There were scorch marks in the surrounding buildings and cars that were being used as cover. One had completely burnt out to a blackened shell. Between their defences and the entrance to the station were the bodies of three French soldiers. It was a grim thing to see, but he’d been conditioned to such a degree that it didn’t faze him anymore.
“Who’s in charge here?” he shouted.
There was no response by the demoralised troops. Some looked away, and others were still captivated by the equipment they wore. Taylor paced right up to their position and stopped just two metres from the line. Finally, one spoke.
“Captain Fournier, 4th Hussars Squadron, and you are?”
“Major Taylor, 2 ^nd Inter-Allied Company.”
“Of what regiment?”
“To be quite honest, I don’t know anymore, Captain. We’ve been merged with so many allies that there is no other way to identify us any longer. All I can tell you is that we form one of the taskforces established for this kind of work.”
The Captain looked down and sighed with a dismissive grin.
“I believe you, Major, I really do. But what can you do here? They’re dug in with substantial firepower. We have seen at least two-dozen Mechs, and there are probably a good many more. We’d need another two hundred soldiers to get this done.”
Two lights flashed up ahead, and Taylor instantly recognised them as enemy gunfire.
“Cover!” he shouted.
The heat pulses rushed overhead past the blockage just a split second after they had hit the ground. Parker’s back smashed against an over turned car, and she looked up just in time to see one of the pulses burst through the windshield of the transporter that had carried them there in safety. The glass shattered and the interior quickly caught fire.
“God damn bastards!”
She watched as flames engulfed the truck and smoke rose through the street. It only served to make her hungrier for blood.
“Captain! Have they tried to break out at all, or are they staying put?” asked Taylor.
“They aren’t moving anywhere. I tried pulling back to encourage them out, but they don’t want to leave,” he replied.
Mitch peered up over the bonnet of the vehicle they were using for cover to see several Mech gun barrels protruding from windows. He couldn’t think of a safe way of attacking with what they had.
“How many men do you have?” he asked the Captain.
“Still left at the defences, about eighty.”
Taylor shook his head. “We need more.”
The Captain nodded as if to say it was obvious.
Taylor’s communicator crackled as a signal came through.
“Major Taylor, come in.”
Taylor smiled as he recognised Chandra’s voice. “This is Taylor.”
“What is your situation?”
“We are in position at the perimeter, heavy resistance inside. We are unable to breach at current strength.”
“Good work. We’re en route. We breach from the roof in three minutes. Be ready.”
“Got it.”
He turned back to the combined troops who were scattered in a ragtag line where they had hurried to cover.
“Help is on the way. Check your weapons. We move in three.”
The Captain turned in shock and grabbed the Major’s shoulder to pull him around into eye contact.
“Major, what the hell are you doing? We can’t assault! It’s suicide!”
“We aren’t doing this alone. We don’t move until the attack is underway. We should be able to advance under the chaos of what’s coming.”
“And what is coming?”
“The Immortals.”
The man’s eyes lit up as he instantly recognised the name and remembered hearing of Major Taylor in regard to them. He lifted his rifle and looked up over the barricade as he relayed the information to his men through their radio systems. Two minutes later, they suddenly heard the roar of engines approaching quickly from the north. They could hear whatever was closing was skimming the rooftops, and the engines were booming through the streets.
“This is it, ready!” shouted Taylor.
A copter roared overhead and deafened them as the reverse thrusters kicked in. A dust cloud blinded them for a second, and they wondered if the aircraft even had enough clearance over the station. Through the thick dust they saw the lights of suit thrusters glare as Chandra’s troops descended quickly onto the rooftop. Gunfire rang out as they quickly overcame whatever sentries were atop the building. Mitch looked over to see the look of both shock and hope in the Frenchmen.
“Let’s go!” he ordered.
Taylor’s coarse voice roared out and was heard by most, even over the boomed engines of the hovering copter. He leapt over the car and hit the ground running. As soon as he saw the first pulses of energy rushing towards them, he wished they’d had the shields with them. Intelligence had made it clear that their missions were low risk, rapid raids and not the vicious gun battles they had become so accustomed to.
“Fuck me!” he screamed as he felt the burn of a pulse rush past his head.
He opened fire as he ran, puncturing holes in the reinforced glass of the doors to the station. The soldiers all around him joined in the action, and the ground floor of the building was devastated by a volley of fire. He leapt over the body of one of the fallen soldiers from the previous fight and ducked down at the base of the wide flight of steps leading to the entrance.
“Grenades!”
He doubted anyone would have heard him, but they’d understand. He twisted the firing cap of a high explosive charge and launched it through the entrance. He ducked down as five more were thrown through the breach. Seconds later, an explosion rang out which was echoed by several more. Smoke and dust burst out from the doorways and left the entrance in a haze.
“Advance!”
They leapt to their feet and rushed through the building entrance. Parker and several others had managed to get ahead and were already blazing away before he’d gotten through what remained of the doors. Gunfire rang out, but had already silenced by the time he got through the dust cloud. Three Mechs lay dead on the ground. He turned to see three of the Frenchmen had been killed on the assault, and two of his wounded; their lives saved by Reiter’s armour. They could hear gunfire still raging on the floors above.
“Alright, let’s get this building cleared. Parker, you are to sweep and clear the ground floor. Fournier, your task is to go to the aid of the bunker and get those civilians out to safety. We’re heading up to assist Major Chandra. Let’s go!”
The three groups quickly split apart. Only seconds after Parker’s platoon had left his sight, and Taylor could hear pulses and gunfire where they had met opposition. For just a second, he stopped and hesitated about leaving her to assist the others. He knew he had a responsibility to remain professional, no matter their relationship, but he could not help but feel cold for leaving her in combat.
“What is it?” asked Lam.
Taylor shook his head as he snapped out of it.
“Nothing, let’s keep moving.”
They rushed up the stairs at a rapid pace, covering three steps in every leap. Taylor ripped open the door to the first floor to be met by a line of a half dozen Mechs waiting for them.
“Down!” he screamed.
He leapt from the doors, just in time to miss a pulse heading for his face. Another clipped the edge of his waistline armour and burning a few millimetres from it. Williams was unconscious on the ground where a pulse had hit him full force in the chest. Mitch prayed he was still alive, but there was nothing he could do for him in that moment.
“What the fuck are we gonna do now, Sir?” shouted Lam.
He peered around to see that there was only one entrance on that floor, and they couldn’t reach the other side of the stairway without crossing the path of fire. The Mechs continued to fire odd shots through the entrance, but they didn’t appear to be advancing.