When have I ever been able to see the whole picture like this?
The pieces seemed to be coming together too easily, but there was no more time to think on it.
The Deveron was soaring across the skies to the government headquarters from where the President had made her speech. But as they drew nearer, they could make out other craft approaching from the north.
“Identify those craft,” said Taylor.
He was on the bridge beside Ryan. Every one of the crew was now equipped in Reitech gear, but he knew few of them were experienced in using it.
“I need your three best marksmen.”
“My five best are at the main door at the lower level. Take whichever you need.”
“We’ll be jumping onto the roof. You be ready to pick us up.”
“That’s the plan? And what about the Germans?”
“Keep ‘em busy?”
“Keep ‘em busy? Only way I got to keep them busy is let them blow holes in us.”
‘Relax; this is one of the finest vessels the US has ever built. You’ll be fine.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“Those are German ships,” said an Ensign.
“They haven’t fired on us. Don’t provoke them,” said Taylor.
He patted Ryan on the shoulder before pulling his helmet on and rushing out the door. Jafar was awaiting him and passed him his rifle. They hurried to the lower hull of the ship where the five men were waiting just as Ryan had said. They looked scared to death. Guarding the ship was the closest they’d ever come to combat. They were Navy seamen, not marines.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Sure, Jafar, why, you’re not?”
“You always told me to look at things from all angles. You are making a lot of assumptions here.”
“Facts are a luxury in this business. You know that.”
He turned to the others. You three, Waters, Malok, and Hughes, you’re coming with us. Stay close. He had to look at their nametags to remember their names; a fact he wasn’t proud of.
“You jumped before?” he asked them.
They shook their heads.
“Set your boosters to auto, and they’ll control our descent. When we hit the ground, you just follow me and Jafar, and keep an eye on our backs, you hear?”
They felt the reverse thrust kick in as the Deveron came in towards their location. Taylor hit the door switch, and it slid open, letting the fresh air pour in.
“This is it. Keep your eyes open and your weapon at the ready!”
He leapt from the edge the moment the ship came to a near halt in the sky. They were on the roof in a heartbeat, and there was not a sign of life.
“Get moving!” he shouted down the intercom to Ryan.
He looked around in surprise, and something didn’t feel right at all. The sound of engines roared beside the building, and two ships lifted up into view before turning and soaring into the sky.
“Something’s wrong.”
“What?” asked Malok.
“A Presidential building with not a single guard in sight. No, something is wrong here.”
“Colonel Taylor!” a voice called.
He turned to see Armand stepping out onto the roof from a nearby stairs.
No, can’t be. He played us all along.
Now he knew why everything had fitted together so well in his head. It had been a carefully calculated plan to get him at his most vulnerable.
“You’re a great fighter, Colonel, maybe even a great leader, but not the smartest!”
Troops poured out from the stairs behind him and from two other locations at their flank until over a hundred fully equipped soldiers encircled them.
“Oh, shit,” he whispered, “When I shout, follow me, and do as I do.”
“I can’t say getting the President was important, but capturing you was an opportunity which I couldn’t pass up, and you fell for it from day one,” said Armand.
“Getting identified and recognised for who you are part of your plan as well?” he yelled back.
“Irrelevant now. Your only evidence is dead, and now I have you, too.”
Taylor opened up his comms channel and left it open.
“So you are from Red 1?”
“Sure am, along with all the loyal soldiers you see around you. I thought we had an opportunity with you, Colonel. I thought you might be convinced to join the winning side, but clearly you’d rather die a martyr.”
“You’re gonna regret killing Tsengal because I’m not gonna kill you quick or easy.”
“Big words for a man at the end of his days.”
Engines roared overhead that gusted over the rooftop, kicking up dust around them all. The Deveron flew overhead and slowed to a crawling pace.
“Now!” Taylor shouted.
He hit his boosters and launched up into the air. The others followed suit and were hurled up into the sky up and over the ship. Taylor landed smoothly on the roof and Jafar beside him. He turned to see Waters rocketing towards him. He reached out and took hold of the sailor, grabbing him as he passed. Malok hit the deck hard but was okay. Hughes was coming in hard and fast. He hit the hull of the ship and slid along it. Taylor leapt after him and managed to get a hold on his leg but was pulled over the side. He thought he was going overboard but felt Jafar’s iron grip around his ankle. As he was pulled, he called into his comms.
“Go!”
The engines roared. Gunfire zipped past the ship but could do nothing against its armour. Taylor got to his feet in time to see Armand standing on the rooftop at an absolute loss.
“Sooner or later, I’m gonna kill you,” Taylor said to himself.
A hatch slid open as they rolled in, and the turbulence began to get unbearable. He quickly got on his comms.
"Ryan, can you catch those two ships?"
"Bet your ass, Colonel."
"Do it!"
They felt the Deveron bank and go to full burn. Taylor brought up the ship’s forward display screen on his Mappad. It only took them a few minutes to reach the two craft that were at a cruising speed and apparently in no rush. One was a small gunship and the other an armed transport.
"Ryan, knock the engines out on that gunship and bring us alongside the other."
"Sure about this, Sir?"
"No, but do it anyway."
The tracer coming on screen followed the crack of gunfire. The first volley narrowly clipped the aft of the gunship, and as they began to take evasive action, the second struck their engines. Their power was knocked out instantly, and they began to lose altitude. Taylor watched and waited to see if the crew would bail out. They did, and he gave a sigh of relief. He didn't want to see them dead.
"They are the enemy?" asked Jafar.
"Maybe, but they are also human. We kill only if we have to."
He looked to the other three who looked terrified.
"We have any explosives aboard?"
They shook their heads.
"Grenades?"
"No, Sir," replied Hughes, "We only carry what is necessary for the protection of the Deveron."
"Yeah, well, that's all fine and dandy when things go to plan. We'll just have to improvise.”
"Ryan, we need to get aboard that ship, can you use the docking gear?"
"Airborne?" he asked.
"We need you to get that transport locked, even for just twenty seconds. Give us enough time to get aboard."
"I'll give it a shot."
The nose of the Deveron dipped as they came up under the transport that was half her size. They were at full burn now, but they couldn't outrun the Deveron.