Merkiaari Wars: 02 - What Price Honour (5 page)

She nodded and opened a channel. “All units, target in sight, move up and spread out either side of my position.”

As her people moved up, Gina surveyed what she could see of the rebel base. The trees gave way to a small open area about a hundred and fifty metres ahead. She could see a dimly lit compound with two tracked vehicles parked within it. Guards were pacing the perimeter at intervals, but they were of little concern. They weren’t equipped with night vision optics and were essentially blind. The laser towers Eric mentioned were just visible in the gloom, but the turrets themselves were lost to the night. There was no way to be sure if they were operational. She couldn’t see the missile batteries he had mentioned, but the snub barrels of Raytheon Auto-7 sentry guns were unmistakable. The Auto-7 was serious hardware by anyone’s standard. They were computer controlled auto loading gatling guns, firing 7mm armour piercing rounds at a rate of 6000 per minute. When they fired, it was like the breath of God unleashed. Those guns would have to be dealt with before they did anything else.

“Automated,” she said noting the sensor arrays. “Thermal?”

“And motion activated,” Eric agreed. “But they had all kinds of trouble with the local wildlife tripping the alerts. They had to dial back their sensitivity to stop the things fragging everyone. I won’t have a problem getting close to them.”

“And the rest of us?”

Eric looked at her for a long moment in consideration. “You wouldn’t get within a hundred metres.”

She was hardly surprised. “That’s what I figured. Is there any way you can tell if the lasers are active?”

“Not until they power up the coils. They’re not powered right now, but that doesn’t mean much.”

“What model?”

“Not sure. They might be the old Northrop HK-2100.”

Gina whistled silently. “Heavy stuff, but they always did take a minimum of two minutes to power up.”

“I know, but they might be a newer model. I only glimpsed them for a second.”

Gina pondered her options. She wasn’t here to take the rebels captive, and she certainly wasn’t here to take the base. Her primary mission was to deactivate the missile batteries, but if she could reduce the rest of the defences as well, so much the better.

“We’ll use the launchers.”

“No.”

She tensed. “Are you pulling rank?”

Eric hesitated. “No.”

“Then we use the launchers.” She activated her comm. “Eagles Four and Nine, Eagle One. Get set up, but wait for the command.”

“Four copies.”

“Eagle Nine copies.”

Frankowski and Westfield shuffled away to either side to set up the launchers. If all went well, they would take out the towers before the lasers could be powered up.

Gina shifted her attention to what she could see of the mine entrance—not a great deal in the dark. She switched to thermal imaging, but again there was nothing to see. Where was everybody? Where were all the rabid and rebellious terrorists? All she could find were a couple of civs playing soldier. Back in the monochrome world of light amplification, she studied the guards. She didn’t think much of them. They were completely oblivious to her presence. They were walking the perimeter as if motion sensors had never been invented. How the idiots had ever been given such responsibility was beyond her. They were acting like a couple of goons on Zelda’s show.

“Fools,” she muttered.

Eric nodded. “Nothing but foolish children, Gina, but still dangerous. Anyone can set a fire that will burn down your house—even wilful children. The Alliance is full of them. You don’t know how many times I have… never mind.”

She would have liked to hear more, but she was interrupted by a warning beep from her comm. “Eagle Nine, Eagle One, go.”

“Eagle Nine in position.”

“Copy that. Wait orders.”

“Copy.”

Gina changed frequencies. “Eagle Six status?”

“Just about done, Gunny. I had to move further than planned. The damn trees were in my way.”

“Copy that. On the command, I want two rounds apiece on the sentry guns—take them out first. The chances are good that the turrets contain AA lasers—the old Northrop HK-2100 model.”

“That’s handy,” Westfield muttered.

Gina ignored the sarcasm. “I want the towers gone as soon as you finish with the guns. Copy?”

“Copy that. My pleasure to serve.”

She grinned and changed channels to give Frankowski similar orders. Eric was watching the base intently while she spoke with her people. He had a vaguely puzzled look upon his face. Gina opened her visor and was instantly plunged into darkness. She didn’t need her imaging systems to see Eric.

“What’s wrong?”

Eric shook his head. “I don’t know, something’s not right. It’s too quiet.”

That was a bonus to Gina’s way of thinking. She had surprise on her side. “It’s after midnight.”

“That’s the point. When I was here last, the rebels moved around mostly at night to avoid detection.”

Gina frowned. There was nothing to cause concern, and that lack suddenly sparked it. It made her nervous. Trying to shake her unease, she concentrated on business.

“I’ve ordered the towers lit up after the guns. With luck they won’t know what’s hit them until too late.”

Eric nodded. “I’ll take out the guards. Be ready to lead your people after me. Do
not
deviate from my path, Gina, and that
is
an order.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” she said automatically and was glad the others hadn’t heard her when Eric glared. He was supposed to be a civ. He really didn’t like her calling him, sir.

Eric held up five fingers and began counting down.

Gina quickly slapped her visor closed and contacted her people. “…three, two, one,
now!
”

Pooomf! Pooomf! Pooomf! Pooomf!

The first four rounds were still in the air when another four were launched to join them. Explosions shattered the night. Gina’s optics flared white as the flashes overloaded sensitive pickups. She switched to thermal imaging for a moment before giving it up as a bad job. She would have to rely on her MK1 eyeballs for now.

Pooomf! Pooomf! Pooomf! Pooomf!

The sentry guns were gone, turned to pillars of fire and flashes of light as their ammo cooked off. She winced as a particularly violent detonation shook the air. She ducked as something whirred overhead and struck the trees behind.

It’s bloody dangerous out here!

Eric’s pulser was tracking and firing. She watched him pick out one target after another with unfailing accuracy. It was like watching a sentry gun. He was machine-like in his precision. She had never believed the propaganda about the 501
^st
. That they were consummate soldiers, yes. That vipers had saved humanity at a time when nothing else could have—absolutely, but that they were inhuman robots incapable of real feelings… robots that killed without compunction or mercy? No. Seeing Eric like this shook her convictions, but then she remembered that this was Eric and not some machine. She knew him. At least she knew him enough to discount most of the stories.

Pooomf! Pooomf! Pooomf! Pooomf!

She watched the first tower fall, but she didn’t have time to see it strike the ground. Eric had finished his methodical butchery and was getting ready to move into the minefield.

“Eagles Four and Nine, hold your positions,” she ordered over the comm. “The rest of you follow me. Two has point.”

Gina hastened to follow Eric as he meandered his way toward the objective. She was careful to follow his movements exactly. Only he knew the safe route through the minefield… if the rebels hadn’t changed it. She breathed easier when they reached the perimeter fence without mishap. Eric cut the wire and was inside on his belly before Gina could blink. She followed and lay next to a makeshift APC. Both vehicles, though civilian in design, had been extensively modified through application of armour plating. She could see the twin snub barrels of what looked like an M306-AA pulser. That kind of weaponry was a serious threat to the regiment’s transports and needed taking care of.

Gina quickly assessed her squad. They were prone and well hidden by cavorting shadows caused by the fires. “Eagles Six and Seven, take care of those pulsers.”

“Copy.”

“Copy.”

While her people were taking care of the pulsers by application of CTX15 (remote detonated charges), Gina followed Eric as he ran across the compound toward the mineshaft.

“No guards?” Gina said as she peered into the mine entrance.

“Over confident,” Eric said though he didn’t sound sure.

Gina used her sensors to scan for the rebels, but the shaft seemed deserted. “Take us to the command centre.”

Eric nodded and led the way inside. The tunnels were dark. Without her sensors, Gina would have been completely blind. Light amplification needed some light to work with and here there was none. She switched to thermal imaging and followed Eric carefully. She had to rely on his enhanced abilities now more than ever. Her own sensors were giving fuzzy readings and shadows where there should be none. There was something in the tunnel walls interfering with her equipment. She tried to refine the data her sensors displayed on her HUD, but after a moment, she gave it up as a bad job. Eric gave no sign that he was having the same difficulties; he crept passed one side tunnel after another as if sure they were unoccupied. She hoped he was right.

Gina had her pulser ready, but she was still taken by surprise. She hit the dirt as the rebels opened up on her. Eric rolled to the left and used the tunnel wall to shield himself while she laid down covering fire. Eric aimed and took a rebel’s leg off at the knee. The shrill screaming was an efficient way of distracting the man’s comrades, and Eric took full advantage. Almost as soon as the screaming began, the fight ended with his pulser bolts finding targets. Fire from the rebels ceased as the last man fell. The remaining rebel continued screaming in agony, but they took no notice. They were too busy charging into the empty command centre.

“What the hell is going on?” Gina said, and squinted around the brightly lit but empty control room.

“Don’t know,” Eric said absently as he sat at an empty consol and used the controls to change the views on the security monitors. “The barracks and motor pool are both empty,” he murmured. “They’ve abandoned the place.”

“Abandoned it, or is it just empty at the moment?”

Eric turned toward her with a frown upon his face. “What?”

“Those guards you killed didn’t abandon it did they? They fought as if this place was important.”

Eric looked back at the monitors. “They’ve gone on a raid.”

She nodded grimly. “Disable the mines and missile batteries.”

Eric started trashing the consols. While he took care of that, Gina took a moment to contact her people.

“Eagles Four and Nine, Eagle One. It’s all in the crapper here. Come in and meet me.”

“Eagle Four copies.”

“Nine copies.”

“I’m done,” Eric said looking up from a smoking consol.

Gina looked around at the destruction with approval. “Let’s go, and don’t forget your prisoner.”

Eric ducked out the door to retrieve the still screaming rebel.

From the doorway, Gina glanced back at the destruction and decided the rebels might be able to repair the damage. She couldn’t allow that. She slung her rifle and unclipped a brace of grenades from her webbing. She depressed the triggers and lobbed them underhand through the door.

“Fire in the hole,” Gina shouted and sprinted down the tunnel. Both grenades went off and the tunnel roof collapsed behind her.

Outside in the compound, numerous bonfires lit the night. She took a second to reassure herself that all her people were unharmed before contacting base.

“Gold One, Eagle One.”

“Eagle One, Gold One. Go,” Major Stein said.

“The mission is a bust, sir. We neutralised the lasers, missile launchers, and pretty much the entire base.”

“I hear a but coming, Gunny.”

Gina grimaced. “Yes, sir, there’s definitely a but. Apart from a few guards, the damn rebels are missing. Eric thinks they chose tonight for some kind of raid. I concur, sir.”

“Copy that,” Stein said grimly. “I think I know their target and there’s not much time. I’m sending the transport to pick your team up.”

“Understood. Eagle One clear.”

“Gold One clear.”

Gina turned her attention to Eric and his prisoner. Her Marines had fallen in and set up a defensive perimeter around her and Eric. The prisoner stopped screaming as Hollings pumped a dose of Fentanyl into him. Although its effect was of a short duration, Fentanyl Citrate was the strongest narcotic they carried. The rebel was hardly likely to die from something as minor as the loss of a leg, but if he didn’t cooperate, he would wish he had.

“What is the target?” Eric asked intently.