I kicked out, knocking the Fae off me. The alien sprang up with incredible agility. There was just enough time for me to draw my sidearm as the simian leaped at me again. I fired once. The shot drilled through the fur and muscle of the Fae’s chest and turned its organs into bloody soup. The creature dropped on top of me, and I flung it off in a rage. I heard myself screaming, but luckily my Command Helmet muted my voice. I got to my feet just as another Fae charged out of the mist. I shot it with my pistol, then looked at my rifle. The barrel shroud was dented, but the weapon seemed to be in working order.
When Money came limping out of the mist, I nearly shot him. My nerves were raw, and my finger twitched on the trigger. Tears filled my eyes. The only thing worse than the situation I found myself in, would be hurting the man I respected the most. Money had an arrow in the back of his leg. It had found the space between the plates in his armor and was sunk deep.
“I thought I lost you,” I said.
“You did,” Money said. “But I heard your gunshots.”
“So did everyone else. Let’s get out of here. Can you shoot one-handed?”
“I’m disappointed that you would have to ask.”
“Good,” I said, grabbing his free hand and wrapping it around my shoulder.
He was on my right side. I reached up across my chest and took hold of his wrist. With my left hand I grabbed the back of Abe’s collar and pulled him. It was slow, but we were making progress. I could see the Base Camp on my HUD, even though the mist blocked my visibility to less than ten meters. We were barely a kilometer from safety. I knew the camp hadn’t been overrun because of the steady radio chatter. Twice on the way, Money was forced to shoot a hostile who came charging out of the mist.
We should have been in sight of the Base Camp, but the mist blocked our view. Across the road was a massive barrier of trees. The natives had cut down trees on both sides of the road. It would be impossible to drag Abe through them.
“Almost home,” I said to Money as we both collapsed near the barrier of trees.
“So close, yet so far away,” Money said.
“Take this,” I said, handing him my ammo belt. “Take cover, and don’t die. I’ll send Abe over, then come back for you.”
“Hey, who’s the sergeant here,” Money said with a smile.
“Sorry, Master Sergeant.”
“You’ll make a great NCO, Porter. Get your friend to safety. It’s a good plan.”
I helped Money crawl over the first log. He sank down into the space between the massive tree trunks, propping his rifle up so that it pointed back the way we had come. I climbed back over and hefted Abe onto my shoulder. We climbed, crawled, shimmed, and fell through the gauntlet of trees. I was able to radio ahead, and when we finally reached the Base Camp there was a medical team waiting for me.
“He’s lost a lot of blood,” I said.
“We’ll start a transfusion,” one medic said. “We’ve got a shuttle going up to the Attila. You’re just in time. We can get you both on it.”
“I can’t,” I grumbled. “My Master Sergeant is back there with an arrow in his leg.”
“You can’t be serious,” the medic said. “You’re going out there all alone?”
“We don’t leave people behind,” I said.
“Your funeral,” the medic mumbled.
“Give me your ammo.”
“What?”
“Your assault rifle magazines,” I said.
The medic handed me two magazines. “We’re not waiting for you. The shuttle is leaving now.”
“That’s the way it goes,” I grumbled. “We’ll take the next one.”
“If you live that long.”
I ignored the coward and turned back toward the barrier of trees. The sun was setting, and I knew we wouldn’t make it back before night fell. I would have to climb through the mass of trees using my night vision. It wouldn’t be fun, but nothing on Apex Venandi had been. And hardship wouldn’t stop me. I would die before I failed Money. I was certain of that much.
Chapter 38
I heard gunshots before I reached Money. The sun was nearly down, and the barrier of trees was all shadows and mist. Knowing it wouldn’t do any good, I still called for back-up.
“Base Camp, this is Spartan Company. Do you read? Over.”
“We read you Spartan Company. What’s your position? Over.”
“We’re just outside the Base Camp…in the tree barrier. Master Sergeant Eubanks is wounded and under fire. Requesting reinforcements and medical evac. Over.”
There was a pause as the radio operator spoke to someone at the Command Post. I knew what the answer would be before the calm voice on the com-link spoke again.
“Sorry, Spartan Company. We are short-manned defending Base Camp. You are on your own. Repeat, you are on your own, Spartan Company. Good luck. Command out.”
I was too tired to even curse Captain Rigel. Instead I crawled over a log and saw flashes of light as Money fired into the darkness. My Command Helmet switched over to night vision, bathing the world in murky green gloom as I shimmed under a tangle of branches. A few minutes later I reached Money’s position.
“Master Sergeant, I said, staring out into the darkness. “What are you shooting at?”
“Nothing,” Money said. “I was just afraid you couldn’t find me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the thick of things without coms.”
“Roger that. Let’s go home.”
“Can’t do that until you cut this arrow for me,” Money said. “I tried to break it off, but couldn’t get any leverage. If I go bungling through those trees in the dark with this arrow in my leg, I might sever an artery.”
“This is going to hurt,” I said, drawing my combat knife.
“Don’t I know it,” Money replied. “Make it quick, Porter, and I’ll buy you beer when we get out of this hell hole.”
I knew that sawing on the arrow would be excruciating. So I held it in a firm grip at one end and chopped with my combat knife. Money screamed in pain, but the arrow was cut five millimeters from his armor.
“Got it,” I said.
“You can warn me before you do that next time.”
A troop of Fae on their insectile mounts, flew out of the jungle. They threw their spears at us. Most missed, but a few landed close as we ducked for cover. We both popped back up over the thick log at the same time, firing our rifles on full-auto at the retreating aliens. Most made it back into the trees, but a few were hit and smashed into the ground.
“Come on, time to go,” I said.
“Ah, I was having fun,” Money said in a mocking tone.
I led him through the jumble of tree trunks, canopy limbs, and gnarled roots. In some ways, we were exposed. Our entire focus was on getting through the blockade. A well-positioned Vena hunter could have sniped at us from relative safety on the road. But no attack came. To keep Money focused, I asked him questions.
“Strange attack, wasn’t it,” I said.
“How do you mean?” Money said.
We were both winded and hurting. We stopped frequently to rest. My breath was still wheezing, and I felt as if there was fluid building up in my lungs. Money sounded no better, only his voice was pinched with pain, and I could see that he was holding his leg.
“I mean we’ve seen all the intelligent species today,” I said. “Fae, Grex, Prog, Gral, and Vena. They weren’t exactly fighting together, but they were all involved.”
“You think that means something?”
“Don’t you?” I asked. “The enemy of my enemy and all that.”
“Could be,” Money said. “We certainly don’t have the intel we need to have a good grasp on what the natives are capable of.”
“And yet,” I continued. “Despite their overwhelming numbers, they didn’t really attack.”
“They hit the convoy pretty hard,” Money said. “Spears, arrows, even some blow darts.”
“Was it really an attack, or just a show of force? Di
d you see the enemy? Did they move against the transports in a way that would have made a difference.”
“No, I think they’ve learned to respect our firepower. They just wanted to keep us from the volcano.”
“It just doesn’t make much sense,” I said. “It was almost like a siege, but they could have done it here anytime. There are more than enough aliens to surround the Base Camp and break through our defenses.”
“What are you driving at, Porter?”
“They chased us back here, but didn’t really engage. They didn’t even try to come into the clearing.”
“They live in the jungle. Maybe they’re afraid of open spaces.”
“No,” I said. “They had no issues on the mountainside and there’s no cover up there.”
“So you think they want us here?”
“Maybe. It certainly seems that way to me.”
“If that were the case, why not chop down these trees from the get go?” Money asked. “Why wait until the road is finished and attack us several kilometers from camp?”
“Maybe they weren’t ready to attack. Maybe they didn’t try to unite against us until something made that seem like the right thing to do.”
“I’ll listen to speculation when I’ve stopped bleeding,” Money said. “In the meantime, can we please get back to the Base Camp? I’m jonesing for some morphine and sleep.”
“You can say that again,” I said.
A few minutes later we were close enough to see past the barrier into the Base Camp. The mist, which hovered close to the ground in the jungle, was rising up slowly into the air. It reminded me of a music concert. I could see several tight beams of light in the swirling mist.
“What are we targeting outside the camp?” I asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Porter,” Money said.
“Look in the air, above the camp. Aren’t those lights?”
“I don’t see anything. I lost my helmet, remember?”
A cold fear suddenly gripped my heart. I had heard the radio chatter from the Attila as the bombing ships launched. The beams of light looked like lasers, and I suddenly knew what they were.
“It’s the laser designators,” I said.
“What?”
I had to take my helmet off and let Money take it. He saw the beams immediately and tried to contact Captain Rigel, but he wouldn’t be bothered. When we crawled through the last of the barrier, we were met by Gloria and few other Marines.
“You made it,” she said, clearly relieved. “I couldn’t believe it when the transports unloaded, and you weren’t on board.”
“We weren’t invited,” I said angrily.
Money pulled off his helmet. The look on his face was fury and fear.
“Get me to the Command Post as fast as possible,” he ordered the Marines around Gloria. “Porter, you know what they are?”
“Yes, Master Sergeant.”
“Then it’s up to you to find them. I’ve got a crazy feeling the good Captain won’t listen to reason even when the bombs start dropping around his ears.”
“No rest for the weary,” I said.
“You can rest when you’re dead,” Money said with a smile.
I turned to Gloria. “Where’s Aurora?”
“That’s what you want to know? Orry, I thought you were dead.”
“Please Gloria, the entire camp is in danger.”
“She won’t see you. She’s with the MI platoon in their own tent. They’re calling down air strikes on the native villages.”
“No, they’re calling them in on us,” I said. “There are almost twenty beams pointing down into the camp right now.”
“What? Where?”
“Gloria, where is she?”
“This way.”
She took my arm and led me across the camp. I could barely keep up. My heart was racing and I felt weak, but I was also afraid. The natives had found the laser designators. Perhaps it was because I had shared the purpose of the devices with the Vena who had captured Aurora. I couldn’t know for certain. But all that mattered was saving the Base Camp. If Captain Rigel wanted to send me far away to scrub toilets or even lock me up in a military prison, that was alright with me. But I couldn’t live with myself if the camp was destroyed by our own bombs.
We reached a sizable tent and were stopped by a grim-faced woman who was smoking a vapor pod just outside the entrance.
“Sorry, MI only,” she said sullenly.
“Look, my name is Orion Porter, and I need so speak with Aurora Wilkes. Is she still inside?”
The woman shrugged her shoulders as if she couldn’t care less.
“Can we at least look inside?” I begged.
“Sorry, MI operations are classified.”
“Aurora!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Aurora Wilkes! Get out here!”
“Don’t make me lay you out,” the woman said.
“The camp is in danger, and if we don’t do something, we’ll all be dead soon. Aurora!”
A group of MI personnel came out of the tent. Aurora was one of them. She looked at me with pity and a touch of resentment. I could see a wicked grin on a Corporal’s face, and I guessed that he was teasing Aurora.
“What the hell is this all about,” Lieutenant Parks demanded. “Are you drunk, Private?”
“Sir, there are laser designators pointing at the Base Camp,” I replied.
“What are you talking about? The natives don’t have laser technology.”
“They’ve taken the devices your platoon set up and moved them back here,” I said. “That’s why they wanted us contained in the BC.”
“You’re mad. Someone get this private’s superior,” Parks demanded.
Aurora finally spoke up. “Orry, what proof do you have?”
“I can see them!” I said.
“You can’t see an infrared laser,” Parks snapped.
“You can with night vision and mist in the air,” I countered, pulling off my helmet. “Just look.”
The lieutenant took my helmet and made a face. I had no doubt that it smelled of sweat and fear, but I didn’t care. He held the helmet at an angle so he could see the the HUD without putting it on his head.
“Oh, my God,” he said in a shaky voice.
“Master Sergeant Eubanks is trying to convince Captain Rigel to call off the bombing run, but it’s doubtful the CO will listen to him.”
Parks turned to his people. “Helmets and weapons,” he ordered. “We have to disable those laser designators. Move!”
The MI platoon scrambled past us, including Lieutenant Parks, who dashed toward the Command Post.
“What now, Orry?” Gloria asked.
“What are the odds that every one of those lasers is guarded by the natives,” I said grimly.
“We have to do something,” Gloria said.
I took a deep breath, which only made me cough. And then an idea came to me. It wasn’t perfect, but it might actually work. I needed to get to the highest point in the camp, which was the roof of the two-story Command Post.
“This way,” I said. “I’ve got a plan!”
Chapter 39
We reached the armory, only to find two Marines standing guard. They were armed, which was no surprise, but their animosity caught me off guard.
“No one is allowed into the armory without Captain Rigel’s orders,” the taller of the two guards said. He was a sergeant with Mallory stenciled on his armor.
“Please,” I said. “The camp is under threat. If I can just get-“
“No one is allowed in, Private,” said the shorter man. He was a Corporal named DeWitt. “You heard the Sergeant. Now move along.”
“He’s not lying,” Gloria said. “There are lasers pointed at the camp.”
“I don’t care if we’re under attack by flying monkeys,” Mallory said. “Unless Captain Rigel gives us orders to let you in, there’s no access.”
I stepped back and considered my options. I still had my a
ssault rifle and sidearm, but they wouldn’t work for the plan I had. I needed weapons from the armory and couldn’t understand why the entire camp wasn’t being put on alert. I un-muted the command channel and heard someone’s com-link picking up the conversation from inside the Command Post.
“I want him watched,” Rigel was saying in a strained, high-pitched voice. “And find Private Porter. He’s part of this conspiracy too.”
“Rigel, listen to me,” Money said. “The camp is under attack.”
“Take him away.”
Things were falling apart quickly. Captain Rigel was clearly paranoid and not listening to reason. I was locked out of the armory, which was probably the only place where I could get what I needed to stop the attack.
“Attention Base Camp,” Captain Rigel’s strained voice echoed out from the PA system mounted on top of the Command Post. “Air strikes have commenced. Bombers are inbound, ETA three minutes. Secure all equipment and stand by.”
“Those airships are firing laser-guided missiles,” I said to the two guards.
“That’s right. The Captain is taking out the hostiles,” Mallory said.
“No, he’s going to get us all killed,” I replied, holding out my helmet. “Look.”
“I’m not putting that nasty thing on.”
“The lasers are pointing at the camp,” Gloria said. “We have to stop them.”
To prove her point, gun fire was heard just outside the camp. I knew it was the MI platoon, but with less than three minutes until the bombers fired their payloads, even without resistance they wouldn’t be fast enough.
“I need a Sharps LRRG and enough explosive rounds to take out those lasers, or we’re all going to die,” I said.
Mallory looked at DeWitt, who started to say something, but his sergeant spoke up first.
“Alright, get what you need,” Mallory said.
I darted into the armory, ignoring the argument outside. I threw open a crate and pulled out one of the disassembled rail guns and two battery packs.
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