from here,” replied Fournier.