Carnifex

Cricket 4-15

Eleven nukes? Good God. I didn't need my little play after all.

While he was thinking this, Jimenez came back on the radio. He sounded slightly out of breath as he said, "We found our lost Cazador squad . . . huff . . . huff . . . huff. They were crucified. We saved one . . . huff . . . huff . . . huff. To do that we had to shoot up a substantial crowd . . . . huff . . . huff . . . huff."

Jimenez continued explaining. "We really had no choice . . . But there's two effects of that . . . huff . . . huff . . . huff. One is that we're trying to unfuck things on top of the central hill. We got pretty disorganized in the scramble . . . huff . . . huff. The other is that the north side of the base has got to be weaker now. The scouts killed hundreds of men of fighting age on that side when they opened up."

"You're assuming they assembled from where they were camped, and camped on the side they were to defend, right? Makes perfect sense. Let me think on it. Yeah, despite the confusion, it may make sense to switch the side for the main effort."

"Don't think too long, Patricio. There are maybe five hundred and fifty or so of us on this hill, plus a couple of hundred cavalry blocking the entrances, and we're surrounded by thousands of the bastards."

Loud and clear over the radio came the rattling sound of incoming mortar fire, somewhere close to wherever Jimenez was.

"Roger. Artillery priority, minus the rocket launchers, is yours. Twenty-four 155mm are in range and ready. Twenty-four 160mm will be ready to fire . . . in . . . " Carrera looked up at a chart and then to a clock . . . "about seventeen minutes. Air support priority is yours. Expect nine sorties of Turbo-Finches to arrive in a few minutes followed by two more every ten minutes for the immediate future. Also three ANA-23 gunships on station continuously as per the plan. I'll be overhead in a few. Over."

"Roger," Jimenez answered. "Air and arty . . . huff . . . priority to me."

"Yes . . . and the Cazadors should be jumping right about . . . now. Carrera, out."

I intended to bring in one nuke as a cover and an excuse. Instead we find another eleven. Do I send that one back? No . . . I might have to blow that entire mountain to shit and I can't be sure of being able to set off the captured ones. It stays in the plan . . . for now.