Stalkers had dropped down from the ceiling and were fighting among the Reapers and cor-sec troopers, somehow also having awakened one of the bone worms. In the back of his mind Samuel suspected that the Stalkers had captured the worm and dropped it on the squad to break their formation before making the assault, though the very thought of it was so disturbing he pushed it away and focused on the fight.
The worm’s head was burrowing into a trooper’s wet guts and the creature’s thrashing body knocked Samuel off of his feet and over the side into another pit. The marine pushed off the bottom and broke the surface of the water only to go under again as a Stalker leapt upon him.
He could feel strong jaws clamp down on his armored neck while clawed fingers probed the joints of his armor for an opening into which to dig as the creature used its superior strength to pin him down and keep him submerged. Samuel reacted swiftly and let go of his combat rifle, trusting in the sling to keep it attached to his body, and reached for his service pistol.
The Stalker managed to tear away one of his torso plates and bury a claw in his side just as he pressed the barrel of the gun to its chest and squeezed the trigger. Round after round drilled into the creature and soon it went limp on top of him. Samuel rolled it away from him and despite the pain in his side got to his feet. In the time he had been submerged, Squad Aiken had apparently executed a counter-attack, as Bianca, Patrick, Holland, and even Boss Aiken all stood in the waist deep water with smoking gun barrels.
What didn’t make sense was that Patrick and Bianca were holding George Tuck by the arms and preventing him from running off into the darkness. Samuel went cold as he realized that Jada Sek and Boss Ulanti were both nowhere to be seen.
8. THE STALKER IN THE DARK
“They took ‘em as breeders, Boss,” Vol said gravely, using an already filthy rag to clean out some of the gore plugging the barrel of his bayonet pistol. “They’ll be alive for a long time and worse for it.”
“We heard the same from other downspire folk back in FOB Specter,” added Samuel as he looked at Ben and Harold.
“Two weeks sidelined with the locals, you get told some stories,” said Harold. “Women and children being carried off, people disappearing around corners like they just vanished into thin air. Spooky stuff.”
“Stalker tribe don’t have soft meat,” spat Vol, holstering his pistol. He pointed at the catwalks leading deeper into the Basin towards the warren. “Nothing weak survives down here, and Stalker been the big bogeyman a long time.”
Boss Marsters listened to the marines and the ganger speak, though his eyes never left his weapon as he field stripped it, cleaned it, and re-assembled it in record time with the kind of precision that only comes from obsessive practice. Once finished he slid his last magazine into the receiver and racked the slide, and then handed it to a surprised Virginia as he stood up to face the remnants of Tango Platoon. He toggled the protective shielding of his helmet’s faceplate to transparent so that everyone could see his face as he spoke.
“Boss Aiken, I am relinquishing my command of Tango Platoon and the cor-sec attachment. Upon completion of my final orders you will be platoon leader,” Boss Marsters began, eliciting troubled looks from the assembled marines and cor-sec troopers, along with a frown from Boss Aiken. “I will be recovering Boss Ulanti and Jada Sek myself, as I have no intention of leaving them in the hands of the enemy.”
“Let’s go get ‘em, I’m ready,” said Ben, causing many of the assembled soldiers to look between him and Boss Marsters.
“If Jada is still alive there’s no way I’m not going with you sir,” George Tuck stated before Boss Aiken stepped in front of Boss Marsters, “I’ve got a quarter tank left on the flamer, there’s got to be something down there that will burn.”
“I cannot allow this kind of unsanctioned action,” Aiken said, facing off with Marsters while his hand strayed to the auto-pistol at his hip in an open display of defiance. “After witnessing the combat capability of these hostiles it would be an unjustifiable risk of human resources. Two marines are a loss, adding three more to the balance sheet is unacceptable.”
Wynn Marsters shifted his weight on the balls of his feet and all of the tension seemed to leave his body at once. It was the smallest of movements, and barely noticeable by anyone but those standing right next to him, however, everyone in the assembly knew as if by some primal instinct that the platoon leader was poised and prepared to unleash terrible violence. Wynn’s facial expression never changed, and his eyes never left Boss Aiken’s, but everyone saw the promise of death coiled and waiting within the Reaper.
Boss Aiken slowly and carefully stepped backwards and moved his hand away from his sidearm. From his rapid breathing into the open com-bead channel it was clear he’d gotten the message.
“Consolidate all available combat rifle ammunition from the platoon and distribute evenly to the highest ranked shooters available, right now that’s Tillman and Green,” said Boss Marsters, removing the small platoon leader disc magnet and tossing it over to Boss Aiken, “Sidearms and boarding knives for everyone else. Boss Aiken, I want this unit double-timing back to Reekertown and the extraction point. Put Spencer on point, cor-sec and marines in the middle, with Tillman on rearguard. My recovery op will likely draw most Stalkers away from the unit, but stay sharp.
Once we have our Reapers recovered we will be at the extraction point, but the charges above are on a schedule, so if we aren’t there before the trigger goes green, leave us behind.”
“I’ll track ‘em out for you, Boss.” Vol interjected. “Stories say those warrens are tricky, tricky,” Vol then pointed upwards to the distant ceiling of the Basin. “Nothing for the Kings up there anyway, just soft meat and too much light. Better to bang with the Stalkers.”
Boss Marsters nodded curtly at Vol, who hooted and sprang forward to search for their path. Wynn began making his way through the sluice pits towards the warren catwalks. He had only gone a few steps before George Tuck, Ben, and Samuel moved to follow him. As they splashed into the first pool Marsters turned back to face them and the assembled unit.
“Hyst, fall back with Tango Platoon. Boss Aiken is right, this is an unsanctioned action, and pursuant to Reaper Code 267 the beneficiaries of any marine killed in such an action will be denied payment of the offending marine’s death benefit,” said Boss Marsters, his otherwise iron hard demeanor slipping for an instant as he looked at Samuel. “I had them put that Augur spine in you and if you die it’s your family that gets saddled with that debt. I don’t want that on my soul. Fall back, Hyst. Now.”
Samuel stopped half-way out of the first sluice pit and stood still for a moment as the weight of Wynn’s words hit him with the force of a gunshot.
Samuel felt tears of rage and frustration sting his eyes. He gritted his teeth and watched George leap over the side of one pit and into another as he followed the former platoon leader into the darkness. Ben paused next to Samuel and clapped his shoulder plate.
“Boss is right, brother, think about Sura and Orion.” He nodded at Samuel and moved into the next sluice pit, then turned back and displayed his boarding knife with a smile. “Let the rest of us kill some monsters for once, Prybar!”
Samuel tried to laugh at Ben’s boasting, but it tasted false in his mouth. Behind him he heard Boss Aiken barking crisp orders at the rest of the platoon and the cor-sec troopers. The marine took one last look at the three Reapers disappearing into the murk then reluctantly returned to the column.