Casserine (16 page)

“Enough of your personal problems, General,” Risling chuckled. “I’ll talk to you after you have a chance to look over Omaha, Risling out.”

Jake sat staring at the blank screen for a moment more, before a knock sounded at the entrance to his quarters. He stood and went over to open the hatch door himself. Colonel Tokoru stood talking with Mendoza.

“Bob,” Jake said to Mendoza. “Get your gear ready. We’ll be going down to the surface on Omaha. As soon as you’re ready, get some sleep. I’ll call for you on your com unit.”

Mendoza snapped off a salute, and hurried along the corridor towards the Marines’ Quarters.

“Come in, Yuri,” Jake gestured the Colonel inside. “Did you talk to Charlie?”

Tokoru nodded. “We’re ready, Sir. I have them all sacked out in the Drop Ships, ready to deploy, full battle gear. I want to come along this time, General.”

“Not on the first run, Yuri. We’ll get the colonists the hell off of there before we do anything dangerous. Put the rest of the troops on notice, and stay on those lab jockeys. If we can get a way to block the Queen, we’ll go down in force before the infestation can grow. Go kick some butt in the lab, and scrounge up as much of the epoxy chemicals as we can get. We will need at least a couple of landing zones.”

“Yes Sir, just don’t leave me out on this mission.”

“I won’t, Yuri,” Jake promised. “Now go on and get to work. I’m going to clean up and get a little sleep. Give me a shout over the com when we get in orbit around Omaha.”

“I bet you never thought you’d be going back to Omaha.”

“If something’s infesting these planets, I’ll have a lot more to worry about than returning to Omaha,” Jake replied, pushing Tokoru towards the hatch. “Get going.”

“Okay,” Tokoru said over his shoulder, “but you have to survive on Omaha first.”

“My middle name’s survival,” Jake laughed.

“I thought it was ‘Pussy Whipped’,” Tokoru retorted, doubling his speed away from the hatch.

“You dirty…no good.” Jake whispered under his breath as he watched Tokoru double time down the corridor.

“Good Lord Jake, you were right.”

Jake had dozed off, and he jumped a little at the sound of Tokoru’s excited voice in his helmet com. He looked around at the Marines strapped in around him on Alpha Drop Ship. “What’s that, Yuri?”

“Colonel Langston just called in after you launched. They have massive movement in two distinct areas, and the Bugs are on the move. He told me to tell you he has his gunners ready, and the MAG50’s set up to repel any attack. His Colonists are freaking out though. The escape ship is loaded, but he still has over half of the colonists with him, and they are not happy.”

“Okay, did their escape craft get off?”

“Yes Sir,” Tokoru replied. “They are almost in orbit now.”

“How long before the epoxy they spread can support our landings?”

“Half an hour to be on the safe side.”

“Has the Tennyson given you an ETA?” Jake asked.

“They’re still a few hours away, General,” Tokoru answered.

“We’ll just have to make Bug soup for awhile. I’ll get my company down, and reinforce Langston’s detachment. All Drop Ships will be in close air support until we can land. Patch me through to Colonel Langston. We’re in time, Yuri. Nothing else matters.”

“I hear you,” Tokoru said. “Here’s Colonel Langston.”

“Yes, General?”

“Colonel, we are only minutes away. Keep your people calm. The Tennyson called in and they are only hours away. I have enough room on the Drop Ships to take the rest of you off there. Now that your other escape craft made it off before anything happened, this will be a piece of cake.”

“If you say so, Sir,” Langston replied, “but we all saw the vid stream from Bougainville, and.”

“We did not lose a single man,” Jake cut in. “One moron was attacked by a Bug, because he didn’t believe me. Two of the Bug encounter group idiots were killed by a Marine, guarding my escape path. We’ve tested the Epoxy landing zone idea, and it works. They will not be swarming with five Drop Ships clearing the perimeter of our LZ.”

“How long before you can land on the Epoxy LZ’s?” Langstonasked.

“Under half an hour, but I’ll be dropping in to reinforce your detachment. It will be imperative you keep order there.”

“Yes Sir, I see your ships now, General,” Langston observed, relief apparent in his voice.

“See you in a few. Yuri, switch us to command channel. I want only to hear your voice along with the rest of my party.” “Switching now, Sir,” Tokoru replied.

Chapter 15 

Rescue On Omaha

Jake hit the release on his seat harness and stood up. Mendoza, and the rest of the Marines jumped up with him. Jake smiled at them. “Lock and load, boys. We’re going to jump off as the ship hovers, to reinforce Colonel Langston’s Marines until the LZ is safe for landing. We will then guide and herd the civilians on board each Drop Ship, one group at a time, while the others cover us from the air. We will have more trouble with panic from the Colonists than we will with the Bugs, so some of us will be blasting Bugs, and the rest will be kicking the crap out of Colonists who muck up our rescue.

Jake waited until the laughter died down. “You copy that, Jas?”

“Yes Sir,” Major Peters, the pilot of Alpha Jump Ship replied.

“Sara?”

“Yes Sir,” Captain Corey answered from number two Drop Ship.

“You will land as soon as the LZ dries. Remember, my company will handle loading the Colonists. Each Drop Ship Marine Company will deploy around their ship to secure the LZ. Charlie, once you get off, stay on the ground and deploy each Marine Company at your discretion as the ships land.”

“Yes Sir,” Major Mercer acknowledged.

“Hovering now, Sir,” Major Peters cut in.

Alpha Drop Ship’s hatch swung down. Jake led his company off, and then he stayed with Mendoza to guard the Marines’ exit.

“Anything, Tim?” Jake asked his Alpha Deck Gunner.

“Scanning Jake, and still no eruptions, but you’d better get inside. You know what happens if they break ground under you.”

“On our way,” Jake replied as the last of the Marines from Alpha exited the ship and ran for the habitat entrance. Major Peters had dropped them within twenty yards of the habitat perimeter. Five of Langston’s men were guarding the open entrance into the habitat.

Jake tapped Mendoza on the shoulder, and gestured for him to move out. As Jake followed him, the ground started erupting right under his feet.

“Take off, Jas, they’re coming up,” Jake ordered as he ran up behind Mendoza, and grabbed the back of his armored top. He picked Mendoza up off the splitting surface, doubling their speed over the remaining ground.

Dropping Mendoza, Jake turned as Alpha Drop Ship lifted off, and Bugs exploded up out of the ruptured surface. Jake’s first burst blew the lead Bugs into pieces as the remaining Marines at the entrance retreated inside. Mendoza joined his commander, and they provided a wall of particle beam fire. After Major Peters positioned Alpha so Chief Gunner’s Mate Dougherty could open up with the deck gun, Jake entered the Omaha habitat with Mendoza close behind.

“We’re inside folks,” Jake said. “Let ‘em have it.”

All five Drop Ships deployed around the drying LZ, as the deck gunners opened up. Nothing lived even a split second above ground. Inside the habitat, Jake surveyed the frightened Colonists. Some were still screaming at what they had just seen come out of the ground. Jake shook hands with Colonel Langston as he removed his helmet.

“I’m sure glad to see you, General.”

“How’s the crowd control going?” Jake asked, scanning the nearly two thousand Colonists filling up the huge entry area of the massive habitat. They were on the edge of chaos.

“Not good, Sir,” Langston admitted. “They almost streamed right past my guards to try and board your Drop Ship. They would have ran right into the Bugs.”

Jake nodded and turned to Mendoza. “Pick five men now, Bob.”

Mendoza jogged over to the Alpha Drop Ship Marines, and picked out five men to hustle back beside Jake with him.

“You five sling your rifles, and draw your sidearms,” Jake ordered.

They complied instantly. Jake nodded and turned to walk over to the surging Colonists. With a gesture from him, the five Marines dropped to one knee, as Jake had drilled them before leaving the Gallant, and aimed their sidearms directly at the crowd. Mendoza took up a position with his particle beam rifle just behind them. There were shocked gasps and screams at the Marines’ actions.

“Silence!” Jake shouted. When the crowd quieted, Jake gestured to the Marines behind him. “These Marines kill at my command. I have no time for foolishness. Any Colonist who does not instantly obey my commands will be executed.”

A disheveled man, even taller than Jake, and half again as large in bulk, stepped forward. He pointed a finger at Jake. “We don’t take orders from jarheads. There are a hell of.”

In a split second, Jake moved to the man, and backhanded him. His feet left the floor as if he were on a catapult. The man flew into the startled crowd behind him. He took three others to the floor with him. They scrambled out from under his unconscious bulk and shrunk back into the crowd.

“That was your one and only warning,” Jake yelled for all of them to hear. “The next one questioning my orders will die on the spot. My Marines will split you into groups of about thirty. When the LZ dries, each

Drop Ship will land under covering fire while we herd you out in orderly groups. You will move on my orders. You will not pay attention to Bugs dying around you. You will board the Drop Ship and go to the back of the cargo bay. Do you understand?”

There were muttered affirmations, but Jake threw his helmet on the floor angrily. “I said do you understand?”

This time there was a roar in acknowledgement. Jake nodded, and turned to Colonel Langston. “Have your Marines separate these people into groups of twenty-five to thirty and have them ready to move out. My company landed at Bougainville, so they’ve had combat experience. They will provide backup for each group until they’re aboard the Drop Ship.”

“Aye, aye, Sir.”

Jake picked up his helmet and walked over to the entrance doors. He smiled, watching the battle still raging. After waiting ten more minutes, Jake put on his helmet.

“Bring your ship down, Sara. The rest of you position around her as we discussed, and waste everything coming. Charlie, get your men ready to deploy, just like Bougainville. Whatever the deck gunners don’t get will be all yours.”

Jake heard their acknowledgements, and then turned to watch the progress of the Marines grouping the Colonists. They were moving in orderly fashion in small groups, toward the habitat entrance closest to the Epoxy landing zone, under the watchful eyes of Mendoza and the five Marines with drawn sidearms.

“Tim, how we doing?” Jake asked the Alpha Deck Gunner.

“They’re slowing down, Jake,” Dougherty answered, his voice vibrating with the deck gun’s recoil.

“Good, stay with it. We’ll have these people out of here in no time,” Jake replied.

“We’re on the ground, General,” Corey called out. “Opening the hatch for Major Mercer right now.”

Seconds later, Mercer’s voice came on. “We’re deployed, Jake. Bring them out.”

“On our way.” Jake gestured for his Marine company to move up and surround the first group of Colonists. He signaled for the doors to be opened, and then led the first group out towards the Drop Ship.

Some of the Colonists screamed at the sight of the carnage around them, and the still on coming horde of creatures pouring out of three separate holes now. Little children were crying and clinging to equally terrified parents as the group raced across the thirty yards to the ship. Jake saw a mound of soil start shooting up twenty yards to the side of their escape path. He grabbed three of the Marines escorting the Colonists, and headed over to the edge of their Epoxy escape path between the habitat and Landing Zone.

The Marines with Jake took up firing positions, and began pouring particle beam fire at the emerging Bugs. The new hole brought more startled gasps from the Colonists, but they kept moving as the escorting Marines shoved them along. Jake ran back to the door and signaled Mendoza to start out the next group.

“Tim?” Jake called out.

“Yea Boss.”

“You see our new hole?”

“I’m on it.”

Jake watched the deck gun from Alpha turn steady five-second bursts into the new hole. “Jas, hold her steady right there. Tim has the new hole zeroed. The rest of you keep an eye out for new holes.”

“Steady as she goes, Sir,” Major Peters acknowledged.

Jake found Major Mercer near the Marines on the left side of the Drop Ship. He had maneuvered a squad of his men into a position to fire on the new hole. Mercer looked up just as Jake ran up next to him.

“How’s it look, Jake?”

“Very smooth so far, Charlie. Colonel Stavros has launched the satellites for tracking the nests. With these kind of losses, we should be able to pinpoint the Queens. The main thing is we got here in time.”

“Indeed,” Mercer replied. “I heard the Colonists are a little panicked.”

“Who can blame them,” Jake said, watching the terrified people being herded on board the ship.

Mercer leaned down and gave the three Marines the fire order, because the hole had expanded wider than the zeroed in area, Alpha’s deck gunner controlled. He looked back up at Jake. “Remember the first time we saw the things?”

Jake nodded grimly. “We didn’t know they could just come up anywhere then.”

“Hell of a way for a bunch of boot camps to get experience,” Mercer added. “Remember what Deke said when we stumbled off the rising mound, and the Bugs broke the surface?”

‘Tea,” Jake laughed at the memory. “’Well, you all going to start firing, or should we just strip so they don’t get our clothes caught in their teeth?’ Keep on it, Charlie, and I’ll keep them streaming in.”

Jake left his laughing friend to run around and check on the room left in the Drop Ship loading bay. He let two more groups run in, and then walked in front of the next group. He stopped them with a simple gesture, and while he could see the Colonists in the front wanted to climb right over him, they stood still. It pleased Jake to see some of the Colonists were waving their fists in the air, and cheering the Marines on, as the Bugs died in droves.

“Charlie, you and your guys retreat back to me, and continue firing. Close up your hatch Drop Ship Two.”

“Aye, aye, Sir,” Drop Ship Two’s pilot acknowledged, as Mercer’s Marines retreated firing, back to where Jake had stopped the Colonists.

“We’re clear, Drop Ship Two,” Jake said. “Take off and take Drop Ship Three’s place on the firing line. Drop Ship Three, ease on down for loading. Your Marines will deploy with Drop Ship Two’s Company under Major Mercer.”

Drop Ship Two left with their passengers, and Drop Ship Three landed. The hatch opened, and the Marine Company aboard ran out. Mercer had been waiting for them. He deployed them around Drop Ship Three, while he had his own company resume fire support on the Bug holes, now numbering three on both sides of the escape pathway. Jake started his Colonist groups into the ship, and joined Mercer.

“They’re sprouting up faster, Charlie.”

“Yep, the bastards are learning quick, Jake,” Mercer nodded in agreement. “What do you want to do?”

Jake shrugged. “Keep making Bug soup. I’m going to split channels now. You take over the new Marine companies as they land. Only you will be on with me. I’m going to direct the Drop Ship fire on the new holes, and keep directing traffic. You position our Marines to take out emerging Bugs.”

“Sounds good, Jake, just signal me when you want us to retreat after load-up.”

“Will do,” Jake replied. “Yuri?”

“Yes Sir?”

“Time to split channels. Leave Charlie on both channels, but take the Marines off our main line, so we don’t get them confused.”

“Done, Jake,” Tokoru replied. “A couple of helmet cams have stopped transmitting, but other than that, we have a clear picture. The Bugs have been increasing their exit holes.”

“Charlie and I noticed. We’re deploying each Marine Company as they land to cover the new holes. The deck gunners have been taking up the slack too as targets became visible. I’m going to run in and make sure the habitat gunners are staying alert.”

“I’m covering that, General,” Colonel Langston said. “They are trying to flank us from behind. “We’ve opened up with the MAG50 rounds, away from the rescue area. I’m a little thin on Marines though.”

“Charlie, you copy that?” Jake asked.

“Yes Sir,” Mercer responded. “I’ll send a squad inside to help.”

“Good deal. How are we doing on tracking, Yuri?”

“Better than you’d think, Jake,” Tokoru answered. “We not only have two main nests tracked, we also picked up alien ship movement at the edge of the quadrant. It’s a good thing you thought to start an outbound scan.”

“They ain’t moving in though, are they?” Jake asked quickly.

“No Sir,” Tokoru responded, “and Colonel Stavros has all of the Gallant’s scanners turned outwards. He said he will be keeping that situation under his direct control. He wants permission to ask for Command Wing Fighters.”

“Permission granted,” Jake said. “Relay my thanks to him. That’s good thinking. It may take awhile to get them here, but we can hopefully hold our own until then if they move on us. You better get General Risling on live, and let him in on our progress. He will be interested in the new visitor we picked up for the show. I’ll just be herding for now, Yuri, so patch him through if he wants in on this live.”