He had to, because right now his unit needed his firepower, and his battlefield awareness remained limited. Danny continued firing bursts, having to stop and reload twice. Not having belts of ammunition at his disposal really didn't suit him at all
The garrison patrol continued to advance down the boulevard, hugging any bit of cover they could find. Bravo Wolf's height advantage served them well, but the enemy in front of them still wasn't going down fast enough.
“We don't have enough firepower to deal with this,” Xavier said. Most of the platoon's heavy weaponry had been lost during the chaotic drop.
“Keep it up,” Danny ordered, though he was starting to have his doubts as well. Where the heck had Javy run off to?
And then he got his answer. Gunfire suddenly tore into the left flank of the enemy patrol, killing several. The survivors started to turn to meet the new threat, but seconds later they were shot down as well.
Danny couldn't quite suppress his grin. Javy had improvised a flanking maneuver on the fly, getting into perfect position and then laying the hurt on the enemy. The few remnants of the patrol broke and fled.
“No casualties from our end,” Javy chimed in over the radio.
“None for us either,” Xavier reported.
“Good. Let's head for the Lake Park and regroup,” Danny ordered.
Bravo Wolf quickly abandoned their positions and hurried back the way they came. Danny felt a combination of satisfaction and unease. They had almost double the numbers at their disposal. But after that skirmish, his kit felt lighter.
Much, much lighter.
13
Ambush Alley
The enemy never even stood a chance.
They were on alert and wary, escorted by several tanks and infantry squads, but the convoy still had to stick to the road. That made their movements predictable, and made them sitting ducks.
The lead tank abruptly slewed to a halt, ugly black smoke pouring from its hatches. The burning shell forced the rest of the convoy to stop for a moment to avoid collisions.
That was when the rest of her force struck.
Trucks suddenly blew up and disintegrated under a withering barrage of machine gun fire and recoilless rifles shells. The convoy's guards tried to rally and form some sort of defensive front, but devastating gunfire shot most of them down within seconds. One of the trucks carrying an antiaircraft gun turned its quad mount toward the forest, preparing to mow down anything in its way. Trees, scrub, brush, bodies, it wouldn't matter against the power of so many cannons.
BAM!
The gun mount blew apart in a thousand pieces, the victim of yet another recoilless rifle round. Selene watched as the crew reloaded their weapon and took aim at a tank. Seconds later their target stopped moving, a hole through its turret.
She activated her radio. “Raven Flight, you're clear. Go to town on them.”
“Roger that, Alpha Wolf.”
Another sound filled the air, almost like that of ripping fabric. Several trucks were turned to scrap metal by the sheer weight of fire thrown out by the helicopter mounted miniguns Raven Flight was packing. A pair of shapes zoomed overhead, their considerable armament blazing.
“Firing rockets,” Blake warned.
A huge section of the roadway went up in flames. Selene and many of the others near here were forced to duck behind cover to avoid flying debris. It wasn't just their attacks; the enemy convoy had ammunition and explosives destined for the front lines. When combined with the furious firepower her unit was dishing out, the result was a spectacular fireworks display.
And as suddenly as it had begun, the fighting started to tapper off. She could hear sporadic gunfire up and down the line, but the majority of the enemy convoy laying in ruins. They only had to deal with the few stragglers.
“All commanders, report.”
“No casualties on our end,” Gavin said.
“None on mine either,” Ethan reported.
“We're fine,” Justin said.
“We are as well,” Max said, rounding out their unit.
Selene nodded. “Blake, did we miss anyone?”
“I'll make another pass, but looks like you got everything in the convoy. Wasn't that big anyhow.”
Maybe not, but it had given them the opportunity to practice and hone their coordination. Selene had a good portion of her platoon present, but that only made up part of the new company. All of the squads were a mix of troops from different companies, because that's what they had on hand. If they were going into battle against Ragnarok, especially against the Valkyries, she wanted to know that all of the troops from different units could work together.
It wasn't all that bad. She had Ethan and Gavin with her, which helped with familiarity. She had worked with Justin plenty as well, having been one of the officers temporarily assign to Barghest during their founding. She didn't know Max as well, but Nora had worked with him and could vouch for his abilities.
Getting organized was only half the battle, though. They still needed to train their skills back to their normal standards, especially their marksmanship. They had done a bit of that in a safe, controlled environment on the shooting range, but nothing increased their abilities like pure combat experience.
Fighting within the city would be dangerous and likely get them killed in the process, but there were other areas they could use for training. Ragnarok had to run supplies between their home base in Madison to the front lines in Milwaukee by truck. The roads between the two cities passed through many forests and bends, which made them very vulnerable.
Ghost Battalion had frequently raided them in the past, causing huge amounts of damage for few losses. Ragnarok had implemented countermeasures; the tanks in the column, for instance, were a direct response to the constant raids. But with so much ground to cover and limited resources available, the amount they could do remained limited. The ambushers would always have the initiative, since they could dictate when and where battles would be fought.
And Ghost Battalion had a variety of ways to hurt the enemy. Before they had attacked this convoy, Selene's company had mined another one of the main routes. Anyone driving through would set off a series of explosions, causing untold destruction and havoc. Even if the enemy found them, they would still have to spend a considerable amount of time and effort removing them.
Fear. That was their best weapon in this case. They didn't have to be everywhere or mine every road to be effective. Just the mere threat would keep Ragnarok jumpy and on their toes. Every guard they placed with the convoys meant less troops at the front lines. Every minute they had to slow down to check for traps or ambushes meant supplies weren't getting through. Slowly, surely the raiders could dramatically influence the tide of battle, even though they weren't even close to the front lines.
But this wasn't going to be a permanent thing. They had to get back to the Shorewood District to accomplish their mission, and this was just a sideshow, a way to regain their skill level so they could be effective in the next fight.
“Are we good?” Gavin asked.
“We're good,” Selene confirmed. “Raven Flight, we're ready for pickup.”
“Copy that.”
Their skills were steadily getting better. She just hoped they were ready when the time came to fight again.
* * *
A few days later they met to make the final preparations for the upcoming attack.
“Can you hear us?” Zach asked as he tried to patch in some of the others over the radio.
“We can hear you, but we might have to suddenly make a run for it,” Anna warned on the other end of the line. “Just be aware of that.”
Selene knew her group was still in the southern end of the Shorewood District, cut off from most other forces and under constant threat of discovery. It had to be hard, trying to keep out of sight with an IFV, even a small one.
“I can hear you just fine,” Danny said. “Try to not get yourself killed, though. You're the only ones with a boos
ted set, after all.”
“Huh, we're not planning on it,” Liz replied.
Zach leaned over the map table. “OK then, let's get started. I'll try to feed you guys as much data as possible, but it might be limited, since you're wrist menus don't have the capabilities this table does.”
“Right, but we can probably get the gist of things,” Anna said.
“OK, first question. How big is your southern force?”
“We're picking up parts of Barghest, or at least the parts that managed to make it to the ground alive.”
Selene glanced at Justin and then spoke up. “That's probably only a squad or two, right? Because we have more than a platoon here.”
Barghest's remaining troops were the backbone of her company, simply because they had the greatest number of troops present. Their second transport had made it back to base safely with all hands aboard, and they had been reinforced by those killed in combat. Black Wolf, who made up the second largest contingent, only had about half their numbers.
“We have nine infantry with us, to be precise. We're trying to link up with a few more, but that's slow going. There's Ragnarok and garrison patrols all over the place.”
That was par for the course. Continual fighting in a district increased NPC activity, and Ragnarok had probably stirred up the hornets's nest.
“Here's a question for you guys,” Danny spoke up. “How's the offensive into St. Francis going?”
“Making progress,” Zach replied.
“Huh, that could mean a million different things. Are they going to be able to make the timetable, or are they going to be delayed? I know we're the last ones who should be talking about that, but...”
“According to Bryce from the last time I talked with him, which was a day ago, they have about a third of the district and expect to have about half in the next few days. They're starting to meet heavier resistance, though, so I don't know if that's going to be the case.”
Selene nodded. “Makes sense. Ragnarok's probably pouring in their reserve.”
“They poured in there reserve here too,” Gavin said, referring to the Cudahy District. “How much do they really have to spare?”
“The better question is, what part of the line do they have to weaken to bring in the reinforcements?” Gray said. “That might give us the opportunity to strike.”
“We don't have the forces to spare right now,” Anna said, her voice sounding tinny over the radio link. “Our objective is the capture of the city, so we need to commit our resources here.”
“Couldn't we just cut it off and leave it to wither on the vine, so to speak? Why spend all this time in urban combat when we can use our mobility?”
“Because that only solves part of our problem,” Zach said. “Half of the city was under NPC control, so cutting them off from Madison would do nothing to them. Besides, we didn't have the forces to complete an encirclement. If they hit us from both sides our line would have buckled and they would have broken out.”
“OK, forget I said anything.”
“Anyhow,” Danny cut in, “I'm guessing that the St. Francis attack is going to draw in most of Ragnarok's reserve, so they probably haven't been able to add more troops here. Unfortunately, I have no way to verify that, but...”
“I think that's a safe bet,” Zach agreed.
Selene agreed as well. Either they sent their reinforcements to St. Francis, or they committed them to Shorewood, leaving the south extremely vulnerable. And while the second case wouldn't help Ghost Battalion, it would help the alliance as a whole.
“”So what do we have on hand?” Selene asked.
“I have about a full platoon up here in the Lake Park,” Danny reported. “Most of Xavier's and Javy's squads are with me, and Logan made his way to us. No clue where Karen is, but hopefully she'll find his way to us. I think she might have gotten dropped across the river.”
“In that case, she's not getting there anytime soon,” Anna said. “They'd have to get across one of the bridges, and most of them are guarded.”
Zach nodded. “OK, but we still have a full platoon.”
“Yeah. Be advised that we're running short on ammo, so we're only going to get one good fight in before we're pretty much useless. I thought about mounting a raid on one of the NPC supply stocks, but then I decided it was too risky.”
“Understood. We might try to sneak some in to you beforehand.”
Selene didn't know whether Zach was suggesting an air drop, smuggling it in by the water route or something else. In any case, it would be extremely dangerous. The skies above the district definitely weren't safe for transports or helicopters, and running supplies through the water route wouldn't be much better. Danny had sent them pictures of the beach they'd have to use; wide open, exposed and with no places for a covering force to step up and provide protection. Their only hope might be a night run, but Ragnarok had night vision equipment, so even that wasn't particularly safe.
“What's our plan of attack?” Liz asked.
Zach touched a few buttons on the display. “We're going to be targeting the marina, like we've been discussing for a while. Spectre's still holding out in the art museum, which is drawing the enemy's attention. That means the southern part of the marina is going to be more heavily defended, so we're going to concentrate our efforts on the northern half.”
“It's not going to be easy for us to get into position to actually do anything,” Nora spoke up. “Bear in mind that we're in the southern end, and Ragnarok had a pretty tight grip around the areas north of us. Getting the Gazelle through the streets probably isn't going to go unnoticed.”
“Can you at least get west of the northern part of the marina?”
“We can try,” Anna said. “But then, we can't guarantee anything.”
Zach nodded. “No matter. Our main objective is to secure the landing zone so we can get our troops ashore. Danny, that means your platoon is going to have to perform most of the fighting while we land.”
“Understood.”
“We'll open up with an attack from Danny's section in the northern landing zone to try and secure the beachhead. Spectre will do what they can to keep the southern end busy. Once the Valkyries are engaged we'll send in the main force in river craft.”
“Can I make a request?” Danny asked.
“Yeah, what do you need?”
“Can you bring a few anti-tank guns with you? They'll help give us more firepower, which we really need. If we have enough supplies we might actually be able to build a fortified base within the lake park.”
“I'll keep that in mind, but the first priority is to get as many troops and as much small arms ammo on the ground as possible.”
Smart move, Selene thought. Artillery, air power, armor, those could all play an important part, but a battle would always be decided by the infantry on the ground. If they were unable to fight effectively, then there was no hope of victory.
“What do you want us to do?” Anna asked.
“One of two things,” Zach said. “I'd prefer that you join up with Danny's force and attack the northern shoulder of the marina. However, I know that might not be possible. So if you can't find a way to link up with them, the next best thing would be to support Spectre. Help them keep the pressure on Ragnarok at the southern end.”
“That's much more doable,” Nora spoke up again.
“We're providing fire support, right?” Robbie said.
“Yeah. We'll be using the Hornet section assigned to this district, which is going to be under the command of Blake. Robbie will lead the boat section, along with several craft that are going to provide fire support. Bryce agreed to loan us the crew needed to man the mortar craft.”
“Good news,” Selene commented. It might not be much, but having several 120mm mortars on hand certainly wouldn't hurt their case.
“What about top air cover?” Anna asked. “The one worry I have is that they're going to call in fighters or dive bombers, and we don't have an effec
tive counter for them.”
“We're on our own for that, I'm afraid,” Zach said. “Perseus is committed to covering the St. Francis offensive, so they don't have anything to spare. We'll do what we can against them.”
An unsettling murmur filled the room, and Selene felt a sense of dread come over her. Not accounting for one of Ragnarok's most powerful assets did nothing to boost their confidence, already rattled by having to go up against the enemy's toughest units.
“We really need to invest in antiaircraft weapons, if we're not going to be able to take control of the air from them,” Liz said.
“Soon,” Zach replied.
“What the heck does that mean?”
“You'll find out later. Anyhow, we'll fight with what we have on hand. I'll send all section commanders the maps detailing our routes of attack. Disseminate them to your troops as needed. We'll be launching our offensive in two days. Until then, make sure you're ready to fight and don't get caught out in the open by the enemy. Any questions?”
There were none.
“Alright then. I'll signal you all in two days when we're ready to go.”
Selene made one last glance at the map table. She couldn't quite shake the feeling of dread coming over her. Once again they had to face their toughest nemesis in combat, and this time they might not have the necessary resources on hand. Divided, lacking firepower, vulnerable…
Could they really pull this off?
14
Iron Storm
The weather on Lake Michigan was clear, sunny, in sharp contrast to what was going on in the real world. Rainy weather had swept across the upper midwest, forcing everyone indoors. That suited them just fine, though because that meant there were no other obligations to contend with. They could settle the score with the enemy here and now.
Besides, even with the clear weather another storm was brewing inside the virtual world. The calm would be broken soon enough when the shooting started.
Commando City: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 7) Page 13