"Be ready, people. It'll be our turn next," I shouted. We didn't have to wait long. Those coming through the fallen gate broke away from the conflict and their only escape route from Wulfgar was through us. Forming back into a cohesive unit, they charged towards us. For a brief moment I thought about these genetically altered people and saw them in a different light. They didn't even look human to me anymore.
"Ready," I whispered to the three beside me. Each nodded in turn. A moment later I gave the cry and opened fire.
They came in fast. Cutting sideways, two managed to escape the first wave of bullets but three of their unit went down hard. The ones behind leapt over their writhing bodies and began a vicious assault on our trench. Dirt and clods of grass were thrown into the air, raining down around our ears. The man to my right - a young faced volunteer, was shoved backwards leaving a bloody vapour in his place. The bloke next to me released a burst of automatic fire, and then ducked down as a stray slug tore across his arm. I brought two down with the last magazine I had in the ARC weapon, then slung it and brought up my auto-shotgun. Blasting one and wounding another, I clambered up out of the trench and got into a kneeling stance, laying down a few shells as reinforcements poured in through the breached gate. The troopers that were still alive climbed up to join me and together we advanced across the field, reaching the bodies of the dead ARC soldiers. I drew my knife and cut free the webbing of one of them, throwing it back into the trench as the trooper on my left opened fire. I managed to grab another three before we were forced to retreat.
"You,” I said, pointing to the man on my right. "Divvy it up between us." The enemy was advancing again and I killed the nearest outright as a magazine was loaded into the ARC weapon on my shoulder. Swapping again I brought the rifle to bear as three spare mags were shoved into my belt.
"There's a few pineapples too, sir," he said.
"Well keep hold of them," I said. "When I give the word, sling 'em."
Something detonated in the building next to us and one of ours fell from the window, his body quickly peppered with rounds even before he hit the ground. Two volunteers were fleeing the burning shelter, but were quickly torn to shreds by a team approaching from the north. That meant that the north wall had fallen too and our flank was unprotected. Behind us the buildings became more concentrated the nearer they got to the church, much like a small village.
"Sling those grenades, soldier. We're falling back!" I shouted. He fumbled with the pins as I took down a stray ARC trooper, then I saw them go one after the other. As the first one detonated I gave the order to fall back and emptied the last of the magazine into the smoke cloud. When the third went up, I turned and scrambled up the side of the trench, rounds whistling past my ears. One tore at the leg of my trousers but I reached the nearest building unscathed.
"Covering fire. Spread out and get ready," I said, peering round the corner. I knew they'd struggle to cross the stream and it would buy us more time. "You three get back to the next building," I said, pointing to the nearest group. "The rest fall back in pairs. GO!"
The first ARC soldiers began to appear on our side. I crouched down and settled into a good firing position, finger resting on the trigger guard. It was a finely made weapon, light but robust and offered very little recoil. I was doing my best to save the shells of the shotgun until things got inevitably messy later on in the close confines of the church. I tried not to dwell on that particular thought.
Three rounds from the ARC weapon killed the closest soldier; another two went wide and slammed into the brickwork to the left. They dropped to the floor firing from the ground and I gave them a short burst before dropping back. The guy behind me took one in the chest and collapsed, another dived down behind a low wall and didn't get back up. As I reached a cobbled road I found myself on a street straight out of Victorian England, but didn't have much time to look around - the rest of my team were already on the other side ready to fight. I sprinted across to them as the first ARC troopers caught up.
The street became a confined war zone with fire exchanging across the wet cobbles. Storefronts smashed and collapsed, windows were shattered and the gutters were awash with blood from both sides. Some mad enough to try ran forwards and were cut down by our concentrated fire. Others began to creep along the length of the road, forcing us to split up and stop them from flanking us.
"Sir, they're thrashing us," someone said, but in the darkness I couldn't tell who. The church was getting closer and closer, we couldn't risk falling back too soon.
"BURNS, SHAP," the digi-com spat, distorted and almost inaudible.
"Shap receiving, go ahead."
"WE HAVE ARMOUR POURING IN THROUGH THE WEST GATE." My heart dropped into my boots.
"Shap received."
"What was it, sir?" that voice asked again.
"Nothing. Nothing at all," I replied. "Prepare to fall back to the next street."
*
The battle was being lost quicker than we'd anticipated. Time gained meant more time for the Avalon but as we dropped back nearer and nearer to the church, it wasn't looking like that option was on the cards. We were four streets from the graveyard, then another two hundred metres to the church door. Once inside the enemy armour would bring the place down around our ears, even if we were in the cellar. They'd find us soon enough.
With ammo short I allowed a couple of ARC troopers to get too close, then cut them down with the last of my magazine. Two behind me provided covering fire whilst I ran out into the fire storm of a deserted square and began cutting away at their webbing. As I removed the last one, I cut away part of the fabric and the dead soldier's body was revealed. His skin was rotten and blue, sores and scabs gathered on the surface as if he'd been dead for hours. One of my team was yelling something at me, but for a moment I was fixed on this man's body until finally I was yanked back into cover.
"What the hell were you doing?" The trooper asked, ripping a mag from the stolen gear.
"I..." I mumbled, but a hail of fire tore into the wall and we were forced backwards to another street. As we rushed into the next building, I couldn't get the image out of my head until ARC men poured in after us. They'd managed to find another way onto the street, skirting the chaos and managing to sneak up on us. All of a sudden we found ourselves in close quarters and knives were quickly drawn.
Four men behind me surged forwards, stabbing and slicing into their ranks. A rifle fired and in the closeness it was deafening. I lunged at one, planting the knife between his ribs and drew my pistol, putting a round in his skull. The knife came free as he fell and I shot another, swiping the next with a wide arc. He ducked and swung the butt of his weapon through the air but I jumped back away from it, putting two rounds into his chest. The room stunk of blood and death but still they came at us. One of mine took a blade in his stomach and he screamed, his killer going down straight after him with my knife in his neck. I shot one, took another down with a round in his kneecap. Then, when there was a big enough gap the remaining three troopers made for the door as I emptied the pistol into the enemy. In the confusion that followed I dived out into the alley that ran behind the building and into cover just as they came charging after us. There were ten more of my team waiting there and not one of the ARC soldiers made it any further than the step before being gunned down. A grenade was thrown in after them and we retreated to the next street - the spire of the church now within spitting range.
At the corner of a residential road we met another squad coming the other way and it was lucky that they didn't shoot us on sight. It was Walker's squad, around eleven men retreating from the western wall back to the church and when they saw us they didn't stop, they just started waving us back to the last street.
"RUN YOU IDIOTS!" He shouted as the hulking mass of an ARC tank turned the corner, it's cannon pointing straight at us. We were able to dive into the foyer of a flat block just as it fired, the shell roaring past us and landing three buildings down. It detonated and took out the e
ast wall of our cover, bringing the roof down around us. One man from Walker's team was impaled on a falling beam, two others were crushed under the stone as we stumbled out through the back door, our ears numb from the blast.
Running blindly with dust stinging my eyes, I leapt over a fallen lamppost and threw myself behind a rubbish skip, coughing my guts up. The graveyard of the church was on the other side of a five-foot wrought iron fence and Walker was on the other side urging his team over it two at a time. The tank rumbled along the street and sent vibrations through the ground. It was probably looking for the best way to follow us, as most of the roads weren't wide enough for it to get down - thank-fully. I ordered three troopers to spread out along the alley, looking for any ARC foot soldiers. After a few tense minutes of listening to the sounds of war being waged across the city, Walker whistled for us to follow. The three on watch went first, leaving me to cover them. Just as the last one was over the top, gunfire showered the skip and I was forced down behind it.
"Goddamnit, Shap - come on!" Walker yelled, but I waved him away towards the church. Reluctantly he nodded, leading the troops between the gravestones and into the darkness.
I stood. I fired from the shoulder, shattering the skull of the closest trooper. I advanced. I fired three rounds into the next one and two into the one behind him. Rounds flew past me. I knelt and fired again. Another one fell. The magazine dropped from the rifle and I slammed another into its place. Two rounds to my left. Three to the right. I moved ahead, striding into the fray as they came from one of the levelled buildings. The gun spoke and they collapsed. I was aware of a pain in my leg, but I stood firm and killed two more outright. When the trigger clicked in silence, I stood and waited for death.
But it didn't come. As I looked around at the destruction, I saw that there was no one left standing. I wasn't shocked. I wasn't proud. I wasn't anything at that point. It was only the growing rumble coming from the ground that broke me out of the trance. I looked down the street and saw the tank turning on its massive tracks with a horde of foot soldiers following behind it.
As the first .50 calibre rounds stuttered down the road towards me, I ran. I ran like the devil himself was behind the tillers of that behemoth and I leapt up at the fence, grabbing the railings and hurling myself over the top. I landed badly but continued across the graves where Walker was stood at the huge wooden doors, waving me in. Once inside I collapsed behind the sandbags with a chest that felt as if it was about to explode.
CHAPTER 15
The tank and its entourage had stopped on the other side of the fence and I watched it through one of the windows. The troops had taken up positions around it, obviously waiting for the order to proceed and Walker believed that they would secure the city before moving in for the kill.
"They still wonder if there is something waiting for them in here and it'll make them wary to rush in. I guess within another hour or so they'll make a move," he said as he paced up and down the aisle between the pews. The cellar door was still open at this point. Green was on guard there, ready to jump down and close it if we were breached. After half an hour there was still no sign of Tekoa, Brand or Wulfgar and the Lieutenant's last communication had been to tell Walker to retreat to the Church. ARC forces were quickly surrounding the perimeter of the graveyard and only the southern part was still open. A number of volunteers waited at the back, covering the ground between them.
"How long before we give up?" Walker asked, indicating Green.
"Until the last possible minute. When they make a move out there, we'll seal the hatch," I replied. Around us maybe two dozen men manned the windows and most were on their last few rounds. Between us, if every shot killed, we'd take another hundred at the most. But before we could do that, the tanks would level the building in seconds. "I'll guess nothing got out on the radio," I said.
"Well it's still broadcasting upstairs. It runs a looped message, but if they're jamming it it's useless anyway," Walker said, finally sitting down in one of the pews. His face was caked in black dust and blood trickled down from his scalp where something had hit him hard. "How's the leg?" He asked. I looked down. The bullet had passed straight through the fleshy bit of my thigh and I'd tied a strip of curtain at the top, but the blood was still seeping through the two bandages I'd put on.
"I'll live," he laughed.
"That's not saying much."
"It comes to us all, sooner or later," I reflected. "We can't avoid it forever."
"I must admit, I could think of better ways to go."
"Well I'll grant you that." I looked out of the window again. Nothing had changed. The driver of the tank had climbed up out of the hatch and was taking in some air. It hadn't been the devil driving after all. "A good shot for Brand, if she was here," I said. The driver wiped his brow, took up some binos and looked around. Then there was a 'pop' and the binos exploded in his hands, along with most of his head.
The troops scattered and began firing wildly at the church and I got down behind the sandbags just as the glass smashed and fell down around me. Cries came from the back of the church and shots were fired from our side. Walker raced down to see what was happening and was almost bowled over by Tekoa as he charged through the door, Brand following with sixteen other volunteers in tow.
"Take up positions - prepare to repel!" Ordered the Lieutenant as he strode in calmly. Everybody saw him and you could feel the morale rekindled inside them as they hurried to the windows.
"Wulfgar? The Sarge?" Walker asked. Burns shook his head.
"They were last seen when the armour rolled in through the gate. We haven't heard from them since."
"How bad is it?"
"The city fell quickly. Over eighteen tanks came in before we retreated, there were more outside waiting to get in. We fought them at every street, but in the end we just ran. We were hideously outnumbered." The roof shook and bits of plaster began to fall. "The digi-com?"
"Nothing, but it's still broadcasting." There was a terrific thud, followed by a lot of dust and falling brickwork as the spire came crashing down on the north side of the church. It landed inches away from the enemy lines leaving a gaping hole in the roof that let the moonlight in. "Well it was broadcasting. Thank-fully nobody was up there."
"Stand to," shouted Burns as he drew his pistol. "No man dies without my permission."
*
The ARC troops were sent in first. They wanted prisoners. From every available window, shots rang out and killed scores of the enemy. With the last few shells in my shotgun I took down six, wounding a seventh before withdrawing from the window. Taking up my pistol and knife, I waited by the doors with Burns.
"I suggest we seal the hatch, sir," I said to Burns. "We'll be no use fighting down there."
"I'd already thought about it," he replied. "But they want captives and even if they don't find them, they'll torture it out of one of the volunteers."
"Damned if we do, damned if we don't."
"Green has his orders," he said. It took a while to realise what he meant. I turned, saw Green still at the hatch, but this time he was above it and in his hand was the last grenade, his finger looped through the pin.
Any morsel of morale left in me evaporated there and then.
"Better dead than captured by these... these monsters!" mumbled Burns.
Back behind the skip I'd been in control of my life and my death, I'd faced it head on. But now, trapped in this place I realised that I was seconds from death, my own mortality was staring me down and I wanted to weep. I wanted to break down like a child but I couldn't. I just didn't have time.
My grip on my feeble weapons tightened and the air got harder and harder to breathe until I nearly fainted. Then I felt something inside, a cold spot emanating from my heart and spreading to my hands, my feet, and my head. All the worries and fears began to ebb away and all at once I felt... at peace.
"Can you feel that?" Burns said but his voice was crystal clear now - like starlight cutting through darkness.
"It's a miracle!” shouted someone from behind.
“You could say that...” said Burns. We grinned at each other and relaxed our weapons.
*
The Avalon fired its entire array of orbital lasers at once, their target - the city of Dothon. Under instruction from Sergeant Bill Phillips, the entire site was strategically blasted down to bare soil until no structure, vehicle or man was left standing. Except one, that is. Surrounded by a smouldering ring of burning earth, the church stood alone and untouched by the expertly aimed arsenal. Two kilometres away, a clean-up team led by Private Hagan Wulfgar closed in on the remains of the old frontier city and destroyed the reserve forces encamped in the forest.
Three days later, the survivors of the battle of Sidon were evacuated to the Avalon and the planet was abandoned. ARC forces had set up a heavily defended base at the southern continent and any plans to recapture Sidon would involve a large-scale invasion force, one that wouldn't be considered for quite some time.
EPILOGUE
In the debriefing we watched as the city was reduced to ashes over and over again. The nose-mounted cameras had captured every detail and as we explained the events that had transpired after planet-fall an operator annotated the images to provide a working time line. After eight hours the whole re-enactment was played out in full and stored for future study, no doubt by some students at Earth's War colleges. The history buffs would pull it to pieces. Hell, most of it defied belief even now and some of the officers gave us questioning looks. The funny thing was, such desperate battles often brought out untapped resources in people, gave them skills to do things you only saw in movies. Heroes were often said to be forged in the grittiest conflicts and I'd seen a great number of them born in the hell of Sidon.
Soul at War Page 11