by Fleet, Ricky
“Sir, I think I saw something,” muttered Tish, scanning the debris behind them.
“They’ve recovered quicker than I’d hoped, we don’t have any time to waste.”
“Sir, how can we extract the Vanquishers if we’re being stalked? They could pick them off one by one as we pull out of the city.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Our priority is to drive the infected back long enough to exfil the hotel.”
“That’s a great idea! Why don’t we use the Langston suspension bridge? It’d mean they have to funnel to pursue us?”
“Circling north via the bridge would add three miles to the journey,” Bateman pondered.
“I just thought I’d suggest it, sir. It’d probably make the retreat more dangerous.”
“No, I like it. If we can’t shake the wolves, at least we can get clear and destroy it. The water is just as dangerous for them as it is us,” Bateman agreed. “Command, can you read me?”
“Loud and clear, Captain.”
“I’m sending you new coordinates for the Paladins,” he replied, psy-linking with the navigation system to amend the route of the tanks.
“Received. ETA to rendezvous now thirty-eight minutes.”
“Understood. Bateman, out.”
Pushing through a set of exit doors at the rear of the building, the lintel and surrounding blockwork was blown out onto the street. The commotion of shrieking mutants and hollow booms of displacement grenades became more intense as the Mechs stepped out from the rubble strewn building.
“We move to the next junction and turn left. We can unload on the crowd from the street corner. With any luck they’ll attack in force and we can thin them out with some well-placed cluster shot.”
Paddy turned from the gaping hole to survey the eastern section of road. Panes of glass fell from above, shattering at their feet. Before Tish could shout a warning, one of the burned wolves pounced from the shattered second floor, landing amongst the team. Snapping out, its muzzle locked on to Paddy’s arm. With a flick of its powerful neck, Paddy’s hulking machine was tossed back into the ruins. Like lightning, the creature leapt after him and was gone from sight.
“Paddy! Hold on, we’re coming for you!”
“Like hell you are!” came his grunted reply over comms. The sounds of tearing metal accompanied the transmission. “Eat this, you mother fucker!”
Large calibre gunfire echoed within the building, followed by a yelp of pain.
“We can help you, Paddy!”
“No! Get our boys and girls out of here!” he ordered, snarling in pain as the armour started to give way. “Captain, requesting permission for Tish to level the building?”
Bateman could think of no alternative which wouldn’t jeopardize the mission in its entirety. Reluctantly, he replied. “Granted. Team pull back to minimum safe distance.”
Taking advantage of the distraction brought by their compatriot, the Mechs ran as fast as they were able in combat readiness. Tish crushed her raging emotions into a tight ball and turned back to the skyscraper. The sundered entrance still lit up with the muzzle flashes, but Paddy had gone radio silent to spare his crew the cries of agony.
“God be with you, brother,” whispered Tish. “Firing.”
The wide avenue flashed as the remaining artillery shell belched from the second shoulder pod. Punching through the wall, it took a second for the ammunition to reach the correct depth. Every wall and window up to the eighth floor exploded, covering the street in twinkling shards and broken masonry. Listing to the left, the weakened steel frame could no longer take the weight of the twenty remaining levels. Starting slowly, the roar of disintegration became deafening as the structure collapsed in on itself. A cloud of dust washed over them, completely obscuring their vision.
“Switch to laser scanners.”
The internal displays superimposed the readings from the sensors, highlighting the linear outlines of the other buildings and vehicles through the concealing shroud.
“Captain, come in? Are you still there?”
“We’re here, Lieutenant,” Bateman sighed, leading his battered team to the corner.
“We saw the collapse and thought the worst,” replied the soldier. “What happened?”
“We can talk once we’re all home. Until then take cover because we’re about to unleash hell.”
“Roger. Happy hunting.”
The swirling dust storm had not yet abated, but the probing lights picked out the swarming infected in the distance.
“Tish and Clay, you’re on the walls. Take any out that are nearing the fifth floor, but make sure to disarm your explosive tips. I don’t want any fires trapping them inside after all we’ve been through. Gabe, you’re with me. We pick them off from the sides until they attack in force and then lay a stream of cluster grenades to chew them up.”
“Understood,” came the replies.
Most of the creatures had ceased their attempts to reach the trapped soldiers after sensing the deaths of their beasts. Milling around in confusion, they were caught completely by surprise as the gritty mist expelled a barrage of bullets into their ranks. The walls were quickly scoured of the taint of the infected, the bloody smears dripping from the pocked stonework. Leaning their heads back, the mutants shrieked into the air and then surged towards the threat like a tsunami.
“That’s it, come on,” snarled Bateman at the rapidly approaching horde. “On my mark… fire!”
Metal retaining clips chimed as they hit the tarmac from the grenade launchers. Bouncing at the head of the column, the casings blew apart and spat the smaller bomblets throughout the crowd. It was a slaughter. Hundreds upon hundreds of smaller detonations blanketed the packed creatures in fire and shrapnel. Two thousand quickly became two hundred as the torn and shattered bodies of their kin collapsed and bled out on the street. Gore coated every inch of the surrounding buildings, with unidentifiable hunks of flesh splashing wetly back to the earth. Breaching the safe effective range of the heavy artillery, another hundred and eighty fell to the torrent of bullets. The remaining abominations leaped upon the Mechs, climbing and screeching in hunger for the flesh inside. Lacking the destructive tools of their beasts, they clawed ineffectually at the armour.
“Crush them all!”
In no hurry they removed the clambering monsters from each other, holding them aloft and squeezing. The weak flesh ruptured under the incredible pressures of the Mechanical hands, innards and blood spraying over their black suits. The catharsis as each body popped under the compression was short lived when compared to their losses.
“Captain, we’ve cleared the infected from the staircases and lifts. Awaiting orders.”
“The streets should be clear, Lieutenant,” Bateman replied, discarding the last mutant. “Wait for us in the main reception while we confirm.”
“Roger.”
Stepping through the quagmire of quivering meat, the Mechs shot any survivor point blank. Given time, they would regenerate and be just as dangerous.
“Sir, it’s damned good to see you!” said the lieutenant as he emerged with his squad.
“No time for celebration just yet, we’re heading for the Langston Bridge. It’s further, but far easier to defend without worrying about our flanks. The Paladins will be waiting on the other side.”
“Understood.”
“Tish, Clay, you’re on point. Gabe and I will follow to the rear. Lieutenant, form up in the middle; keep your team tight and central in the roads until we clear the city limits. We don’t know if they have any other surprises in store and I’ll be damned if we lose any more people today.”
“It’s my fault, Captain,” exclaimed a shame faced young woman.
“And you are?”
“Corporal Jess Slater, Shadow team.”
“How’s this your fault then, Corporal?”
“I was scouting the area and followed a group of infected back into the tunnels. It looked to be a fledgling nest with minim
al numbers, so I called in a platoon of V-class operators to destroy it before it became a danger to the facility.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t understand it, but it was a fake. Lieutenant Groves and his team were in the process of clearing them out when the real nest revealed itself. A hundred became thousands in a couple of minutes.”
“It’s not your fault,” Groves replied earnestly. “They’ve never done anything like that before.”
“You lost eight of your team trying to cover our retreat. That’s on me.”
“Corporal, you did your job as you’ve been trained to do, as did the lieutenant. The only ones to blame are the mutants, and even they’re innocent in the big scheme of things. They’re a product of our betrayers in the stars.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, sir,” she said. Her tone left no doubt she still felt the weight of responsibility and nothing would alter it.
Bateman’s headset lit up with a new transmission. “Captain, are you receiving?”
“Receiving, command. Go ahead,” Bateman replied.
“Scans show the infected have found an exit and are hot on your heels. They’ll be on you in fifteen. The Paladins are in position to extract the ground troops.”
“Thanks for the heads up. We should be at the bridge in under twelve minutes at our current pace.”
“Good work, Captain. Command, out.”
Through the gaps in the towering buildings, the dilapidated bridge came into view. Several of the tension cables had snapped, leaving the structure sagging slightly.
Bateman scowled in his suit, considering the safest way to cross. “Lieutenant, you’ll take your team across while we hold back. We’ll then follow in pairs to spread the weight. I’m sure it’ll hold, but I don’t want to tempt fate with the luck we’ve all had today.”
“We’ll help to cover you from the other side, sir.”
“Very good.”
The road widened to an eight-lane carriageway, splitting to the left and right. The left lane twisted towards the upper level of the bridge, while the road to the right spiralled downwards towards the lower section.
“Squad, halt. I don’t like this.”
“What’s the matter, sir?”
“Too many places to hide in the lower level. I wouldn’t put it past the bastards to lay another trap for us.”
“Sir, if you’ll allow me, I can scout below while the team crosses above,” asked Slater.
“You could get trapped under there.”
“I understand, but I’d like to do it regardless, sir.”
“As you wish. Lieutenant, prepare your team to move out the second Slater confirms if the way’s clear.”
“Yes, sir.”
The column of soldiers and machines moved on as Slater disappeared around the bend in the road. Toll booths lay dormant, the road covered in loose change that had started to settle into the softening road surface. The welcome beacons of the tank division blazed into view on the opposite side of the black river.
“Sir, this is Lieutenant Adenfield. We’re in position. I hear you’ve got a shitstorm coming?”
“Only a few thousand psychotic cannibals that want to tear us limb from limb, nothing we can’t handle.”
“Just say the word and we’ll level the city for you. We don’t want you Mech operators having all the fun, do we?”
“Once we’re across the bridge you can take out as many as you want. Until then I want you to hold fire, the bridge looks like she’s ready to collapse as it is. A few of your eight-inch shells could cause enough vibration to bring the whole thing down.”
Losing the levity, the tank commander was serious in an instant. “Understood, sir. We’ve got your back.”
“Sir, this is Slater. There’s nothing hiding below but ghosts.”
“Good work, Corporal. V squad, move out! Mechs, form up on the approach, Clay to the centre.”
Grateful to hear the receding sounds of synchronous footfalls, the Mech operators moved into guard position. Watching the dead city, they were all filled with a yearning for better times. When they would drive into the bustling urban streets with their families for trips to the museums or variety of restaurants. Navigating the manic pavements as people went about their lives, oblivious to those around them. The only life now lurking within the ancient mazes of human habitation was not really life at all, just a blasphemy of their previous form. When the shrieks of the infected faded away to nothing, it was replaced by the mournful wails of wind blowing through the desolate vestiges of civilization.
“Sir, we’re clear. We’re covering the approaches.”
“Good. Tish and Clay, get your asses across. Any signs of structural instability and you come straight back; we’ll just move south and take our previous route back to base.”
“Aye, sir.”
The two Mechs peeled away and started to navigate the damaged structure. The added weight of their suits caused the ancient tensile cables to groan in protest. Pausing for a few moments, they watched carefully for any signs of distress on the road or upright columns.
“I think it’ll be ok, sir,” Clay confirmed.
Bateman wished them good luck and continued to watch the streets. From his angle he could only see down Main and a portion of Connor Avenue, the rest were obscured. He could hear the growing roar of thousands of the infected bouncing from the high walls. Switching to rear view, he breathed a sigh of relief when the two Mechs reached the safety of solid ground and moved with the Vanquishers to cover their retreat.
“You’re clear to proceed, Gabe. Get moving.”
“What about you, sir?”
“I’ll be right behind you. Move!”
The previously still roads were teeming with the infected who were sprinting at an incredible speed. Sighting the nearest threat a mile away, he fired three bursts, left to right and back again, cutting through the creatures like a scythe. Tearing through their dead, the swarm pushed on towards their target.
“Whoa! Sir, be careful when you follow, the bridge is moving more now.”
Turning, Bateman looked up at the massive cables which were swaying slightly. The pings of straining metal were accompanied by a loud crack of rupturing concrete. Ignoring the horde, he moved to the edge of the bank and looked out across the murk. Hissing in horror, Bateman could scarcely believe the sight before him. The third wolf was madly clambering from beneath the bridge where it had been lying in wait, concealed by the noxious mist.
“Gabe, move!”
Claws digging into the column, it hoisted itself into the darkness of the lower level. Gabe could hear the guttural panting coming from below and switched to high responsiveness. Starting to run, each crashing impact caused the snakelike wires to rock, with some finally snapping from the stress. Cars were kicked aside in his panic, but each blockage slowed his progress by a fraction of a second until the mutant had passed him. Using all its strength, the monster jumped at a section of broken road, smashing upwards and blocking Gabe’s path.
“Hold tight, soldier, I’m coming!” Bateman yelled.
The wolf shook itself to throw off the daze from the impact. Gabe took full advantage of the opportunity and opened fire on the creature’s exposed flank. Explosive rounds tore through the flesh, causing it to howl in pain. Badly wounded, the wolf jumped sideways to avoid the gunfire, spilling coils of shredded intestines and copious amounts of blood. Refusing to let up, Gabe followed the monster and let loose another stream of bullets. Shattering the muzzle and right side of its skull, the altered beast let out a keening wail which sounded like a screaming child. Any pity the operator might have felt was lost as it weakly flung itself on crippled legs towards him. Crashing to the ground three feet short of its target, he raised his arm to finish the job.
“No!” roared Bateman as he saw the unfolding destruction, stopping dead in his tracks.
The lower level crumbled, taking one of the support columns with it. As the massive weight pulled on th
e already weakened cables, they snapped like elastic bands. No longer under tension, they whipped out into the night and across the upper level, taking out the Mech at the legs which slammed to the ground. Unable to support the thousands of tonnes of metal and concrete, Bateman’s side of the bridge sheared away completely from the rock face. Dropping towards the river, Gabe let out a muffled cry as his machine joined the plunging debris. Hitting the water, a huge wave of rancid water was created by the collapsing structure. When the displaced liquid washed back in to claim the prize, the mortally wounded wolf’s shrieks reached a crescendo of torment. The highly corrosive river ate into the bullet holes and skin, steaming the fats away as it ate deeper and deeper. Sinking beneath the black surface, the oily residue of melting flesh bubbled to the surface.
“Sir, help me!” Gabe screamed from inside his suit.
Staring around desperately for a way out, his arms reached imploringly to the sky as the heavy Mech joined the bridge and sank.
Bateman’s blood ran cold as he issued the command. “System override, code two, two, eight, four, three. Proceed with interior cleanse on Mech designation D thirty-five.”
System override denied. Life signs detected.
“I fucking know you piece of shit computer! I repeat; system override, code two, two, eight, four, three. Proceed with interior cleanse on Mech designation D thirty-five.”
System override denied. Life signs detected.
Shaking with fury, he was about to order the Paladins to try and fire into the murk when General Ashdown came over comms.
“Executive override, code five, two, nine, nine, one. Proceed with interior cleanse on Mech designation D thirty-five.”
From the deeps, a light blazed to life as Gabe was mercifully spared the ordeal of melting as the seals on his suit gave way to the acid. Staring at the seething surface for long seconds, the faraway voice of the tank commander eventually broke through his fugue.