Battle Earth III

Chapter 3

The copters soared through a thickly wooded valley towards their target. Taylor watched the shadows of the imposing trees flash by just twenty metres from the windows. Having sat down with nothing more to do but ponder his actions, he was starting to realise how much trouble he was stirring up. He had broken orders to save Parker, but that was in the heat of a battle. This time it was different, and he knew it.

“I guess Schulz will have your balls for this?” asked Silva.

He looked up at the calm and confident Sergeant. Their two sections rode with Rains. Sergeant Parker and her team were with Kato.

“Schulz can tough talk as much as he likes, but he needs us,” growled Taylor.

“You think that’ll be enough to save us from the can?”

Taylor shrugged his shoulders. He wanted to believe that it was true, but he also knew that his insubordination could not go unchecked. Never before had he simply deemed his orders to be unjust and unreasonable. Perhaps Schulz will see he was wrong if we pull this off, he thought. He shook his head in response to his own question. Schulz was a bastard and wouldn’t ever change.

He looked down the line of marines and admired their resoluteness. They were just as calm and cool headed as if on a training exercise. He wondered how much was down to their training and discipline, and how much to do with the death and destruction. After all they had witnessed, he wondered if they had become accustomed to the thought of death and the loss of friends.

The Major had never asked his marines whether they should even be risking themselves for two British soldiers. The two units had become so integrated that they rarely saw a distinction anymore, unless it was for the sake of a quick joke. He lifted up his Mappad and studied the surveillance images one last time.

Heat signatures showed that up to a dozen humans were being held in a prison just a few kilometres south of the city. It had been constructed a hundred years previously and was a vast sprawling complex which could house ten thousands criminals. He wondered what had become of the occupants after the area had fallen to the enemy. The guards had a duty to protect them and move them to safety. In reality, he knew that in the chaos of the invasion, many would have been left to their own devices.

Thinking about the prisoners for a few minutes, he wondered why there were not more signatures of the prison’s inhabitants. He looked up to the Sergeant who he knew to be a smart and well-informed man.

“The prisoners, where do you think they are?”

Silva sighed as he looked away and back to Mitch.

“It was chaos getting everyone out of the cities. I guess they either let them loose or…”

His voice faded away as he thought about the alternative.

Neither man wanted to consider the slaughter that they both suspected. Most of the others weren’t paying attention or didn’t cotton on to their train of thought. Taylor nodded to the Sergeant. They both knew what they must prepare themselves for. Taylor sat back against the fuselage and relaxed as much as he could for the last few minutes of peace they would have.

There was barely anymore than a little light from the moon piercing into the cabin of the craft. Their vision had adjusted to the darkness. Night vision equipment was on general issue to most of their forces before the war, but the enemy’s energy weapons made them dangerous to use. A pulse from their energy blasters would blind and temporarily incapacitate anyone wearing them. Taylor now only used the night vision in his binoculars to survey scenes.

Lacking visibility in night combat was a scary situation to be in. Taylor would avoid night combat at any cost with the alien invaders. But with so much ground to cover in enemy territory, they were left with little choice.

Eddie cut the power to the copter’s engines, leaving only the retrofitted alien technology to provide propulsion. They hoped it would cover their approach as it had done before. It was clear the invaders had not yet learnt their lesson. They were clearly still ignorant of the threat the humans could present.

Taylor looked at the Mappad at their position as they came down slowly on a small access road, half a kilometre from the prison’s eastern perimeter. In an ideal world, they would put down right over the POWs’ position, but they had little of idea what to expect. The ramps thumped down into the soft and muddy ground that squelched as the heavily laden marines hit the ground. Parker rushed down her ramp, but left her section aboard.

“Sergeant, you will wait here and be ready on our signal. The flares could attract a lot of attention, so we’ll only use them if we have to and keep them to a minimum. Can you remember the colour identification?”

“Yes, Sir.”

He turned and nodded to signal for Silva and the others to follow him towards the perimeter wall. They had landed between thick trees in a well-hidden position. The two sections continued on quietly in their columns with Taylor at the head. He had clipped his Mappad device onto his left arm, allowing him to keep his rifle at the ready. The threat and surrounding danger was beginning to set in. They were all alone in occupied lands.

You’d better be alive, Jones, he thought. Without the rescue of Jones and the others, he would be in more trouble with his superiors than he could imagine. Could it be any worse than death? He thought about it a little more as he paced on in darkness. He knew that the one thing Schulz could do was remove him from his Company. After all their struggles to fight and survive, he could not bear the thought of being parted from them. Would that be the price of saving soldiers? To then be parted from them?

Taylor reached the end of the road and a small verge that overlooked the prison. He lifted his hand and signalled for them to halt. Silva moved up beside him to survey the situation. The main facility lights were on. They could see the city lights of Metz glimmering to the north. The unmanned nuclear power plants had kept power to the areas where cables were not obliterated by the war.

The outer fences of the prison still lay in darkness. Taylor pulled out his night vision binoculars and panned across the perimeter that was less than a hundred metres ahead of them. He nodded as he quickly identified four drones waiting silently in front of the easterly gate. The entrance was small and lightly guarded.

“Must be a secondary entrance,” he whispered.

Silva lifted his night vision goggles and held them before his eyes. The body of the device knocked into the brim of his helmet, and he cursed at the clumsiness of how they had to use the equipment. Taylor smiled at his discomfort, but the Sergeant merely continued to survey the scene.

“Going to make a whole lot of noise taking ‘em out,” he replied.

“Do we have another choice?”

“We could circle the perimeter and look for a quieter way in.”

Taylor shook his head. They were walking into the unknown and in hostile territory. Had there not been friendlies within the compound, he would avoid it at all costs.

“Once we start firing, all hell’s gonna break loose anyway. I say we take out these drones now and be rid of them.”

Silva nodded. It was as good a plan as any.

“Spread out. Advance fifty metres, open fire on my signal, and fire up an F4 flare as soon as the guns start firing.”

“You want them going in before we’re even through the gate?” asked Silva.

“The second the guns start firing, we are working against the clock. We don’t have a choice.”

Silva nodded. Taylor moved forward over the verge, and the Sergeant stood in position, relaying the commands to the troops as they followed after the Major. The Reitech suits allowed the marines to move effortlessly with the weight they carried. The only sound was that of their boots squelching in the open field.

Taylor could feel his heart rate increase with each step as they quietly closed the distance. They still had little idea of the drones’ capabilities in terms of identification. A vast noise bellowed in the sky, causing all the troops to quickly drop onto one knee and duck to conceal themselves the best they could. They’ve found us, thought Taylor.

He waited for a moment to see what was approaching. The booming grew louder until the ground vibrated beneath them. They could do nothing but remain still, and wait and hope they had not been spotted. A slab fronted and bulbous ship rushed overhead and slowed as it entered the prison complex airspace.

Taylor gasped in relief that it appeared to be unrelated. He looked around at the faces of the nearest marines to see the same glimmer of satisfaction. He turned back to track the vessel. Beam lights burst into action as it came in to land in one of the courtyards. The entire underbelly was lit up as well as the ground below it.

The Major turned the bevel on his binoculars to return to normal magnified vision and lifted them to his eyes. He could see the vehicle come in to land, but it was largely obscured by one of the vast detention centres between the vessel and their position. He squinted to make out a glimmer of movement a few moments later.

Finally, through a small gap between two of the buildings, he could make out the sight of humans being led from the vessel. A Mech strode past in between them with its huge cannon slung casually across its armoured forearms. Shit, they must be bringing more prisoners in. We better have enough space to get them out.

The marine platoon waited and huddled in the grass for twenty minutes. They knew the drones were close but had not identified them. Their mission presented enough danger without having to take on the guards of the transport vessel. Taylor did not have to relay commands. They all knew they must wait.

The vessel finally began to lift off from the base and head quickly off to the east. Taylor waited until it was well clear, and he could no longer hear the intimidating boom of its engines. He knew they had a narrow margin to make the mission work. When he was absolutely happy that they were left in peace once again, he turned to the troops and gave them the nod to move forward.

Taylor lifted himself to his feet. His knees creaked from sitting like a statue for what felt like an hour. He stretched his muscles and flexed his joints until he softened up and then moved forward at a slow and quiet pace. Taylor lifted his rifle and quickly targeted the first Mech. The moonlight glimmered off its metallic structure.

He looked back at his marines, but they had already stopped and readied themselves to fire upon seeing his weapon raised. The time for covert action was over. He nodded to Silva for the Sergeant to ready the flare. The Major turned back to his target and took in a deep breath. He pulled the trigger and fired three shots off in rapid succession. The drone was smashed over onto its side as gaping holes were torn in its body.

The moonlit field pulsed with light as the platoon opened fire with a rapid and brutal volley into their targets. The drones were all destroyed before they could return a single shot. The signal flare burst above them and lit up the scene. Taylor quickly leapt to his feet and rushed forward, shouting for his marines to follow him. They reached the gates of the prison and the burning wrecks of the drones. Their new weapons had left the alien devices as heaps of scrap.

Taylor’s gun fired once again as he rushed forward. The round hit the broad lock of the gates and blew a hole through it and the surrounding mesh. The platoon rushed through without stopping and continued at a quick pace along the smooth concrete ground. Two Mechs quickly appeared from between two buildings up ahead but were utterly overwhelmed.

Fire poured from the marines as they continued rushing on. Each Mech was hit with half a dozen shots. Their bodies had barely hit the ground by the time marine boots were thundering past. Taylor came to a quick stop to identify his surroundings. He had only seen the layout of the facility from aerial surveillance.

Silva’s section rushed to his side and took up positions behind a narrow wall, as the Major surveyed their location. Doors burst open to their left flank and three Mechs rushed out to fight them in a futile attempt. Fire ripped into the guards, and Taylor nodded with satisfaction at the realisation that their equipment was finally up to the task. Although he knew a surprise attack in numbers was a long way from a pitched battle.

Kato’s copter flew overhead before Taylor could get to his feet. The craft’s nose lifted quickly, and the tail dipped to swoop in for a fast descent. They came to a hover just twenty metres above the building where they had identified the heat signatures of humans.

“That’s our target,” called Taylor.

He quickly looked around at the dozens of other detention rooms just like it on the facility.

“Sergeant Silva, check out these other buildings and secure the area!”

He leapt to his feet and ran towards the target building. He didn’t have to give the order to his section. They were already close behind. Taylor could see out of the corner of his eye that Parker’s section was already dropping onto the roof above. Their boosters provided for a soft landing despite their heavy gear that went unheard over the sound of the engines.

Taylor was first through the door as he threw caution to the wind. His desire to save his friend had affected his judgement, but he only realised it too late. As he burst into the entrance, he was met by the sight of a gun barrel just a few metres away. The Mech holding the weapon fired before he could raise his rifle.

The corridor flashed with light as the pulse smashed into the Major’s torso. The power of the blast launched him onto his face and tossed him to the ground like a ragdoll. The Major was conscious for just long enough to feel the pain of the impact as he slid along the corridor and smashed into a sidewall.

Sugar stomped into the corridor and stood his ground before the body of his Major. He opened fire with both of his weapons on full auto. The Mech got off two shots as he rained down fire that smashed the creature back, causing its weapon to miss the hulking marine by just a metre. He bellowed with all the air in his chest as he emptied both magazines into the creature and a second that tried to come to its aid.

The corridor lit up with flames as the walls caught fire under the heat and concentration of the rounds. The two creatures were reduced to twisted piles of scrap. Sugar’s weapon clicked empty, and he lowered his weapon to quickly check on Taylor. He looked back up for just a moment to see that he was safe and then leapt to the Major’s aid.

“Major!” he shouted in hope of a response.

He grabbed hold of Mitch’s shoulders and shook him. The rest of the section ran into the entrance of the building to see the horror of their leader lying lifeless. Sugar knelt down and listened to his breathing.

“He’s alive!” he barked.

The marine got back up and looked at the smoking armour that lay across Taylor’s chest. The round had gouged over a centimetre out of the armour but had not penetrated. Sugar shook him again in desperation. An explosion rang out further into the building, and Sugar glanced down the corridor. Gunfire followed it, and he quickly reached to change his magazines. Two of his section ripped fire extinguishers from the wall and rushed to the flames.

The towering Sugar jumped as he felt a hand grasp his wrist. The shock almost made him reach for the trigger of his weapon, but he looked down to see the Major grasp his arm with a surprisingly firm hold. His eyes were open wide, and he had a stunned expression as he stared blankly at the marine. Sugar’s heart almost stopped as he realised Taylor was still alive. A smile broadened across the man’s face.

“You gonna help me up, or keep looking like you wanna kiss me?” Taylor jested.

Sugar took a hold of the Major’s arm and hauled him to his feet. Mitch groaned as pain soared through his body. He’d almost gotten used to not feeling like a total wreck.

“You okay, Sir?”

Taylor nodded. He lifted up his rifle and turned at the sound of gunfire. He suddenly realised where he was and their purpose for being there. He shook his head to try and wake himself up and then looked to Sugar and the others who were awaiting his orders.

“Let’s get our people back. Let’s go!”

They all cheered as they rushed forward to the end of the corridor. Campbell led from the front; his beloved sniper rifle slung on his back and a Reitech rifle in hand. Taylor winced as he hobbled forward. His neck creaked in agony, and his arm was numb. His spine was only saved from breaking on impact with the wall by the rigidity of his armour. It was little consolation when it hurt so much.

Gunfire erupted in the corridor ahead before the Major could get around the corner. He heard a cry of pain as Allen, one of his section, was struck in the arm. The Private collapsed back against the wall as the others kept firing. Energy pulses rushed down the corridor and blew gaping holes in the space between the wounded man and Taylor.

“Fuck!” bellowed Allen.

The Private screamed at the top of his voice. Taylor could see that the shot had dislocated Allen’s shoulder and taken the flesh down to the bone. He turned to see Campbell huddled behind a metal-wheeled cart that had already taken a blast from the enemy. He peeked around the corner just enough to catch a glimpse of the enemy as a burning pulse of energy zipped past his head and narrowly missed singeing his eyebrows.

The section took cover in doorways and behind trolleys like Campbell. They could barely get a shot off under the hail of energy blasts. Taylor could make out a single fallen Mech further along the corridor, but they had done little other damage. Corporal Hall looked back into the face of his leader.

“Sir, we need to get the fuck out of here!” he shouted.

Taylor looked back down at Allen who was still screaming in pain, and with no one attending to him. The Major was still stunned from the blast and had frozen. He looked back into Hall’s eyes with an expression that put the fear of God into the Corporal. Hall leapt across the hallway between enemy fire and reached the adjoining corridor from where the Major had been watching.

He grabbed hold of Mitch by his arms and threw him back against the wall. Hall had only been Corporal for a week, and promoted not through experience or natural progress. He was filling the shoes of a dead marine. Taylor hit the wall hard, and his armour clunked hard against the thick wall that jolted him. He looked at the Corporal in utter shock.

Taylor still looked dazed and did nothing to push him back whilst gunfire continued to rain down the corridor beside them. Hall slapped the Major hard across the face. The Reitech suit made the strike land harder than he had planned, and Taylor’s head snapped quickly around. He immediately turned back with blood dripping out of his mouth. His eyes squinted, and Hall could see life return to his leader.

Mitch took a firm grasp on Hall and wrestled him quickly back against the far wall, and with his left arm depressed into the Corporal’s throat so that he couldn’t breathe. As the man choked, he looked around to see further light pulses smash into the wall just a metre away and blast through it. Dust sprayed out into the air all around them. He looked back to the Corporal who was starting to lose colour in his face. He quickly released his grip, and Hall did his best to stand tall.

“That’s more like it,” he croaked.

Taylor looked down and saw two grenades slung on the marine’s webbing. He let go of his rifle and let it rest on its sling. He pulled out the grenades and twisted the firing cap of the first.

“Sir, the prisoners!”

Taylor remembered his order to not use any explosives during the raid as they could endanger the POWs. He thought for just a second before leaping to the edge of the corridor and tossing one with all his strength. The exoskeleton suit caused the grenade to be blasted down the corridor as if he had hit a home run. He twisted the cap of the other and quickly launched it after the first. He turned back and looked at the surprised Corporal who had just gotten his breath back.

“We aren’t rescuing anyone if we stay pinned here!” barked Taylor.

An explosion rang out along the corridor and was quickly followed by a second. The armoured leg of a Mech fired down the corridor and struck the wall. Campbell was bounced along the ground to the Major. Two of the marines got up for a better look but could barely make anything out through the dust cloud created by the blast.

Just as the marines were readying themselves to fire once again, a burst of fire rang out from down the corridor.

“Those aren’t Mech guns!” shouted Campbell.

“Keep down!” bellowed Taylor.

They remained huddled behind what was left of their cover as a volley of fire rang out beyond the dust cloud. Taylor coughed as the thick dust lined his lungs. Parker, you came for us, he thought. Just as he had broken orders to save her, she was doing so for him. It was not something he liked to encourage, but he liked living as much as the rest of them.

Silence suddenly fell upon them. Their ears were still ringing from the constant fire and explosions. The interior of a room beside them smoked and flickered with flames. Then they could make out the sound of footsteps stomping across the debris of the surrounding rooms. Sergeant Parker appeared through the smoke at the head of her section.

She stood with her hand on her hip, and her rifle slung on her shoulder, looking down at the marines huddled in the ruined corridor. Allen groaned again, and the others finally jumped to his aid. Taylor knelt down beside the man as Campbell checked the wound. The Private was doing all that he could to hide the pain. Tears seeped from his eyes, but he stayed strong.

“How bad is it, Sir?” he asked.

“You’ll be back in action in no time,” insisted Taylor.

Allen nodded in appreciation, but he was sceptical. He looked down at the wound as Campbell lay a dressing over it. He winced as he looked at the damage. He couldn’t move his arm and knew it would be a long time before it fully recovered, if ever.

“Am I going to sit out the rest of the war?”

Taylor shook his head. He knew it was a distinct possibility, but he didn’t want the man to lose heart.

“Count yourself lucky, you just earned yourself a few weeks with a soft bed and to be waited on by a few cute nurses.”

Allen smiled as he gritted his teeth.

“I need you to walk, Private. Can you do that? We cannot afford to leave people behind now.”

He nodded in agreement as Campbell helped him up from his good arm. Taylor was satisfied that they could move. He turned to look at Hall and stared into his eyes. He was saying thank you without making it public. The Corporal smiled back in acknowledgement. A year ago Taylor would have had the marine on a charge for what he had done, but now he knew not everything was black and white. He turned to Parker.

“Any idea where the prisoners are?”

“Just a few corridors west, according to our maps. We were en route when we heard you were in trouble.”

“Much resistance on the roof?”

“No, Sir. We entered the building without contest and only encountered four hostiles before we found you.”

“Alright, any casualties?”

Parker shook her head.

“Good. They were arrogant not putting the proper defensive measures into effect here. If they think anything like humans, it’ll drive them nuts that we’ve pulled this off under their noses once again.”

Laughs rang out from a few of the marines as he lifted his rifle in readiness.

“Parker, you lead the way. Let’s get our people back.”

She turned and quickly went about her orders. The dust had largely settled, and as they continued on down the corridor, they could see the results of their work. The bodies of at least eight Mechs were scattered across the ground and through doorways that had been blasted from their hinges. The creatures’ now familiar blue blood seeped out from dismembered sections of their armoured suits.

Hall spat on the body of the most intact alien as he strode past. Nobody thought anything of it. This was not a human enemy to feel sympathy towards. They hated the Krycenaeans with all the fibre of their beings. Yet they didn’t even know their real name yet or understand their purpose for being on Earth.

A few minutes later, Parker stopped the column of marines to listen. As their heavy boots came to a stop, they could all hear the sound that had caused her re-action. Screams for help rang out through the corridors. They were muffled through the thick walls but were not far away.

“It’s them!” cried Campbell.

Taylor strode up to the front of the column to stand by the Sergeant. Her eyes always appeared to shine brighter upon seeing him. It was obvious to all but a fool that they were in love, even though they rarely admitted it to themselves. The thought of losing each other was something both tried to ignore as much as possible. It was impossible to think of a world where they did not serve beside each other and share a bed afterwards.

The Major turned back to look at the marines who eagerly awaited their orders. Many were smiling at the prospect of finding fellow soldiers alive. He lifted up his Mappad and once more surveyed the images.

“I want this done smart and right. We have a fork up ahead. Parker’s section head right, and we’ll go left. Go room by room, and be aware of your surroundings. Keep your guard up. Let’s move.”

Taylor turned and quickly rushed forward before Parker could take a step. He wanted to do it right, but he also wanted to be there first. He reached the fork in the corridor and instinctively huddled in against the edge of the wall, creeping around for a better view. He half expected to find enemies awaiting him, but the corridor was empty. He waved his section on and rushed down the corridor. He couldn’t believe he was within seconds of finding his missing comrades.

He had come so close to giving up hope that he kicked himself forever doubting their survival. Then his stomach turned at the realisation that he still had no idea if it was Jones and Walker imprisoned in the facility or some other poor devils.

“Help!”

The cries grew louder as Taylor rushed as quickly as he could while being cautious. He reached a locked cell door and saw a human face on the other side. A soldier with a scarred face and dry blood congealed on his skin. His voice was still muffled by the thick glass window, but Mitch could make out the strong French accent. Two other soldiers were huddled either side of him trying to get a peak, but he couldn’t get a view of their faces.

“Back up! Away from the door!” shouted Taylor.

He pointed for them to move back and the command was quickly understood. He lifted his rifle as the rest of his section formed up around him. They guarded each side of the corridor, but most were fixated on the door to see who was held within. The dim area lit up as the Major’s rifle fired into the lock, blasting a hole into the thick metal. A second shot quickly followed to finish off the high security mechanism.

There was just enough room to get a grasp on the rim of the door. Mitch reached in and pulled hard. The heavy door was flung open and crashed against the wall. Two men and a woman appeared, desperately trying to get out. He pushed forward to get into the cell. On a bench was Captain Jones with Walker lying in his arms.

The Captain looked up with a pale face. He looked like a man who had been utterly defeated. Only a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes as he recognised the man who stood before him. Charlie studied Taylor for a minute, shocked at how different he looked. The Reitech armour and weapons were nothing like anything he had seen before. To him it resembled their enemy more than their own forces.

Taylor’s face was as bloody and scarred as his own. The Captain looked weak and malnourished, and he had obviously lost a number of kilos in bodyweight during his imprisonment.

“Is it really you?” he asked.

Charlie looked suspicious, as if it was all too good to be true.

Taylor paced up to the two men and looked down at Walker. The man was taking his last few breaths. Dried blood stained his uniform from an old wound in the shoulder. Mitch looked up to Jones for an answer to the soldier’s condition. Jones merely shook his head, signalling that Walker was a goner.

“Sir, we’ve got to get the fuck out of here,” said Hall.

He was stood in the doorway impatiently. Taylor turned and held up his hand to stop the man.

The Major knelt down beside the dying soldier who was gasping to say a few last words. He outstretched his hand which Taylor wrapped his own around.

“Get me home.”

“You can bet on it. We’re getting you out of here.”

“I want a proper burial, for my family…”

The man’s voice faded, and his eyes began to contract as the life drained from him.

“A full ceremony, you’ll have it all,” replied Taylor.

Walker smiled faintly as he finally fell limp and passed over. Taylor looked up into the eyes of Jones who was still holding the dead soldier in his arms. Taylor looked down to see needle holes up the Captain’s arms and continuing up and under his rolled up sleeves.

“Sir, we got to get our fucking asses out of here,” whispered Hall.

Taylor turned and nodded in agreement. He looked back to the distraught Captain who he’d come to call one of his best friends.

“I have so many questions, but right now we haven’t got time for it.”

“I’m not leaving Walker behind,” snapped Jones.

“I know,” he replied. “Sugar, get in here!”

The huge marine ducked under the doorway and into the room.

“Can you carry Walker? We leave no man behind today.”

Sugar reached down and carefully lifted the fallen soldier up and over his shoulder with little effort. He stood ready with one arm supporting Walker’s body, and the other with his bastardised weapon held at the ready. Taylor knew the Reitech suits allowed them to do more than they could ever have imagined, but he wondered if Sugar would have done any different were he not wearing it. He turned back to Jones and the other three prisoners.

“Let’s get you out of here.”

He helped his friend to his feet and led him out the door. His excitement at saving his friend was largely numbed by the loss of their comrade, and the state he had found him. He wondered what they had been through, and if Jones would ever come back from it. At least he wants to live, thought Taylor. They reached the fork back the way they came and found Parker’s section guarding the position.

“We’re out of here, Sergeant. Fire the pickup flare as soon as we get outside.”

Parker was fixated on the ruinous state of Jones and the fallen soldier being carried.

“Parker!”

She snapped out of it and looked into his eyes to see the sadness he was doing his utmost to hold back. She nodded and pulled the flare from her webbing.

“Alright, let’s get the hell out of this shithole,” growled Taylor.

He leapt forward to lead the two sections out. They’d heard nothing from Silva. He hoped that meant his section had met no resistance and set up a solid perimeter. They reached the corridor where they had entered the room, and he’d taken a blast in the chest, to find that parts of it were still burning and starting to spread.

Taylor burst out of the building to see Silva standing with a ghostly face in front of the opposing detention facility. The Major’s heart stopped. What could be worse than what we have just found? he thought.

“Give me a sitrep, Sergeant.”

Silva did not respond. He looked into the Major’s eyes with the same lost expression that Mitch had seen in Jones.

“What’s going on, Sergeant?” he insisted.

Silva turned and gestured for the Major to step through into the building beside him. Taylor realised it was serious enough to warrant a look. He turned to the platoon.

“Take up positions. Parker! Get that flare up. Silva, you’re with me.”

The Sergeant begrudgingly agreed. It worried Taylor that one the toughest NCOs he had ever known appeared to be frightened to return into a building where he already knew what lay inside. Taylor looked to Silva’s section, and they were as stunned as he was.

“Parker, you’re in charge!”

He turned and gestured for Silva to lead the way. The demoralised Sergeant paced uneasily to the door and into the complex. As the door opened, the Major caught a blast of the revolting air that rushed from the building. He didn’t ask what it was. The last thing he needed was to have the rest of the platoon as paralysed as the Sergeant.

Silva led him down a corridor until it opened up into a large hall that appeared to be designed for sports. Up ahead, he could see mounds of what looked like refuse. Can’t be, he thought. Then it struck him, and his gut was right. Human bodies were piled high from the far wall to within ten metres of the corridor.

“My God!”

The two men stopped at the opening to the hall. Taylor gagged at the rotting stench that filled his nostrils and throat. Silva simply stood and gazed in shock. Taylor could see that most of the victims wore prison uniforms, although a number closer to them were soldiers.

“What were they doing here? If they only wanted to exterminate us, then why would Jones and the others be alive?” he asked.

Finally the Sergeant spoke.

“They are studying our soldiers, our warriors. These prisoners mean nothing to them. Looks like most of them were killed outright.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Most of the prisoners have been slaughtered by gunfire. The soldiers have been experimented on. Needle marks all over, subjected to biological weapons.”

“That’s what they are doing here? Looking for our weaknesses? But why kill the inmates?”

“A few thousand criminals would have been a damn useful penal militia at the rate we are losing soldiers.”

Taylor nodded and shook his head in disbelief simultaneously.

“I’ve seen enough,” whispered Taylor.

The two men turned and strode back down the corridor with their shoulders slung low and their hearts heavy. They wanted it all to end.

“Incoming!”

The call echoed around the complex. Parker’s voice was like a siren. Taylor felt his heart as he imagined the terrible fate they may have assigned themselves. Explosions erupted nearby that sent vibrations through the floor beneath their feet. Taylor and Silva snapped out of their depressive state as adrenaline soared through their bodies. They lifted their rifles, rushing to the doorway as the platoon opened fire.

As Taylor came to the opening of the building, he could hear the familiar and frightful sounds of the enemy jetpacks roaring as they came in to land. Ten metres from the door, he could see one of his marines lying lifeless on his side, but he couldn’t make out who it was. Energy pulses smashed in all around them, but they were giving them hell in return.

The Major leaned out from the doorway to get an idea of their situation. He could see just four Mechs firing from the shelter of the next buildings. Another lay dead on the ground before them, it had clearly been knocked out of the sky on approach. Over the sound of the gunfire, he could just make out the sound of the engines of their copters approaching. He looked over to his section taking cover behind a thick wall.

“On me, now!”

Taylor rushed out of the building and took a sharp turn away from the enemy, and another turn to follow the perimeter of the building. He was sprinting at the limit the suit would allow. His turn of speed allowed them to reach the far edge of the structure quickly. Moments later they came up on the other side of the creatures with them in full view of their sights.

Taylor didn’t wait and quickly targeted the first, hitting it with a burst of fire. Before the first creature had hit the ground, the rest of the section were into the open and firing. Within seconds, the prison went silent once again. Taylor didn’t break stride to return to the platoon. He rushed up to the lifeless marine. Parker was stood beside the body turning it over.

“It’s Sugar,” she stated.

Taylor knelt over to check if there was any chance of him being alive. A pulse had struck his neck and burst through the windpipe, coming close to taking off his head. He had died instantly. Taylor shook his head in disbelief at losing yet another friend. Jones strode out from behind cover with the other POWs. They seemed unfazed by the incident, as if it was a part of their everyday lives.

Before Taylor could say a word, the two copters rushed into view and swept in low for a landing in an open hard standing just fifty metres away. It was at least some relief to see that their mission was over, and they could return to the lines that had become home. He righted himself and barked out his orders.

“Let’s get moving! Go, go, go!”

He dragged the body of Sugar and headed towards Rains and Kato. Despite the assistance of the suit, the body sent striking pains through the Major’s wounded body. He ignored the pain and said nothing. He would bare it for a fallen friend. As the copters hit the ground, their lights went out under blackout regulations. The two vehicles almost blended into the night of the unlit ground.

The marines rushed into the open doors of the vehicles to be greeted by the pilots from their seats. They were eager to get off the ground without even knowing of the perils that had been witnessed. Taylor passed Sugar’s body onto another marine and waited at the door. Just as the last man stepped aboard, he heard a screaming engine blast across the skies. Leaning in through the door of the copter, he shouted to them all.

“Everyone silent, we’ve got incoming!”

They all knew what was being asked of them. They were hoping to go unnoticed and wait out their opponents. Seconds later, a small ship soared into sight and quickly landed down amongst the bodies of the creatures they had so recently despatched. Taylor pulled out his binoculars and zoomed in on the vessel as the door opened. Two Mechs strode out with their guns at the ready. Then Taylor gasped as a third figure appeared on the ramp, Karadag.

“Jesus Christ,” he whispered.

He climbed carefully into the copter and crept up to Eddie’s cockpit.

“Think you can outrun them?” he asked.

“Now they’re on the ground, no problem at all. Button down the hatches and sit tight, Major.”

Taylor nodded for the door to be shut and took his seat. He stared at Karadag through the window with his binoculars. The engines fired up, and the three creatures quickly turned their attention. Taylor’s stomach was left on the floor as Eddie put down all the power he had. It was if their copter was lifted into the sky. They were safe and on the home run. But at what price? thought Taylor.