“Eating a crap sandwich again, I see Sergeant.”
Wall looked up, grinned. “Am I glad to see you, Colonel. And I see you brought some back up.”
“Sergeant Wall, this is Lieutenant McDowell, 101st SAU, the Banshees.”
“Pleasure is all mine, Ma’am. We need as many gun carriers as possible.”
Torbin frowned. “That bad?”
Wall’s expression turned grim. “We got hit within a minute of the klaxon going off. They managed to get some of these creatures from Hell over and through the fences. They made a bee-line here. We had minimal security at this Hospital, and sniping by a couple of paratroopers and some Krakens slowed our response time here. The medical staff had to fend for themselves.”
“Directed attacks by the Eaters and other creatures?”
“Yes, Sir. Half the Eaters are ‘wired’, with most of the Beasts being set up with those controlled brain implants. I still think someone is out there with in eyeball range to send them in, one and two at a time in places where we aren’t.”
“Lieutenant…”
“Got it, Sir. Squads One and Two. We have enemy in the bushes, directing Beasts in to the Hospital. They need to be found.”
Torbin heard a “Roger that. Three from the entry team being redirected to search, Ma’am.”
SSgt .Wall gave Dagan and appreciative look. “Pardon me, Ma’am, but you guys, I mean gals are good.”
Dagan McDowell laughed. “Yes, we have our moments. Now, shall we continue clearing the three floors?”
“I have about a half dozen effectives, Colonel, trying to search the hospital. Several more wounded that are stationary with weapons.”
“Well, let’s give them a hand.”
As the three warriors started to work their back down the hallway, SSgt. Wall said. “Sir, I got the word you’re ranking officer for miles around. You say jump, I’ll say how high.”
Torbin smiled. “I’ll make a Marine out of you yet, Sergeant.”
They headed for the maternity wing, which Wall had said was a main target during the first few minutes. Torbin’s blood began to boil when he heard that. Killing newborns? What sick bastards planned that? The main doors to the wing had been barricaded with whatever the hospital staff could find. Wall had placed a wounded Private concealed behind an upturned desk, his right leg all wrapped up in bandages.
“Colonel, I’d stand and salute, only…”
“Belay that, on. What’s it like inside?”
“They only lost one pregnant woman, no newborns.” Suddenly the Private’s face was even grimmer. “A Lieutenant who brought his pregnant fiancée in here for labor pains fought like a demon defending the ward. He…didn’t make it. His body’s on a gurney just a little way past me.”
“Hospital staff?”
“Some dead, most wounded. They had no real weapons.”
“Thank you, Private…”
“Sparrow, Sir. Oorah, Colonel.”
Torbin looked at him, knew he was one of many who helped keep things from getting any worse.
The three warriors went into the Ward, and Torbin saw the body on the gurney. He walked over and pulled up the sheet form the face.
It was Lieutenant Todd Baker.
Torbin’s blood went ice cold with the shock. Then, anger began to rise in him.
“Oh my God,” Wall whispered. “The Lieutenant.”
“Colonel, you knew him?” Dagan asked.
“He saved my ass in Wyoming. And, I couldn’t return the favor.”
“Torbin Bender.” He heard a young boy’s voice and he looked up in time to see Richard Rice before he ran and threw his arms around him.”
“I told my Mom, you’d come. I told her you’d be here to help us. I told her…” Doctor
Rica Rice’s son began to cry.
“Hey, Troop. Where is she? Come on, you need to stop crying, show me.”
Rich stopped, wiped his eyes, and then grabbed Torbin’s hand.“Sorry. She’s back here patching someone up.
The small group went through another double door and found Major Rica Rice patching up a hospital orderly. His left arm was now a mass of bandages.
“That’ll do for now. Get back in here soonest for follow-up.
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Major Rice,” Torbin called out.
“See, Mom. I said he would come.” Rich blurted out.
Rica saw him, and she began to blink back tears. “Colonel, to say I’m glad to see you is the biggest understatement of the year.”
Torbin frowned as he noticed her left arm was bandaged but was beginning to drip blood.
“Major, you are leaking.”
“Oh, that. I’ll patch it up later.”
Dagan broke in. “Begging your pardon Ma’am, but in El Paso we used to say a doctor who treated themselves had a fool for a patient.”
She slung her weapon and strode over to Rica Rice, grabbed some bandages and some surgical scissors. “Major Yamamoto is making us all get EMT trained. I should be able to handle this.”
“You mean Abigail?”
Dagan suddenly looked at Rica’s name tag.
“How stupid of me. You’re that Major Rice. You saved our Major.”
“Actually, a certain veterinarian brought her back to the living with the help of a rather large puppy.”
Dagan didn’t say anything more as she slit up the sleeve of the Doctors Lab Coat, cut the bandages off.
“Nasty bite. Where’s your iodine?”
“Here, Lieutenant. You’re quite expert at this. Experience much?”
“Just a fast learner, Major. This is going to sting a lot.”
“I know. But that and straight alcohol seems to kill alien germs quite well.” Then she stifled a scream as Dagan disinfected the bite.
Rich tugged on Torbin’s hand. He bent over and Rich whispered. ”Is she a Banshee?”
“Yes she is. Let me guess. Another comic book?”
Rich nodded his head yes.
Dagan completed the bandaging in record time. Rica Rice examined it with appreciation.
“Better than many second year Med students.”
“Thank you, Major. And one more thing.” Dagan reached under her fatigue top collar and toward the back of her neck. She expertly unclasped a small chain, then handed it to Torbin.
“Sir, could you do the honors? You two are friends, it would mean more.”
Torbin looked at the symbol on the chain, the stylized blade he had seen on his wife’s neck all the time, knew what Dagan was trying to say. He quickly went over and began to put the chain on a confused doctor.
“What…?”
“Major Rice, by the power vested in me as the acting Allied Commander, you are now a Banshee, a Sister of Steel. You took care of Abigail. Now, they will take care of you.”
Rica looked at the silver blade. She reached over and clasped Dagan’s hands in hers.
“You do me an honor I don’t really deserve. But I won’t argue now.”
Rica began to tear up. “That young Lieutenant dead on the gurney. He deserves all the honor. He saved everyone here.”
“What happened?” Torbin asked.
Rica swallowed, tried to get control of her emotions.
“He brought his pregnant fiancée here as she had some abdominal pains. I volunteered for extra duty today as the Medical Duty Officer, said I’d take a look at her. Then all hell broke loose.”
“He saved my mom and all of the babies.” Rich said in a soft voice.
Tears began to stream down her face as Rica Rice continued. “A bunch of those weasel and baboon looking things came charging up the hallway. He, he shoved me, Rich and his fiancé into a side room, grabbed an I.V. stand, began to swing it like a damnable broad sword, wouldn’t let those…things get to the infants. He was yelling some war cry, swinging, kicking, and fighting like a demon against the monsters.” Rica began to sob and her young son went to her.
“It’s okay, Mom. He was a soldier. Tha
t was his job.”
She hugged her son, crying. “He saved us all. Only a pregnant woman in the restroom was killed. He stopped the rest of the Beasts from getting in here. It would have been a slaughter. Then…he went down.”
Rica paused for a moment. “The MP out front with the hurt leg showed up, shot the things that the Lieutenant hadn’t killed. But it was too late.”
“My mom stabbed one with a scalpel. That’s how she got bit.”
Torbin stood silent as did the others. He took a deep breath, let it out.
“Lieutenant, Sergeant, we have some more floors to check. Major, we’ll be back later to take care of Lieutenant Baker’s body. I’ll get some more security here ASAP. No more threats to babies.”
He stepped forward and gave his friend a quick hug. Then he took Richs hand.
“You stay and protect your mom, battle buddy. We’ll come back and you can tell the good Lieutenant how you defended me with a crotch shot.”
Rich looked up at him. “Yes, Sir. I knew you’d come.”
Torbin said nothing, just gave him a small smile.
“Alright. Time to hit the road.” Torbin turned and walked out through the doors. Rica and Dagan exchanged knowing glances.
“We’ll take care of him, Major. Then I’ll be back to swap stories with this fine young man here. Sergeant Wall.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
They caught up with Torbin out by the wounded MP. He looked at Dagan.
“Remind me to tell your Commander, my wife, what a fine Officer you are. Alright, let’s head to the second floor.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And payback’s a bitch.”
“Yes. Sir. A bitch from hell, a banshee.”
Torbin and company met the three member Banshee team as they swept in from the rear entrance. One of the young ladies saw Torbin, started to come to attention.
“Tactical, ladies.” Dagan said. “No time for pomp and protocol.” She looked at Torbin.
“Up the stairs, Colonel?”
“Yes…”
A voice yelled over the tactical radio. “Incoming. Eaters.” Then weapons fire.
“Banshees. On Me.” Dagan McDowell commanded. Soon all four women had a line formed facing the exit doors, with Torbin and Michael Wall behind them.
“I guess we’re rear security,” opined Torbin.
“Roger that, Colonel.” SSgt. Wall said.
A half a dozen Eaters smashed through the double doors and were met by accurate fire from the four Banshees. The creatures did not stand a chance as bullets slammed into bodies and brain pans. They were all down, dead or dying, in five seconds.
“Oorah!” SSgt. Wall yelled.
One of the Banshees let out the signature short trilling and yipping scream of her Unit in response.
“Damn. Xena, Warrior Princess.”
“Colonel?”
“An adventure and fantasy tv program from my misspent youth, Sergeant. That is what their cry reminds of. Xena’s battle cry. It just came to me.”
Dagan’s radio crackled to life again. “Coming in with prisoners and wounded.”
“The three person team we sent out must have caught someone, Colonel.”
Torbin moved past the Eaters, sticking a couple with the Garand bayonet to make sure they were down for the count. No time to worry about HAZMAT right now, even if they had the capability. He looked out and saw one raggedy figure supporting another who seemed to be trying to hold his guts in. Behind those two was a third being frogged marched by a very angry young Banshee, her blade against his throat. Torbin noticed that one of the three Banshees was limping badly, having trouble keeping up. Then she stumbled, almost fell over.
“SSgt. Wall, cover me.” He started moving toward the injured Banshee.
“Colonel…” Dagan began, but Torbin cut her off.
“Lieutenant, I still need those floors swept for enemy. I also need a count on dead and wounded, medical personnel who can still function. Take some more personnel from the perimeter if you need to. I’ll get these Krakens in. I want to talk to them, personally.”
“Yes, Sir. Alright, you heard the man. Form on me, we go to the second floor.” Then Dagan McDowell began to talk on her radio.
As Torbin passed the two Krakens, one supporting the other, large tattoos on their necks, he growled. “Try to run, I’ll gut shoot you, leave you for the coyotes.” The Banshee walking behind and escorting the two prisoners heard and her eyes widened a bit. Then Torbin was past her, and on the Banshee with her blade to the throat of the other Kraken.
“Don’t kill him just yet, Private. I need to talk to him.”
“Yes Sir,” he hissed. “Hurt a Banshee, you hurt us all,” the Banshee growled in the prisoners ear. “Then we hurt you.”
Torbin was up to the limping Corporal in back, who saw him coming. “Colonel. I can make it, I…”
Torbin turned around in front of the smaller woman and knelt down. “Climb aboard, Corporal.”
“Sir, I can’t…”
“Young lady, in the immortal words of General Reed, ‘Did I stutter?’ Now, get on. You think you’re the first soldier I carried off a battlefield? Move.”
“Yessir.” She clambered on him, arms wrapped around his neck, legs around him as best as her injured one would allow. He stood up and calmly walked with his load to the hospital.
Sergeant Wall was trying not to grin as Torbin walked up and through the double doors. He went in and set the Corporal in a nearby chair, then turned to the other two Banshees who had the three Krakens up against the wall.
“Well, my Squid-loving scum, who wants to tell me who sent you?”
“Get fucked,” the Kraken who had the blade against his throat a minute ago answered.
“Oh, the hard case. Corporal, what did you find in the bushes along with these three poor excuses for humanity?”
“Portable electronics gear, Sir. They were controlling the Eaters and Beasts. One of the devices has a bullet hole in it now. Sorry Sir.”
“That’s okay. Our tech guys and gals will figure it out. And how did you get hurt?”
“Loud Mouth got a piece of me with a blade as I was clumsy. Sorry Sir.”
“Oh hell, you’ll patch up. Question is, what do we do with these three if they don’t talk?”
The Private who still had her blade out went up to the Kraken who was holding his stomach. “I could make this one a girl just before I finish gutting him. Then start on his friend there…”
“No!” The wounded Kraken screamed. “It was Reverend Kray and the Tschaaa Lord. They told us to kill babies, civilians, spread terror…”
Big Mouth tried to come off the wall and grab the wounded Kraken. Torbin skewered his leg with his Garand bayonet and the Kraken screamed as he fell to the floor. Then Torbin had his foot on the miscreant’s throat.
“Don’t you ever try to hurt one of my Banshees again. Understand? Sergeant Wall, see if you can get some medical aid here. Corporal gets it first. I need to check in with Lt. McDowell.”
“Yes, Colonel.” SSgt. Wall beat feet down the hall. He looked at the three Banshees.
“You have this, right?”
“Oorah, Colonel,” said the Banshee with the blade, a large grin on her face.
Torbin laughed. “Carry on,” he said, then went looking for Dagan McDowell.
The Corporal looked at his back as he walked away.
“That is Colonel Smirnov’s husband. The Hero of Key West.”
“Damn, she’s lucky,” Private ‘Blade’ said. “Wonder if he has a brother.”
“He did. He died in the invasion. Ah, here comes some medics. Hope they have some morphine.”
The legend started that Torbin Bender carried all three Banshees in by himself, bandaged them, secured the prisoners, and then went off to kill more of the enemy. But then again, legends always have a kernel of truth that then grows often like a bad weed.
An hour later, Madam President Paul finished talking on the
phone with Torbin Bender. An ambulance had finally showed up and loaded General Reed aboard, Banshee Medic Ashley Anderson making the ride with him. The President knew of the Banshee Unit but had not the chance yet to really meet them. Now, unfortunately, she had to because of blood and death.
She set the telephone down. Dozens of dead and wounded in and around the Hospital, not to mention reports of casualties from around the base. And the attack on the babies. What kind of sickness would make humans want to do that?
And the Young Lieutenant Baker, a new Hero in his death. But his fiancée never to know his love as her husband, their child never to know the father. Sandra Paul looked up to the connecting door to the next room. There lay the body of Ranger Jackson, draped in an old U.S. flag, from pre-Strike days. Another good soul and close friend who was dead.
And Eaters had almost once again killed Torbin Benders children. Only a brave dependent wife and a Pit Survivor had stopped that. Once again, so called humans arranged for an attack on children, babies. Babies!
She began to shake.
“Sal, you okay?” It was George’s voice.
“George, I can’t. I just can’t…” she started to step, then her legs buckled and she was on her knees on the floor.
“Madan President.” He started toward her.
“No. Don’t call me that. I have no right to be President. I have overseen the death of thousands. And for what? What? I could have left well enough alone, made a life for the survivors her, in the center of America.”
She began to sob. “But no, I had to claim that we should fight for freedom. For justice. For human rights. What in Hell good are all those words when people are dead? When babies are attacked, and killed. Tell me. Tell me.” She sobbed more, began to bawl.
“I can’t go on. Someone else has to…”
A firm female voice resonated form across the room.
“Get up, Madam President.”
“No. I won’t. I quit. I am not good for this…”
“You cannot quit.” It was Brynhildr. The tall Shield Maiden strode over to Sandra Paul, knelt beside her.
Typhoon of Steel Page 36