Nick Thomas - Battle Earth III

“You get Eddie on board?”

“You get Phillips to cough up the data?”

“Damn right. Phillips can be a bastard, but when he knew we were willing to attempt a rescue of British soldiers, he was ready to do whatever I wanted. He’ll never admit it officially, of course, unless he can take some of the glory without risking his standing.”

“And that is why we are still lugging guns, and he’s at a desk.”

She nodded in agreement, and she quickly glanced around to be certain that nobody had heard their conversation.

“Eddie is good to go, 2000 hours.”

“He’s confident that he can get clearance?”

“Sure. Rains is a law unto himself, and since White has used him for special operations work, nobody is even sure who he reports to, beyond the General.”

She stepped forward and leaned in a little closer.

“You sure you want to do this, now?”

He leaned back and stared into her eyes as if perplexed by the question.

“Is there really a choice?” he replied.

“Of course, there is always a choice.”

“Leave no man behind,” he mused in a slow and serious tone.

“Come on, Mitch, this isn’t any kind of war this planet has ever seen. We’ve left scores of dead on our retreat across France. You can’t tell me we haven’t left soldiers to die.”

Taylor shook his head.

“That doesn’t make it right. Maybe we couldn’t save the dead and dying. Maybe we couldn’t recover the bodies of our comrades, but Jones is alive. I know he is.”

She sighed as she thought about his words, and she wanted Jones back with all her heart.

“It’s a dangerous path this one, you must know it. You put Parker before all else, and you are doing it again for Jones.”

“I am only human.”

“No, we are soldiers, and we have a job to do. Our job is to fight, and if necessary, die in this war. We both want Jones back, just be certain you are doing it for the right reasons.”

Taylor frowned as he turned and walked a few steps away from the Major. He knew she was right about his reckless breach of orders to save Parker. He turned and stepped back up to the woman he was growing to know as well as Jones.

“I may have blatantly disregarded our orders, but look where it got us. I saved a valuable Sergeant in my Company and have in turn, provided more than our fair share of service in these foreign lands. I have stood beside you, Major, as we both have Jones. He needs our help, and we need him back in this unit.”

She thought about his words for just a few seconds before answering in a soft and friendly tone.

“Then I wish you every luck, and I only pray that if I am ever in trouble, I have you fighting my corner.”

“You’ve got it.”

He outstretched his hand and shook with Chandra.

Major Taylor stood and watched as his twenty-nine marines formed up before him. Every one of them wore the Reitech suits and related gear. Eddie was stood behind him in his usual ragged kit. He presented an anti-establishment image while being one of the finest officers Taylor had ever known. It was a fact that continued to amuse the Major.

“The General still not got you into regulation attire, I see?”

“No, Siree. He can tell me where and when to fly, and I’ll follow it to the letter, but some things you just cannot accept.”

“How on earth do you do it? I have never understood how you continue to get away with it.”

“When you’re the best damn pilot on the eastern seaboard, you get a little leeway.”

He smiled as he stepped forward to address the troops. He was the only officer among them. He would not risk anymore of their command staff for what he knew was a reckless and dangerous mission. Sergeants Silva and Parker stood among them as the highest ranks.

Not one of them yet knew what the night had in store for them. He could see the questions they wanted to ask in their eyes. Formed up with the best hardware available and two modified copters, they all knew it was more than a regular patrol. They stood at attention as they eagerly awaited news of their duty.

The surrounding area was silent now. Only a few dimmed lights provided any view of the area. Rains’ landing area had been kept isolated from the main base in order to give the crews priority for their main task. Their main duty was the transport of key components and personnel related to the Reitech technology. Nobody bothered them as few had the authority to do so. In the distance, they could see and hear vehicles and troops always on the move.

Gunfire continued to ring out every once in a while. The fighting died down at night, but it never fully stopped. Finally, the Major spoke to break the silence and feed the marines’ appetite for information.

“Remember Amiens. Remember Captain Jones and Private Walker. Aside from myself, Sergeants Parker and Silva, you were all there. You witnessed the loss of our comrades, our brothers. New intelligence suggests they are alive, along with up to a dozen other POWs.”

Gasps rang out across the two lines of troops.

“Sir, POWs?” asked Parker.

“I can speculate as to why they are keeping prisoners, but that’s all it would be. All we know for sure is that prisoners have been taken in small numbers, and that Jones and Walker are likely to be among them.”

“How have you found them, Sir?”

“Heat signatures. The enemy body temperature is either far lower than a human, or their armoured suits hide it.”

“So where we heading, Sir?” asked Silva.

“To the city of Metz.”

Several of the marines gasped. A few weeks ago it would have meant little to them. They neither knew where it was nor cared. But now they knew the terrain and the enemy’s location, and it was a grim fact to swallow.

“Sir, that’s way beyond the enemy’s front line, and we know Saarbrucken is crawling with the bastards.”

“That’s why we’ve got Eddie here. Lieutenant Rains, along with Lieutenant Kato, will be flying us in. I know this is a lot to ask,” he stopped and sighed. “We pulled off Poitiers, so you can’t tell me we can’t make this work.”

“What kind of trouble we expecting?” asked Sugar.

The burly gunner stood confidently. Taylor looked down at the vast weapon in his arms and smiled. He carried one of Reiter’s newly designed weapons, but he had bolted it together with his old light machine gun. The bastardised weapon looked so large that it should be vehicular mounted. Yet Sugar stood casually with it resting across his arms. He watched the Major stare at the weapon that he held like his own baby.

“I won’t lie to you. I have officially requested permission for this rescue mission and been denied flat out by General Schulz. I cannot order any of you to follow me here, but I am unwilling to leave our people at the mercy of the invaders.”

He turned and paced down the line before the marines. None of them spoke as they all took in what Taylor had said. They knew that disobeying direct orders from the General was not a situation to be taken lightly. Mitch took a deep breath to calm him before continuing.

“The General has not fought among us. He has not watched his friends be killed every day of this war. He has not stood firm against all odds and fought to the bitter end. He may yet be a good leader, but he is not one of us. We are numbers on a screen to him. He will not allow this rescue because he has made a calculated risk assessment of the resources that would be required for it. We are that resource.”

He stopped and looked out across their faces that were shadowed in the low light.

“My friends are not a resource. We have made it this far by sticking together and fighting for each other. I refuse to give up on one another now. We have made it this far together. Anyone who wants no part in this may leave now without issue.”