Battle Earth III

Chapter 7

Chandra walked past lines of billets with a sombre tone. She walked without meaning or purpose. She knew they had just a few hours until the main enemy attack, and that there was little else to do.

“Major!”

She looked up to see Sergeant Silva approaching. She responded in a dull and lifeless manner as if she had lost all care in the world. She wondered why they were even bothering anymore. So many of her friends were now lost. Their own side seemed to be the cause of as many of the losses as the enemy. She had always told the Company how they were fighting for the human race, but she now felt like she was in foreign lands more than ever.

“What is it, Sergeant?”

“Captain Jones! He’s been cleared for duty and will be reporting back to the Company within the hour!”

A glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes, but it was soured by the thoughts that rushed to the front of her mind.

“He’s being returned to us now? He can’t be ready for it. What, are they emptying all the hospitals or something?” she insisted.

The Sergeant looked taken aback by her response.

“This is Captain Jones we are talking about. You have wanted him back since Amiens, and we need him now more than ever.”

“No, we need the Jones that we knew months ago. I am not sure that man exists anymore. Have you not seen him since his return?”

Silva shook his head. He had seen the horrors at the prison camp where they had rescued Jones, but he had assumed that the Captain would quickly recover.

“I think you have gravely underestimated the trauma that Charlie has been through. God knows I would have done anything to avoid it, and anything to have him back. Schulz is emptying the hospitals of any soldier who can hold a rifle, but he isn’t ready to be back here.”

“Sorry, Ma’am, but I’d rather have half the man the Captain used to be stood beside us, than not at all.”

She glared into the eyes of the Sergeant. For a moment she was furious with him for talking back at her, but she took a deep breath and calmed herself. Silva had become a great friend to her, more than she could have imagined or her military discipline would approve. Officers and NCOs were always a world apart for her, as she had been taught. But times had changed, and Silva felt her equal more than ever, proving as such on a regular basis.

“Major, we need all the help we can get.”

She nodded in agreement. She never saw what Silva and Taylor had on that frightful night of the rescue, but she had seen the Captain since and knew enough to be concerned.

“I can’t put Jones back in any position of command, not until we know he is up to the task.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Your platoon is without an officer. I will attach Jones to your unit, on the basis that you remain in command until I say otherwise. Jones will be in a liaison officer position only. I need him looked after, Sergeant.”

“Understood.”

“Charlie is one of the best men I have ever known, and one of the best officers, but God knows what the last few months have done to him. Whatever horrors we have faced, they are belittled by his. Keep a careful eye on him, and keep him safe. I don’t fear for our own lives, but for his.”

Out of the corner of her eye, the Major caught a glimpse of a familiar face, that of Legrant, the Mayor of Amiens.

“Excuse me, Sergeant.”

“Of course, I’ll inform you as soon as the Captain arrives.”

“Thank you, Sergeant.”

She was vague as she strode off with meaning past the Sergeant. Silva turned for a moment to see what the cause of her interest was. He instantly recognised Legrant. He watched for just a moment and held his breath, as he realised what Chandra might be getting into. He turned and strode away. He knew that the last thing he should do was interfere and smiled as he walked away, in the knowledge that Legrant was perhaps going to get some of the punishment that he deserved.

“Bastard,” Chandra muttered under her breath, and she rushed towards the French Mayor who had been the cause of Jones’ capture and Walker’s death. A look of dread overcame the man’s face as he saw her a moment too late. She swung a hard hook into his face that knocked the man off his feet. Legrant landed hard on the concrete floor and was almost unconscious.

Two French policemen who were with the Mayor tried to draw their pistols but were not quick enough. She wrenched her pistol from her thigh and trained it on the Mayor’s head.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Silence overcame the area as soldiers all around turned to marvel at the sight. Chandra’s uniform was heavily worn and covered in mud. Her face was filthy and dry blood still stained her jacket from the wound she’d received that very day. Despite it all, her rank was still visible and that alone stopped anyone from interfering. The two police officers stood frozen, not knowing what to do. They could see the crazy expression in her eyes and realised she was fully willing to kill them both where they stood.

Chandra finally looked down at the Mayor who was still flat on his back and wincing in pain. Blood trickled from his mouth, and the back of his head had landed hard on the ground. He wore a perfectly tailored suit and overcoat which was previously impeccable. She smiled in the knowledge that his coat would now be filthy and frayed.

“Do you remember me, you bastard?”

Legrant stopped writhing in pain and looked up at the barrel of the gun and then to the face of his attacker. He remembered her as his face went pale.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea…”

“No fucking idea?” she cried. “We were there to protect your town, and what did you do in return? A man died because of your stupidity. Another has been left as an emotional wreck after being left at the mercy of the enemy, and a further good man was killed while trying to rescue those who were captured because of you!”

Tears came to the man’s face as he broke down.

“I had no idea… you have to believe me. I thought I was doing the best thing for my people.”

“Why? Why!” she turned and paced up and down before him in anger, not knowing what else to do. She noticed one of the cops reaching for his gun and quickly lifted her pistol. She fired off a shot that narrowly missed his arm and struck the wall behind the man. He flinched and froze in astonishment.

“What have you given in this war? What have you sacrificed? We have been out there from the day this war began, fighting and dying to save your lives. Captain Jones, who you detained and left to die, he had been fighting in the defence of France since it all began. What possessed you to do something so stupid… so wicked?”

Sergeant Silva appeared at the scene, having heard the gunshot. Two military policemen were close behind, but he held up his hand to stop them.

“Major, this isn’t the way!” he yelled.

She spun around in shock to hear a friendly voice. It was almost enough to make her put the gun down, but then the memories flooded back into her mind.

“Do you know what this man did!” she cried.

Tears were coming from her eyes, and her cheeks were red. Silva had never seen Chandra in such an emotional state.

“I know. I was there, and I know exactly what he did. But that doesn’t give you the right to be the judge, just as he had no right to do so with Jones.”

She stumbled over the Mayor and knelt down beside him with the gun barrel resting on his chest.

“I could kill you, right now. I would if I could. Don’t you know the pain and suffering you have brought?”

Legrant nodded in panic.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t have known.”

“You knew what you were doing was wrong! You detained friendly forces in a time of war. That is treason, and you should hang for it!”

“Major, this is not for us to decide,” stated Silva.

“Why? He did!”

She broke down into tears but didn’t let the gun go. She could handle the pressure of her job, but she could not understand the betrayal of her own people.

“What can I do? Anything?” whispered Legrant.

She looked up with fiery red eyes and a hateful expression.

“I don’t want you to do anything. This isn’t about me. Can’t you understand that?”

The cop she had shot at spoke.

“Major… Chandra, is it?”

She peered up scornfully at the man.

“I am truly sorry for your loss. But you should know the reason for us being here.”

She stayed silent and continued to glare at the man with utter disgust. She remembered the town’s police and their role in it all. To her they were just as complicit as Legrant.

“We came here to volunteer…to fight.”

“What?” she muttered.

“The Mayor, Legrant, has organised many police forces from the eastern French provinces. We have volunteered to fight under his command.”

She looked down at the Mayor to study his response.

“Is this true?”

He nodded with sincerity.

“Why? Why would you do this now?” she asked.

He lifted his sleeves and whipped off his brown, sliding back so he could rest his aching back against the nearest wall. Chandra stayed on one knee with her pistol in one hand awaiting his response.

“I was wrong. I know that now, but you have to understand, I thought I had no choice. But I can see now that it was wrong, and I would do anything to make up for my mistakes.”

“You can’t bring soldiers back from the dead, and you can’t remove weeks of horror from a man’s mind.”

“No, but neither will I put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, for what would it achieve? I came here to offer up everything I have to give. We will fight alongside you and die if that is our destiny.”

Chandra lowered her gun and dropped her head into her left hand. Everyone watched and waited in anticipation. Nobody made a move against the Major. They already knew how quick her reactions were. Silva broke the silence.

“You are really doing this? You will fight beside us?” he asked.

Legrant nodded, and the other policeman spoke up.

“We know we have shamed ourselves, and that shame may never be taken away, but let us do something to help.”

Chandra lifted herself up onto her feet and holstered her pistol. The MPs didn’t move. They knew the reputation of the Immortals all too well. They also knew they couldn’t afford to detain a key officer before the imminent fight. Silva breathed a sigh of relief as the situation was cooled. The Major strode up and stopped a few centimetres before the Mayor’s face.

“I’ll never forgive, and I’ll never forget. God save you, if you lied about this. You have a debt to pay, and don’t forget it.”

She turned and strolled off towards the Sergeant. The MPs stood silently as she ignored them. They wanted to avoid trouble as much as Legrant did.

“You okay, Major?” asked Silva.

She strode past him without a word as she wiped the tears from her face.

“Fuck,” he whispered as she left.

Silva knew that Legrant was the last thing they needed right now. Chandra was a tough officer, more so than any, but he knew it could be enough to finish her off. They needed a reason to keep fighting, and the French Mayor was a reminder of how little they were appreciated. He considered pursuing her, but he knew it would be a mistake.

“Captain!” yelled Monty.

The two brothers rushed to their feet to greet the officer who they had all but lost hope in ever seeing again. He still looked gaunt compared to when they had last seen him and with a paler face. He smiled briefly as they rushed towards him.

“Welcome back!” shouted Blinker.

Jones nodded. It was good to be back with his unit, but he could already see that it was a shadow of its former self. Silva appeared in the doorway to their billets and stepped towards him with a smile.

“Good to have you back, Sir.”

Jones ignored the three men as he peered around at the billets and saw far fewer familiar faces than he would have expected. Many of them enthusiastically got to their feet, but he continued to look confused.

“Where is Captain Friday?” he asked.

Silva shook his head with a woeful expression. Jones’ face barely changed upon the news as if it no longer affected him.

“How?” he asked casually.

“On some bullshit mission we were sent out on.”

“Some shit never changes.”

Silva smiled, he was glad to see the Captain still had some sense of humour, despite his ordeal. He rushed forward and grabbed Jones in a strong bear hug and pulled him off his feet.

“Damn good to have you back, Sir!”

He planted the Captain back on his feet. Jones gasped to get air back into his lungs and smiled at the welcome he had gotten.

“Honestly, we’ve taken a beating, and we need all the help we can get right now.”

Chandra appeared at the doorway and looked in with both curiosity and concern. Jones could see the worry in her face, and the sign of the recent tears she had shed.

“Reporting back for duty, Major!” he shouted.

Despite her concerns, Chandra was overcome with excitement at seeing her friend among them once again. She stepped cheerfully down to see him and shook his hand.

“Welcome back. I am sorry to say there will be no time for pleasantries. The Krycenaean armies are coming down the road from Saarbrucken with everything they’ve got. We’ve got little air support and still no access to Reitech equipment.”

“So apart from that, all is good?” he jested.

Chandra smiled, and for a moment, she saw the old Jones before her once again. He was always a light in the dark, and a cheery face when all was miserable. She was reminded how much he meant to her and the Company. With Friday gone, and Taylor still detained, it was good to have him back.

“I’m attaching you temporarily to Silva’s platoon, and he will remain in command. I hope you can understand the importance of maintaining the status quo this close to combat?”

Jones nodded in agreement, but she could see the disappointment in his face that after all he had been through, he was not getting his command back. There was little she could do about it.

“Got it, Major, I’m here to help wherever it’s needed.”

“You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked.

“No place I’d rather be.”

That’s what concerns me, she thought.

“I’ve been away a long time, and I want some payback, so point me in their direction, and I’ll give ‘em hell.”

Chandra turned to Silva.

“Form up the Company, Sergeant. We fall out in ten.”

Before the Sergeant could bark his orders, a wing of enemy craft rushed overhead, strafing pulses of energy across the base. Jones did not even flinch as the others ducked for cover. Debris from a nearby building was thrown across the street and landed at their feet. Chandra turned to see Jones stood tall as if nothing had happened. She could already tell that he had lost his reason to live. He was still just a shell of the great man he used to be.

“They can’t be far now,” she said.

“2 ^ nd Inter-Allied! Form up! Form up!” cried Silva as he brushed aside debris and got to his feet.

Thirty minutes later they lay in the trenches once again. They were at the back this time, owing to their part in the earlier battle. The lines of human defences were almost silent as they watched the enemy cover the last few kilometres. Friendly artillery roared in the distance and overhead but was far enough away it seemed like little more than background noise. They could see the forest before them flatten as the huge enemy tanks rolled through what they believed to be an impassable natural barrier.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as heavy rain clouds appeared to follow the enemy to their position and water began to pepper their helmets. The ferocious bombardment before them was causing some trees to catch alight, but the rain quickly extinguished them. The tanks behind their trenches opened fire when the enemy came into range. Their guns roared as they fired one volley after another.

The troops could see the forest being torn apart for kilometres in either direction, but they could still see the slimmer of movement and rustle of trees as the enemy continued to advance.

“How can they keep coming?” asked Blinker.

“They’re like machines,” replied Monty.

Chandra could already feel the fear that was rife in the ranks. Nobody expected to be able to hold what was coming for them.

“They aren’t machines! They’re creatures just like us. They can be killed, they can be broken, and they can be defeated!” she yelled.

The Company stayed silent, hearing other officers shout similar words of encourage in languages they couldn’t understand. The trenches were five lines deep, spanning as far north and south as Chandra could see. But in all of their lines, the position they stood in seemed to be the focus of the enemy advance more than any other.

“We can’t hold here,” whispered Silva to Jones.

“Maybe not, but maybe it doesn’t matter anymore,” he replied.

Silva turned in shock to see the Captain’s deadpan face. He could see that he no longer had any reason to live. He looked down at the oncoming enemy with a hatred he had never before seen in any man. Jones was the only one among them who was not afraid. He was not tense, and he was in his element. It was in this moment that Silva realised the Captain’s purpose there. He wanted to go down fighting. He wanted to commit suicide in the only meaningful way he knew.

The Sergeant wanted to grab and Captain, there and then, and beat some sense into him, but he knew it was too late. The he began to wonder, Maybe Jones is right, and maybe there is no purpose to it all anymore. Jones turned to Silva and stared into his eyes.

“You promise me one thing, Sergeant.”

“Anything…” he replied.

“Whatever happens here, you make certain Taylor isn’t left in that cell to rot when the enemy rolls over the base? I don’t care what you have to do, and I don’t care who you have to kill. You get the Major out, you hear me?”

Silva thought about it for just a moment. The fear of death seeped away as he thought about the Major. For the first time in weeks, he thought himself thankful to be free. At least he could affect his destiny. Silva could see the fear and dread in Jones’ eyes that another one of them would be left in the clutches of the enemy.

“You have my word, Captain. You have to know that we did everything we could to get you back.”

“I am well aware of it, Sergeant, and never think I hold any of you guilty for what happened to me and Walker. That was beyond your doing. Now let’s be sure it never happens again. You saw that camp, and you have some idea of what went on there. You be certain to put a gun to your own head before you ever have to face that. Better still, go down fighting.”

Silva reached forward and slapped his hand down onto the Captain’s shoulder.

“I’m not going anywhere, Sir, and neither are you. We’re back together for the first time since Amiens. Together we are unstoppable.”

“But we aren’t together, Sergeant, not yet. Taylor is the back bone of this Company.”

Silva gritted his teeth as the smile was removed from his face. He hated to think of the Major locked up just a few kilometres away. He turned as he heard the sound of crashing trees grow nearer.

“They’re almost on us.”

“And all we’ve got are these fucking peashooters,” replied Jones.

Silva missed the liveliness that had inhabited Jones at even the bleakest of times. That light within him had been driven down deep inside and he knew it may never come out again.

“ARMALs at the ready! cried Chandra. You are free to fire at the four hundred metre mark!” she shouted.

“Did you really lose all your gear for rescuing me?” asked Jones.

Silva nodded.

“When Taylor found out you may be in Metz, he went to Schulz with a plan to get you out. The General expressly forbid him from going through with it. That night he did it anyway. The General’s been making us pay ever since.”

“Christ, all this for me, was it all worth it?”

Silva turned with a look of shock.

“Don’t blame yourself for this. This is Schulz’s doing, and someday he’s going to know about it.”

Chandra had heard half of their conversation and turned to look at Jones as he waited calmly with his rifle in his hands. He noticed her gaze and turned to return a smile. She saw there was some glimmer of the original man in his body, but it was deeply buried. Getting Jones back only made her remember how important it was that she secured the release of Taylor.

“Good to see old faces back, Major?” asked Parker.

“Bet your arse. Taylor’s next, and don’t you forget it.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Major.”

They lowered themselves into their trenches as the enemy breached the final wall of the forest, and their tanks rolled across the barren and war torn plain. The energy pulses intensified as their positions were pounded by enemy fire. Their trench works protected them from most of the incoming fire, but the aerial attacks and artillery bombardments still tore trenches apart along the line.

After a long wait, the Major heard the troops of the first trenches open fire as the enemy came into range. It was only a minute later that the second trench opened fire. She crawled back up to the trench shelf to survey the scene and gasped as she saw hundreds of enemy vehicles and thousands of Mechs advancing towards them.

“My, God!”

She felt her lips were dry, and her throat was sore. Her breathing stopped for a moment as she realised that they couldn’t hold. Parker crawled up beside her and had much the same reaction.

“What the fuck are we going to do?” she asked.

Chandra shook her head in astonishment, but she had no answer. Explosions erupted along the lines of the enemy as the artillery bombardments continued, but they continued to pour from the forest in a seemingly never-ending column.

“Prepare to fire!” she cried.

The first of the enemy forces were now less than a kilometre from their trench and in range of their rifles, but not of their effective penetration. Campbell had already opened fire with his high-power rifle, but it was doing little to scratch the numbers pouring towards them. The Mechs and vehicles were already laying down fire on the move, and the trenches were getting ripped apart.

Mines erupted as the enemy passed, and thick black smoke poured into the sky, but it did nothing to hinder the enemy advance. Chandra wondered if they felt anything at all. Are they heartless? Are they truly nothing like us? she asked herself.

“Fire at will!”

The Company opened fire, joining in with the other units. Tracers rushed across the battlefield as many of the creatures were stopped in their tracks by the sheer quantity of ammunition striking them, but few were falling.

“Bastards won’t die!” yelled Yorath.

“How can we stop them with this shit?” muttered Suarez as he continued to fire.

They watched as many of the creatures took close to a hundred rounds to eventually stop. The first lines of Mechs were cut down as they closed to three hundred metres, but it was not enough. Hundreds more of the metal clad enemies filled their places, and drones continued on between them.

Chandra watched in horror as a dozen of the Mechs reached the first trenches and leapt in like fanatics, thrashing around and firing as they crushed all before them.

“Grenades and ARMALs into that trench, now!” she yelled.

Several of the Company looked at her with pity when they realised they were being asked to fire on friendly forces.

“There’s nothing more we can do for them, fire now!”

Light pulses continued to flash in the first trench, and they raised their weapons and readied themselves to fire. Screams of agony and pain rang out as they threw a dozen grenades and fired off ARMAL launchers forward into their own positions while the soldiers ran for their lives. Seconds later, the ground shook and earth from the trench blasted into the sky, and all within it were silenced.

The bodies of Mechs and humans together were scattered either side of the crater for all to see. Silva looked to Chandra with a bleak and defeated look.

“We can’t do this!” he shouted.

She looked around to see the first line of trenches had been overcome in several places along the defences. Her mouth was open, and her eyes wide at the horror she was seeing. We can’t hold. We’re fucked, she thought.

“Major!” shouted Parker. “We have to get the hell out of here!”

“Run? Who is going to keep up the fight? Who is going to stop them?”

“There’s nothing more we can do here!”

She looked over to see Captain Jones stood on top of the trench, screaming insults at the enemy and firing as quickly as he could downhill into their positions. Pulses erupted all around him. He wants to die, she thought. It was the final confirmation she needed that their time was over.

“Fall back, everyone fall back!”

Silva turned in relief, and he relayed the orders with his booming voice along the lines. As he did so, he noticed Jones still stood up above the trench, reloading his rifle with no concern for his life. He reached forward, grabbed his ankle and pulled. Jones was thrown off his feet and landed hard on his back. Silva grabbed his webbing and hauled him back into the trench. An explosion erupted where the Captain had stood just seconds before.

The two men were thrown back against the opposite wall of the trench and showered in dirt as they were deafened. Silva stumbled back up to try and regain his senses but was grabbed by Jones.

“What the hell are you doing? That was my time. My time to die! You have no right!”

Silva shook his head from side to side and coughed, trying to regain his senses and make some sense of what Jones was yelling about. He slapped the Captain who stumbled back and stood over him with anger.

“You may not give a shit about your life, but the rest of us do! You are needed here, so get your fucking act together, and start acting like a soldier!”

“Retreat! Retreat!” shouted Chandra.

Silva grabbed Jones, tossed him out the back of the trench and leapt after him. He hauled the Captain to his feet, pulling him along as they rushed back into Ramstein. Chandra looked back to see the survivors of the trenches clambering out and retreating in a frenzy. The armour that was at their backs was already beating a retreat and firing to give them cover.

“Where are we going, Major?” shouted Parker.

“Just follow me!”

The Company reached the first buildings of Ramstein, and enemy fire continued to pound the complex. They knew the tank traps and trenches would slow their advance for a while, but they had little time to escape. They’d been jogging for five minutes when Silva finally rushed up beside the Major. Until then, nobody cared where they were going, providing it was away from the enemy.

“What’s the plan, Major?” he asked.

“The plan is you follow my lead!”

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the military prison that only Chandra had ever seen. The others quickly realised their purpose for being there. Strong metal doors protected the entrance. She stopped them at the door and looked back to Blinker.

“Give me that ARMAL, Private!”

“With pleasure!” he replied with a mischievous grin.

“Major, you sure about this?” asked Suarez.

“More sure than anything in my life!”

She lifted the weapon up onto her shoulder and fired without hesitation. The doors of the building were blown off their hinges, and dust sprayed out over the already filthy troops. She threw down the device and lifted her rifle from her side. Chandra rushed forward into the dust cloud and with a dozen others at her back.

Silva was the first in behind Chandra, with Jones following quickly behind. They stepped through just in time to see the Major’s rifle stock strike one of the MPs and knock him to the ground. She flipped the weapon around and shouldered it with the sights trained on another sat at a desk.

“Major Taylor, release him now!”

“You know I can’t do that.”

She quickly fired two rounds over the man’s head, one of which clipped his cap and tore it off his head. The MP froze in utter shock.

“You heard the lady!” shouted Silva.

“Uhh… yeah… okay, but you’ll never get away with this.”

“Get real, son, have you seen the shit that’s coming our way?” asked Silva.

“Fuck this,” muttered Jones.

He turned and rushed through the prison. Seconds later two shots rang out.

“Go after him!” shouted Silva.

She rushed off down the corridor after the Captain.

“Don’t you know what’s going on out there? All hell’s coming down on us. You need to release any prisoners you have, and get the hell out of here!”

“Release them? We have strict orders!”

“To hell with your orders, do you know what the enemy do to any survivors?”

The man shook his head in surprise.

“Well I do, so unlock the fucking cages now!”

The man stuttered and reached for the keys as Silva gave him some encouragement with the barrel of his rifle. Jones appeared at the edge of Taylor’s cell where the Major was laid flat out on his bed. He got up with a look of utter shock and amazement.

“Jones, you’re back?”

“Damn straight.”

“You busting me out?” he asked.

“Bet your arse, you didn’t think we’d let Schulz keep you locked up forever, did you?”

Chandra rushed into view, as Jones shot the lock off the door of the cell and heaved it back. She was greeted by a broad and cheeky smile across Taylor’s face.

“You’re in this, as well? You know what Schulz will do to you for this?”

“None of it matters, anymore. Ramstein is overrun, and we have to get the hell out of here!” she shouted.

“Run, where?” he asked in surprise.

“I’ll tell you on the way. Let’s go!”

They rushed past as the guard passed them in the corridor, fumbling with his keys.

“You know I’ve done some serious shit in my time, but this? We ever get caught, and we’re goners?”

“If we’d left you any longer, you’d be dead anyway,” replied Jones.

They rushed out of the building to find armoured trucks rolling up. Taylor half expected it to be Schulz coming to arrest them all, but they were greeted by Sergeant Dubois.

“How on earth did you find us?” asked Chandra.

“You don’t think I knew this would be the first place you’d be when all hell broke loose?” she asked.

“You got space?”

“Climb in!”

The Company rushed to fill the vehicles and climb on top. Explosions erupted all around the base. Their anti-aircraft defences continued to pour fire into the oncoming craft, but they were only able to destroy a handful of their attackers. Pulses smashed down into the ground as the five vehicles rumbled forwards and out towards the western entrance. They watched in despair as the base was hit by barrages; so heavy that many of the buildings were flattened.

“I thought you’d never come. All that time in that cell, all I could think about was all of you, fighting where I should be,” murmured Taylor.

“Schulz has been a thorn in our side all the way. Maybe now we can get free of his idiotic grasp,” replied Chandra.

He turned to Jones with a smile.

“And you, you made it? Back in uniform, and at the front of it all again.”

Chandra smiled, but thought back to the suicidal scene she had seen at the trenches. She couldn’t bring herself to discuss it so soon after finally getting Taylor back, but she knew it was a new obstacle to overcome. Despite the fact that they were yet again on the run, she couldn’t help but be thankful to have Taylor back among them.

“We lose anyone?” she asked Silva.

“I saw one of Suarez’s platoon killed and a few from mine wounded, but we got off pretty lightly,” he replied.

“What will we do now that Ramstein has fallen?” he asked.

The others listened in intently.

“General Schulz may be a bastard, but he isn’t an idiot. All forces that have arrived in the last couple of months have been establishing a tiered defence over the next twenty kilometres east. We always knew a push like this was possible, and that we couldn’t rely on a single barrier to stop them.”

“Christ, he really has done his homework,” replied Taylor.

“As I said, a bastard, not an idiot. I have no doubt the Generals will have been the first out before the base fell, and they will be eager to know how you escaped.”

“What will you tell them?”

“The truth. You’ve seen what the enemy does to human prisoners. It was my duty of care to ensure your safety. Quite frankly, I believe the General will have enough on his plate to worry about you right now. He needs every soldier he can get, so he’ll just have to put up with you.”

“You really thought this through, hey, Major?” he jested.

“No, I’m making it up as I go along, and it’s just working out for the best.”

Taylor smiled, and he knew she wasn’t joking, although it still didn’t sit well with him that the circumstances of his rescue were attributable to the deaths of probably thousands of soldiers. He got up and stepped up towards the driver’s seat where Dubois was at the controls.

“You saved our asses again, Sergeant, you our guardian angel or something?”

She smiled as she looked back, gazing at Captain Jones. Taylor smiled, noting her affection for the Captain. He looked back and could see the blank expression on Jones’ face he remembered from when rescuing him. He could see that Jones was not the man he used to know. His heart sank, knowing that it was all for nothing.