“I have learnt something of language, Captain. You would be wise to avoid angering me.”
Charlie looked at the wincing face of his comrade who was still skewed by the blade.
“Alright, you’ve made your point!”
Karadag ripped the blade back out from Walker’s shoulder. The soldier immediately crumpled to the floor in agony. Jones dropped down beside him to look at his wound. It was a clean strike, missing anything major, so he could be patched up. Jones turned as Karadag’s blade folded away into in to his suit, and he stood glaring at them.
“What do you want from us?”
The Mech leader ignored the Captain and turned to his two guards. As he reached them, he stopped and turned back.
“Do you still not have a name for us?”
I can think of many, you bastard, thought Jones. But he shook his head.
“Then you may call us the Krycenaeans.”
Karadag turned again to leave but stopped as Jones fired another question at him.
“Is that the name of your people?”
“No, but it is the best your language can manage.”
The imposing leader strode out of the room as the two Mechs approached. Jones knew he could do nothing to resist them, and they were going where the enemy wanted.
Major Chandra’s beleaguered column had been rolling east for hours in full retreat. She’d reported the loss of Amiens, but it had come as no surprise to Phillips, who had little advice to give her. She’d decided to do the only thing that seemed to make sense, to head for Ramstein. She knew the Major was making some headway on something which could help. She thought, by god we need it.
As the column drew up to the entrance to the base, they were surprised to see just two soldiers on guard and little sign of any further security. The men didn’t even ask for identification, simply opening the gate for their approach. She got the impression that they had seen many more fleeing troops pass through their gate.
“Bring us to a halt by the guards, Captain.”
Becker’s lead vehicle rocked to a halt next to the two men. Their faces were distraught and bodies lax. She could tell they too had seen combat and had likely been posted there as a resting deployment.
“Major Chandra of the 2 ^ nd Inter-Allied Company.”
“What battalion, Ma’am?”One of them mumbled.
She looked back to her comrades. She no longer knew how they could even be identified. The Company was a mix of many troops from several battalions and without an army to belong to. It was yet another painful reminder of what they had lost. She turned back to the guards.
“We, we have no battalion, this is it.”
The two guards look across the faces of the beleaguered troops. They righted themselves as they realised that their own hardships and losses were belittled. They could see a mix of uniforms, instantly telling them that these were the few survivors of many units. They shook their heads in disbelief and horror.
“What can we do for you, Ma’am?”
“You can guide us to Major Mitch Taylor.”
“I am sorry, Ma’am, but I have not heard of the Major.”
“I was told he was here conducting tests on new equipment that could give us a fighting chance. He arrived a couple of days ago.”
The other guard stepped forward and blurted out.
“Professor Reiter. If your Major was testing anything on this base, Reiter would have something to do with it.”
“How can I find this Reiter?”
“Follow the signs to Unit 108, but you’ll need security clearance to get in. I’ve no idea what goes on behind those doors.”
Chandra nodded in gratitude. She waved for Becker to move out. The column rode steadily through the base, passing many abandoned buildings. Some fields had lines of aircraft that had been left to rot for decades. Ramstein appeared to be a graveyard for the Air Force. She only prayed they hadn’t gone there to die also.
“Major Taylor!” shouted a guard.
He was stood in front of the new weapon he’d been testing, admiring its construction. Taylor was deep in thought, so the guard shouted again, and he quickly turned to the man.
“Sir, I’ve got a Major Chandra asking for you outside. She’s not cleared, but she is quite adamant that she had the right place.”
“Put the security feed on screen!”
The large display monitor the Major had been using for video feeds to General White and other officials flashed. It brought up the camera overlooking the main entrance to their building. He instantly recognised Chandra stood arguing with the guards. She was becoming more and more aggravated. One of the guards quickly reached for his sidearm as the tension increased.
Before he could raise the weapon the Major had taken hold of it, elbowed the man to the face and twisted the pistol from his hands. Taylor watched in amazement as she took the two men to pieces. She kicked to the other’s lead leg, knocking him down onto one knee. She then struck him in the jaw with the grip of the other man’s pistol. In just a few seconds she had incapacitated both men.
Chandra threw down the guard’s pistol in spite and looked up into the camera.
“I am Major Chandra of the 2 ^ nd Inter-Allied Company. Major Taylor is under my command, and I demand to enter immediately!”
Mitch smiled at the dry tone of the woman and her devastating ability. It never ceased to amaze him how the feisty woman managed to be so strong and aggressive. She truly deserved her command, he thought. He turned back to the guard.
“Let her in.”
“But, Sir, she’s just assaulted two of our men!”
“They drew on her, and she has not shown any signs of being a threat. I suggest you give your men better hand-to-hand combat training.”
“Sir, I must protest.”
Taylor turned his full body to stand off against the man. He was a corporal in the USAF. It was clear that he’d never fought in the air or on the land.
“Corporal, I couldn’t give a god damn for your opinion. You let her in, or I’ll throw you out to her.”
Sergeants Silva and Parker, who stood just a couple of metres away from the Major, smiled wickedly to each other. They were both greatly entertained by Taylor’s handling of the snivelling base guard. The two went up to Taylor as the three watched the corridor and awaited their friends. The Corporal re-appeared, leading Chandra, Friday and Becker. Taylor rushed forward and threw his arms around the Major, lifting her off her feet. She was about to protest when she was overwhelmed with the re-union.
“Damn it’s good to see you, Major!” shouted Taylor.
“Likewise.”
Taylor released her and turned to Becker, giving him an inquisitive look. He turned back to Chandra.
“Where is Charlie?”
She closed her eyes in sadness.
“Dead? Not a chance!”
“We have no idea,” said Friday.
“What? How?”
Chandra sighed and blurted out in anger.
“Fucking locals in Amiens locked him up, along with Private Walker. They didn’t want us there, and before we could get him back, the Mechs launched a new offensive. He’s behind enemy lines. That’s all we know.”
“And still locked up?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. The whole situations a total mess.”
Taylor shook his head in disbelief, and he could not believe that the Captain was dead. He would not allow himself to believe it. Charlie Jones had become one of his closest friends, and he had lost too much already to believe the Captain had gone. Before he could dwell on it any longer, Becker stepped forward.
“I am sorry for your loss, Major. I worked with the Captain, and he was a fine man.”
Taylor nodded in agreement, the best, he thought. He peered into Becker’s eyes, trying to identify him.
“I am Captain Becker. My armoured section has been attached to your company.”