“If they didn’t have a plan they thought could work, then they wouldn’t be suggesting it.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time a General has sent his finest to slaughter.”
“You heard the General. If we don’t do this, it’s all over anyway.”
“Then I wish you luck, and I pray for your safe return.”
“Company, listen up!” balled Taylor.
They were lying about across the trenches they had fought over so successfully earlier that day. They scrambled to their feet to form up before the Major.
“Thirty men from my platoon and Lieutenant Suarez’s are needed for a special mission. I’m asking for volunteers!”
The first few of the two platoons quickly jumped to their feet and others quickly followed suit. In under a minute the Major had all that he needed. Captain Friday stepped up to his side.
“Mitch, I want to volunteer.”
“I know you do, and I do not doubt that you would go to hell and back with me. But I need you here. Chandra needs capable officers in my absence, and you are my second in command.”
Friday stared into his eyes. He could see the concern in the Major’s eyes.
“You don’t think you’ll be coming back from this one?”
Taylor’s face was blank. He did indeed think it, and his face answered the Captain’s question.
“This is the way it has to be, so please, do as I ask.”
Friday nodded his head in agreement. The last thing he wanted was to lose a friend, but neither would he disobey him. The Major stepped past him and up to Eli, who was one of the first to take to her feet.
“Not this time, Sergeant. We both know you are still not fully healed. I let you back on duty because we needed you here, but I cannot risk you this time,” he whispered.
“That your professional opinion, Sir?”
“I won’t risk everyone I know all at once, it’s too much to lose.”
She knew that meant it likely he would not be coming back. She wanted to say something, but she knew it was neither her place or of any use.
“I need the new equipment for everyone. Get to Reiter and see if you can get another five sets from him, and strip any from the Company to hand over to my volunteers.”
“Got it.”
Friday stepped to the side and out of his line of sight to the troops.
“The volunteers will follow me immediately to the conference room. Everyone else, as you were!”
On the hour, as agreed, the thirty marines stood squeezed in the conference room around the central display table. They waited the call from Dupont. The Major had not given them any insight into their mission, and they had made no attempt to enquire. Taylor could see that they realised it was a mission of great importance. Never before had they been at the initial briefing with key officers. The screen flashed to life, and they were all were captivated, desperately wanting to know more.
“Welcome, Gentlemen, to what could be the most important mission of the war yet. I am Major Dupont, you already know Commander Phillips here. We will be overseeing this task.”
The table that they stood around lit up with a map of France and a lit pointer which the Brigadier was clearly commanding from his end.
“At 0100 hours you will depart for an enemy position near the town of Poitiers, here.”
The men gasped as they were taken aback by the outrageous statement.
“Sir? We’ve not made any headway against this enemy. How are we supposed to get to the other side of France?” asked Sergeant Silva.
“Under the disguise of Lieutenant Rains’ craft. It has been modified to give off all of the signatures and signals of the enemy. He will get you there in one piece. What you need to worry about is your job in all of this.”
Silva shook his head. He’d only heard the first stage of the plan and it was already sounding farfetched.
“You’ll put down here, a secluded spot which is well hidden between an outer blast wall and the main structure of the dome.”
“Sir, I am still failing to see how we can pull this off when we reach the ground,” said Silva.
“Our information shows that the enemy defences are focused on aerial patrols and some kind of defence grid. You should be able pass through both of those without incident.”
“Should?” Silva muttered.
The Brigadier sighed as he tried his best to ignore the comment. He knew what was being asked of the marines and was willing to give them some leeway.
“From this location, you will use tunnelling devices that are currently en route to you. They will get you five metres underground and up inside the dome.”
Taylor nodded as he thought about the plan. It wasn’t as insane as he had first thought.
“That really the easiest way to get in, Sir?” asked Suarez.
“It would appear so. There are no entrances not heavily guarded, and you cannot blast your way in without drawing a lot of attention. From here, you will deploy a nuclear weapon at the central core of the structure. The location is shown here and identified by the strong heat signature.”
They looked down at the overview map. It was clear that the officers in charge had little idea what to expect once they got on the inside.
“The bomb weighs in at one hundred and fifty kilos. I am told that your exoskeleton suits will carry that without issue?”
“Yes, Sir,” replied Taylor.
“Commander Phillips, do you have anything to add?”
The British officer stepped to the forefront of the video feed.
“Needless to say, Gentlemen, this is above and beyond the call of duty. The risk is high, but the plan is sound. I wish you all the very best of luck, and I pray for all our sakes that you succeed.”
“Your men may fall out, but I will need officers and NCOs to remain present to outline the rest of the plan,” said Dupont.
Taylor turned to his men.
“Get some rest and any sleep you can, we gear up at midnight.”
The troops shuffled out of the room as the more senior personnel among them sat down for what would be an arduous hour more of planning. Taylor had little to add to the briefing. It seemed the plan had been well considered before being put to them. When they had eventually finished, he ambled out with a stiff and sore body.
He staggered onwards until his body loosened and he gained pace. Suarez, Silva and Corporal Evans were close behind. Their unit was allocated a small bunk room on the edge of the base that had not been used in ten years. As they approached, he could see Eli sat waiting for him on the steps leading up to the building.
“Sir, I have had both of your teams’ equipment moved here. You will find it stacked in the reception. Reiter told me to pass on the message that the new equipment is being checked over and prepared for your next mission.”
“Thank you, Sergeant.”
He turned back and nodded for the other three men to continue on past him. As they disappeared into the aging building, the Major turned to Eli. He wearily stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. He stroked her hair as he thought how much he had in life that he didn’t want to lose. Although he couldn’t see her face, her eyes were wide and her expression of loss. She was expecting to lose him on this mission and nothing could hide that. Taylor pulled her back to look into her eyes.
“I don’t know what your mission is, and I don’t want to. Just promise me you’ll come back.”
“You know I can’t make that promise.”
“Try,” she snapped.
“I’ll do everything I can to make it back.”
She shook her head. All the death and destruction around her had pushed her to the point where she couldn’t bear the thought of any more losses. She looked up at him and spoke in a worried and shaky voice.
“When do you leave?”
“0100.”
She nodded, knowing that meant she had no choice but to leave him in peace.
“Is it all worth it?” she asked.
“What?”
“Do you really think we can be saved? That we can win this war?”
He grabbed her tight and pushed her out at arms’ length. Her body was limp and not her usual self.