“Hit the deck!” I shouted as I switched my assault rifle to full-auto with a flick of my thumb.
The aim reticle was on the far left alien. I squeezed the trigger and swept the rifle to my right, fighting the weapons recoil to keep it from firing wildly up into the air. My shots hit three of the flying creatures and two of the Fae. Only one survived the barrage as my rifle emptied the magazine, and the rack locked back. I dropped the rifle, letting it swing on the strap from my neck, and drew my side arm. The pistol wasn’t linked to my Command Helmet, and no targeting reticle appeared. Instead, I used the pistol’s sights, letting my vision hover in the space between the metal grooves on top of the barrel and the approaching Fae. I fired six shots. Two hit the Fae, and one hit its mount.
I blinked as the alien and its mount crashed into the stump of a freshly cut tree. I ran to where Thatcher and a Private named Lewis were getting back to their feet.
“Thanks,” Sergeant Thatcher said.
“Let’s move,” I said.
“What about the Master Sergeant?” Thatcher asked.
“He’s coming.”
I pointed over the grizzled veteran’s shoulder. Thatcher and Lewis both turned to see Money running toward us with the fallen Marine over one shoulder. We found cover behind some fallen trees and covered Money as two more groups charged him. The Fae attack seemed to be faltering as I quickly reloaded my rifle. The man Money carried had a large splinter of wood protruding from under his right arm.
I raised my rifle and targeted the Fae closest to Money. I flipped the indicator to single-shot and squeezed the trigger. The depleted uranium round hit the alien, and it disappeared off the back of the flying insect. Thatcher and Lewis shot at a pair of aliens that were darting back and forth evasively as they charged toward Money. I saw aliens and their mounts blown apart by the rapid-fire bursts, and I immediately ran out to help Money with the fallen Marine.
“He’s still alive,” Money said as we ducked down behind the thick trunk of a tree that had recently been cut.
Thatcher and Lewis kept watch for more of the Fae, but none appeared. Blood was pouring from the wounded man’s injury. I pulled quick-clot gauze from my pack. We stuffed the absorbent material around the wooden splinter, but didn’t try to remove it.
“We’ll get him back to the transport,” Money said.
Over the com-link we heard cursing.
“What’s going on, Foxtrot One?” Money asked.
“We’re boxed in,” Lieutenant Duffer exclaimed. “It’s a trap.”
“There are trees across the road,” Gloria exclaimed. “I can’t get past them.”
“We’ll get them cut,” the Lieutenant said.
“No,” Money argued. “Come back. Don’t leave the transport.”
It was too late. Several of the engineers had already jumped from the open doors of the transport with wood cutters in hand. They were hit almost immediately with a volley of spears. The engineers wore armor, but it wasn’t extensive. Their arms and lower bodies were vulnerable, and four of the unsuspecting Marines were struck down
“We’re under fire,” Duffer said, his voice near panic. “Requesting aid. We need reinforcements. I repeat, we are trapped and under heavy fire.”
“Lewis, stay here and try to keep Omar alive,” Money said.
“And keep an eye out for more of the aliens,” Thatcher said.
I was on my feet, sprinting down the road, thankful for the clear path, but feeling vulnerable at the same time. Money and Thatcher were right behind me. It seemed like insanity to run into the ambush, but we couldn’t do nothing while our fellow Marines were in danger. Weighed down by my pack, Money and Sergeant Thatcher soon outpaced me.
“Hold on!” I heard Gloria call out, followed by the high-pitched whine of the transport engine.
“Here!” Money called out. “Thatcher, stay with me. Porter, you take that side of the road.”
We hurried into the jungle, and I found a spot with a view into the thick forest, as well as a view of the road, which ran straight for nearly a hundred meters in front of my position. I saw the armored transport race around the bend, throwing up mulch from under the massive tires. It straightened and sped forward, but only for a few meters before a large creature darted from the jungle and rammed the transport just behind the cab. The armor held, but the vehicle was rocked to one side. It moved forward on two wheels for a moment, then toppled onto its side with a crash. The animal, which was as large as an elephant, with a thick, dome-shaped head and a massive body covered with thick, green skin, bellowed in triumph.
I raised my rifle and fired a three-round burst into its body, just below the head and between its front legs. The creature wailed in pain as it staggered back off the road, then disappeared in the jungle.
“Foxtrot One, report,” Money demanded.
“What the hell happened?” Duffer complained.
“Stay inside the transport,” Money ordered. “This isn’t over yet.”
As if to confirm his prediction, a trio of spears were thrown at the windshield of the cab. I could just make out Gloria, strapped into her seat, trying to get free in the cab of the vehicle. I wanted to scream for her to stay put, but instead I moved forward through the trees, trying to find who had thrown the spears which bounced harmlessly off the protective glass.
“Crosby’s down,” Gloria said. “He’s bleeding.”
“Stay with him, Private,” Money said. “Don’t get out of the cab.”
I saw one of the Fae through the trees and fired on instinct. Wood flew from my stray bullets, but the alien went down. I kept moving forward, desperate to reach the transport.
“We have movement!” Thatcher said.
The largest group of Fae I had ever seen emerged from the far side of the road and rushed toward the transport. I raised my rifle and was about to fire when I was knocked forward. Something had hit me square in the back, hard enough to knock me to the ground. I hit the dirt, the breath knocked out of my lungs. I was trying hard to get a breath as I rolled over. A dark, furry alien jumped toward me. I saw the bright flash of a blade and swung the butt of my rifle at the creature, batting it to the side. Getting to my knees was all I had time to do before the Fae was back on the attack. I felt the knife blade smash against the armor of my chest plate as I pointed the rifle against the alien’s neck and pulled the trigger.
Blood splattered against the face shield of my helmet as the simian’s head flew into the air. I heard a savage, high pitched scream and turned to see another Fae charging toward me with a spear held out. I dropped to the ground just as the alien threw its weapon. The spear sailed over me, and my rifle jerked as I fired at the creature. The Fae was hit just below the knee of its right leg. The limb disappeared, and the alien fell to the ground with a howl of pain.
Getting to my feet wasn’t easy. I was still struggling to breathe. My lungs seemed desperate for air, but a pain had sprung up in my back whenever I inhaled too deeply. I turned back to the road, only to find a group of Fae converging on Money’s position. Spears flew into the trees at almost the same moment that a burst of rifle fire roared out of the gloom. I saw three Fae fall, but even more alarming were the number of rounds that careened off the armored transport. Some hit the windshield, and others smashed into the vehicle’s grill. Those rounds did little to no damage, but even more hit the unprotected undercarriage. The depleted uranium rounds punched through into the cargo area. One hit a power unit which exploded, ripping the cab from the cargo area, and filling the road with smoke.
“Cease fire!” Duffer yelled. “Cease fire!”
I wanted to help the Marines in the transport, but first I had to help Money.
“Take cover,” I said. “Incoming!”
The Fae were scrambling forward despite the wild shooting that had come from the forest. I flipped the indicator on my rifle to full-auto and swept the road. Eight Fae were killed, but there twice that many still on their feet. I pressed the release button to
eject the empty magazine and snatched a new one from a pocket on my cammie jacket. But I knew I couldn’t stop all the aliens in time.
Suddenly more shots rang out. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gloria’s upper body rise up out of the side window of her cab. There was blood on her face. Her short hair seemed covered in dark red. But she had her assault rifle to her shoulder and was firing on the group of Fae.
I joined her, eviscerating the troop of aliens. I heard her weapon click as she emptied her rifle’s magazine. The slide on my own rifle popped back into the open position as I emptied another magazine. For an instant I felt relieved that we had stopped the aliens from overrunning Money, but before I could reload my rifle, I saw a large, shaggy creature with a flat face and humped back leap up onto the cab of the transport. It wasn’t a Fae, but a Prog.
With one long arm, it snatched the assault rifle from Gloria’s hands. I slammed a magazine home and jerked the slide back to load a round into the chamber. But a fluttering sound behind me was enough warning that I was in danger. I dove to the ground as a Fae on a flying creature rushed right over me. The Fae’s wooden lance gouged a furrow in the dirt only inches from my face. I raised up, trying to track the creature, only to see it disappear behind a massive tree.
“Porter, secure the cargo area of that transport!” Money ordered.
I glanced around to make sure I wasn’t going to be taken by surprise again, then glanced toward the cab of the vehicle. Gloria and the Prog were both gone. I dashed forward, running around the cab. I saw Lance Corporal Crosby still buckled into his seat, a massive hole in his chest, and a vacant look on his bloody face. As I came around the wreck, I saw the cargo bed where the explosion had ripped it open. There were Marines inside, some in shock, some obviously injured. None were defending themselves from the trio of Fae who were jumping up and down and thrusting their spears into the opening.
I dropped my rifle, knowing that firing the depleted uranium rounds at the aliens so close to the Marine engineers was too great a risk. Instead I jerked my sidearm from its holster. At the same instant, from the corner of my eye, I saw a tall, humpbacked creature rushing through the jungle with Gloria in its arms. She was kicking wildly, but the Prog had her arms pinned and was clearly too strong for her escape from. I wanted to abandon the transport and rush after Gloria. My feelings for the outspoken woman who had been my first friend during Basic Training, who had become much more than a friend over the past week, were muddy. I couldn’t say I loved her, but I certainly cared for her a great deal. But my orders were to secure the transport, and I had been trained to ignore my feelings, whether they were fear or love. I ran toward the cargo section and fired my pistol at the Fae. Two were hit and fell to the ground. The third turned toward me and flung its spear.
I slid through the wood mulch, going down on my backside, continuing to shoot at the savage little alien. The Fae took two shots to the chest and fell. I popped the clip from the pistol and inserted a new one as I turned to survey the road. More Fae were racing toward me on the backs of their flying mounts. I holstered my pistol and lifted my assault rifle, but shots rang out from the trees before I could shoot. A flurry of bullets tore through the aliens and their mounts, killing them all. I could hear shouts of pain and fear from the people inside the transport. I stood with my back to the opening, guarding those inside.
Money emerged from the forest with Thatcher by his side. The grizzled Sergeant had a wound on his thigh between the plates in his armor. I could see bloody flesh, but the veteran looked unfazed by the wound. The jungle was quiet, and there were no signs of more Fae or Prog. I could feel the shakes coming over me, and fear for Gloria’s safety made me want to chase after her kidnapper. But I knew I had to stay calm. I brought up her locator beacon on my HUD and saw the tiny light moving away from my position.
“We’ve got wounded in here,” Duffer said as he emerged from the transport.
“How bad?” Money asked.
I heard the report, but my mind was numb. Some of the engineers were injured when the transport was knocked over. Others were hit with friendly fire, and some with shrapnel when the battery exploded. I saw Sergeant Thatcher looking sheepish as the Lieutenant described the wounded.
“Alright,” Money said. “Priority one is to get your engineers back to Base Camp.”
“What about Private Keyes,” I countered. “She was taken by a Prog.”
“Mark the position,” Money ordered. “Then go help Private Lewis carry Lance Corporal Omar back here. We’ll secure the transport and get some help coming.”
I wanted to argue, but instead I acknowledged the order and went to help the wounded Marine we had left at the end of the road. Money and Lieutenant Duffer were giving Captain Rigel a report on the attack. I listened on my com-link long enough to hear that a new armored transport had been dispatched, then muted the Command channel. Just hearing Captain Rigel’s condescending voice filled me with fury. I knew what lay ahead with a certainty that only infuriated me more. The dreadful Captain wouldn’t care about Gloria. He wouldn’t allow me to mount a rescue. That much was certain in my mind. That left only one question to answer, what was I willing to do about it.
Chapter 22
Omar was dead. It was a jagged pill to swallow, but not surprising, considering how much blood he had lost. What was surprising, was finding Private Lewis dead beside his fallen comrade. Lewis lay with his body draped protectively over Omar. Two spears extended from his back where they had sunk deep between the plates of his armor. The broken remnants of a shattered lance were scattered on the ground around. I un-muted my com-link and reported in.
“Master Sergeant, I have two Marines KIA,” I said.
“Damn, they’re both gone. I should have seen that, Porter,” Money said.
“Get back here, Private,” Duffer said nervously. “There’s nothing you can do for those Marines, but the aliens might come back. We need all hands on deck.”
“Roger that, Lieutenant,” I said.
I didn’t think the aliens would return, but I understood his fear. I pulled the spears from Lewis’ back, then hoisted the dead Marine onto my shoulder. The walk back was slow, but not the most difficult thing I had endured. I only wished I could have brought Omar back as well. Money saw me coming and left the armored transport to meet me.
“Good work, Marine,” he said. “I’ll take it from here, if you don’t mind going back for Omar.”
“I don’t mind, Staff Sergeant,” I replied. “How’s the situation in the transport?”
“Three Marines killed by friendly fire,” Money said. “It’s an unfortunate accident. Four of the engineers won’t be able to continue working until they get medical attention. Rigel’s throwing a fit.”
“So, business as usual on Apex Venandi,” I said. “I’m sorry for our loses.”
“Well, at least it wasn’t your fault. You serve long enough, and you see this type of unfortunate accident. There are times when it can’t be helped. Thatcher will never forgive himself. Lieutenant Duffer is a bundle of nerves and all we can do is clean up the mess.”
“I’ll be back soon,” I said.
I jogged back down the road, thinking about what Money had said. It was our job to clean up the mess, and it wouldn’t be cleaned up as long as Gloria was out there somewhere. I would have to do something, but I wasn’t sure what that something might be. I could follow Gloria’s tracking beacon, but there was no guarantee I could get her away from the Prog alive. I felt as if my luck on Apex Venandi was running out. I cared about Gloria and didn’t want to see her hurt, but was it worth risking my life for? She might not even want to be rescued, if all I was going to do was hurt her by choosing to pursue a relationship with Aurora. It was a very muddled mess in my own mind. We had just been attacked by the largest troop of Fae I’d ever seen, and all I could think about was romance? It was foolish and irresponsible. I knew that the moment I saw the Gral sniffing Omar’s body.
The road ended just around
a bend, and I didn’t see the large, six-legged creature until I was less than thirty yards away from it. The Gral were large-bodied creatures, with long spines down their backs that made the Fae spears look like children’s toys. The Gral raised its head and uttered a long, low moan. I had my hands on my rifle, but I didn’t point it at the large beast. It looked at me for a long moment, and I could see the intelligence in the creature’s eyes, which were large. They watched me with a weary expression. It took one more sniff of Omar’s body with it’s large, upturned nose, then walked quickly away.
I didn’t move until the Gral was lost from sight in the jungle. I went to Omar and pulled his body up onto my shoulder, ignoring the blood that dribbled from his wound and ran down my neck. The physical exertion eased the mental anxiety I was experiencing. When I got back to the transport, five bodies were laid in a row near the cargo bed’s entrance, which had been propped open with a spearhead from the Fae ambush. Abe saw me approach and limped over to help me with Omar’s body.
“You’re hurt,” I said.
“I just twisted my ankle when the transport was turned over,” Abe said. “Some of the others are in worse shape.”
I glanced inside the transport and saw six more Marines lying down. Lieutenant Duffer and another engineer were busy wrapping gauze around one man’s burned hand. Money moved over to us. Only five of the Marines ordered to safeguard the engineering platoon were still alive, and two of those were wounded.
“Transport is on its way,” the Master Sergeant said. “Shouldn’t be long now.”
“And then what?” Abe said.
“We’ll load up the wounded and the dead,” Money explained, “and go back to the Base Camp. I suspect Captain Rigel will increase our security force before we return tomorrow.”
“But that’s insane, isn’t it?” Abe said. “One of the first rules of warfare is never let your enemy know your plans. If we continue with the road, the natives may not know where we’re going, but they know exactly where we’ll be.”
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