“Yeah, I can do that.”
Chapter 22
Tarina and Wendy sat in the cockpit of their shuttlecraft and listened to the steady stream of bad news coming up from the surface of the planet. They had stopped tallying the casualty list hours ago; it was just too depressing to continue.
An unexpected knock on the door of their ship startled them. Tarina got out of her chair, walked to the side door, and opened it. A young Kurgan lieutenant stood there.
“Yes?” said Tarina in Kurgan.
“I’ve been ordered to tell you that you and your ship are to depart no later than 0430 hours,” said the officer.
“Why, is something wrong?”
“This ship is being rigged for detonation.”
Tarina furrowed her brow. “Pardon?”
“This is a munitions ship. It’s going to be used first thing tomorrow morning to destroy the shield protecting the rebel fortress.”
“Okay, that sort of makes sense. Where are we to go?”
“The supply ship, Kortan-4, is off our starboard side. You will move over there and await further directions. The ship’s captain is aware of your imminent arrival.”
“Okay. Is there anything we can do to help?”
The lieutenant shook his head. “Just keep out of sight. There are wild rumors circulating among the crew that saboteurs are onboard this ship. Since no one knows you and you speak Kurgan with an odd accent, I’d try to be as inconspicuous as possible.”
“Thanks for the advice. We’ll start our pre-launch preparations right away. Please tell the captain that we will be off his ship by 0430.”
The lieutenant bowed slightly, turned on his heel, and walked away.
Tarina closed the door and made her way back to the cockpit.
“What’s up?” asked Wendy
“We’re being evicted,” replied Tarina. “It sounds like the Kurgans are going to ram this ship into the shield covering the insurgent fort.”
“Will the explosion be powerful enough to disrupt the shield?”
Tarina shrugged. “I have no idea, but they’re desperate, and this is a move born out of desperation.”
“What are we going to do?”
“There’s another resupply ship off the starboard side that we’re to move to.”
Out of the cockpit window, they could see technicians running to and fro as they prepared the ship for destruction.
“I’ll warm up the engines,” said Wendy.
Tarina glanced at her watch; it was nearing two in the morning. “There’s no need to hurry. We don’t need to leave for a few hours yet.”
“Okay, I’ll make us some coffee and then check on the engines. How’s that sound?”
“Like a plan.” Tarina slid back into her chair and turned up the volume on her speaker. She listened in silence to a report coming from an armored regiment that was down to less than three percent of its original strength. Tarina closed her eyes and prayed that Michael was alright. She thought about trying to contact him but decide not to, in case he was in harm’s way. Her heart told her he was well, but until she could see him with her own eyes and hold him in her arms, she would always harbor a nagging fear in her mind that he was never coming home to her.
Chapter 23
The swirling mist parted. An unrecognizable figure dressed from head to toe in black clothes quietly stepped off the well-trodden path and walked into the thick woods. The silvery light of a full moon penetrated the forest sending long, crooked, finger-like shadows across the ground.
Somewhere off to the right, a twig snapped.
Adrenaline and fear surged through the masked man’s body. He stopped in his tracks and peered into the darkened woods. There was nothing there, but he was sure he had heard a noise. Up ahead he could see a fire burning brightly in a clearing. That was his destination. He moved behind a tree and took a moment to compose himself. It wasn’t his first time in the forest, but he had always been alone. Tonight was different; this night another man was somewhere out there with him.
The faint sound of leaves crunching underfoot in the distance caused the masked man to break out in a cold sweat. He warily turned his head and froze. Barely ten meters away was the other man. Try as he might, he couldn’t see the man’s face. It was blurred and unrecognizable. He held his breath as the man crept through the forest. His heart raced wildly as the man looked his way. For a few seconds, he thought he had been seen. With legs that felt like rubber, the masked man knew he could never outrun his opponent. The other man turned his head away and carried on toward the fire.
Relief flooded over the masked man. He waited until his foe was well ahead of him before stepping out from behind the tree. As quiet as he could, he followed the other man until he was at the edge of the clearing. The masked man dropped to one knee and took cover in a patch of tall ferns. The other man moved next to the fire and held out his hands to warm them. The cloud enveloping the man’s face began to fade. The masked man’s vision begun to clear with each second that passed by. Then without warning, the man turned his head and looked straight at him.
Komada sat straight up in bed. His heart was pounding in his ears. His clothes were soaked with sweat. He reached for a glass of water on the nightstand next to his bed and gulped it down. Komada looked at his hand and saw it was shaking uncontrollably. He set the empty glass on the nightstand, pulled on his boots, and stood up. The air was damp and chilly in his room. He reached for his jacket and put it on. Komada opened the door to his room and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. He heard the dull rumble of the fortress’ guns firing at the government troops stuck out in the open ground.
“Can I help you, sir?” asked a follower.
“No, I’m alright,” replied Komada. He smiled at the young rebel. “Do you know where I might find our guest?”
“Yes, sir. I saw him five minutes ago in the mess hall. I think he was having a hot drink and some soup.”
“Thank you, my son. May the Lord protect and watch over you.” With that, Komada marched to the mess hall and pushed open the door. The room was empty except for a lone man sitting at a table with his back to Komada.
“Are you looking for me, Komada?” said the man without looking back.
“Yes,” replied Komada. “How did you know it was me and not someone else?”
“Your left foot drags when you walk. Not a lot, but just enough to give you away. Why don’t you come join me and tell me what’s on your mind?” said Harry Williams.
Komada walked to the table and took a seat across from Williams.
“My God, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” said Williams, looking up from his meal.
“I had my dream again tonight,” said Komada. “Only this time I wasn’t alone. When I got to the edge of the woods, I saw the other man’s face.”
Williams placed his spoon down and looked deep into Komada’s eyes. “Was it him? Is he here?”
“Yes.”
“Are you positive?” said Williams, grabbing Komada’s right arm and squeezing it tight.
Komada grimaced in pain. “My visions are never wrong. Michael Sheridan is here.”
Williams let go of Komada’s arm and sat back in his chair, smiling. “It’s all falling into place. Your insurrection and my revenge will soon be achieved.”
“The Lord has guided him to you.”
Williams snickered. “You may believe in divine intervention, but I don’t. It was me who set all of this in motion, not some deity. Sure, your civil war had been brewing for years, but it was me who convinced you to finally light the match which has allowed it to spread across the empire.”
Komada shook his head. Williams was spouting blasphemy. He would have to pray extra hard to get the Lord to forgive him for his sins.
“What else did your vision reveal?” asked Williams.
“There was nothing else, only Sheridan standing next to the fire.”
“It’s a sure bet he won’t be alone. I hope you didn’t do
anything to piss off Cole because you know he’s going to be out there as well. It’s a given they’re going to find a way in and try to kill us.”
“Bah! This fort is impregnable. It would take a miracle for them to breach the walls.”
Williams stood up and looked around the room. “Just because your engineers built this fort deep into the side of a mountain, don’t believe for one second that it can’t be cracked open like a nut.”
“What do you mean by ‘your engineers’? Aren’t you a loyal member of the empire?”
Komada felt a shudder go down his spine when Williams smiled at him and walked away without saying another word. He had made a pact with the devil, of that Komada was sure. Williams’ fixation on revenge was beyond reason. If he didn’t have a weapon of unbelievable destructive power in his possession that he coveted, Komada would have ordered his death minutes after arriving at the fortress. However, Williams was far too smart. He had hidden the virus, and only he knew the access code to unleash the wrath of the Lord on the heretics.
Komada stood up and looked over at the clock on the wall as it neared half past two in the morning. His mind and body were wide awake. There was no point in going back to bed. He poured himself a cup of soup and sipped it while he contemplated the victory which lay ahead.
Chapter 24
“Admiral Kaar has agreed to modify the ops order,” said Sheridan to Cole as he handed back the radio handset to its operator.
“When does it all begin?” asked Cole.
“It already has. What heavy engineering assets they could find still on the ships in orbit are on their way down as well as two newly arrived brigades of combat engineers. The problem is that this has affected the planned sequencing for the deployment of the third wave of soldiers.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand,” said Kabar. “What does that mean?”
“There are only so many landing ships in your fleet, so they had to offload the Old Guard divisions to make room for the engineers and all of their equipment,” explained Sheridan.
Kabar still had a lost expression on his face.
Cole said, “Captain, it means instead of attacking at first light, we’re going to have to wait until the Old Guard gets here. I’m not the smartest guy in the Marine Corps, but even I can see that it’s going to be closer to noon when we launch our assault against the fort.”
“What about the fortress’ shield?” asked Kabar. “Do they have a plan to deal with it?”
“That they do,” replied Sheridan.
Cole wiped some sand off his rifle. “So, Major, what do you want to do?”
“We can’t stay here. I say we take advantage of what little darkness there still is and make our way as far forward as we can.”
“Why don’t we simply wait for the reinforcements to get here and follow in behind them?” asked Kabar.
“For two reasons,” responded Sheridan. “First off, we need to be in position when the Old Guard begin their assault. Secondly, I want to be able to see what’s going on, and I sure as hell can’t do that from back here.”
“Why not simply watch the live feed from a drone?”
Sheridan stepped in close to Kabar. “It’s only a picture; you don’t get a feel for what is really happening unless you are there. This discussion is over. We’re leaving now.”
With Cole in the lead, they crawled out of the hole and laid still on the ground for a few minutes while a couple of drones battled it out in the sky above them. As soon as it was safe to move, Cole led them toward the front lines. The flames from the burning vehicles ran the whole length of the horizon. Their first rest stop was taken behind a demolished armored personnel carrier. A missile had struck the engine compartment at the front of the vehicle and exploded, sending molten pieces of metal through the crew compartment, killing everyone inside. The back ramp was nowhere to be seen.
“At least it was a quick way to go,” said Cole as he peered inside at the charred corpses.
“The Lord will protect them,” said Kabar.
“Aren’t the people who killed these soldiers thinking the same thing?”
“Yes. But they are wrong.”
“Says who?”
Sheridan raised a hand. “Gents, this isn’t helpful. You can add religion to your debate when we get out of here. For now, I don’t want to hear another word about it. Got it?”
Kabar bowed his head.
“I was just busting his chops,” said Cole in his own defense.
Sheridan shook his head. “Give it a rest, Alan.”
“Yeah, alright.”
“There’s an armored bulldozer turned over about two hundred meters away. Pick a route and get us there safely.”
Cole nodded and stepped around the back of the APC and treaded carefully through the debris and lifeless bodies lying in the muck.
When they were less than twenty meters from the bulldozer, a faint voice called out, “Halt, who goes there?”
Cole stopped moving.
Kabar took a step and said, “My name is Captain Kabar. Who are you?”
A mud-encrusted face popped up from behind a boulder. “Sir, I’m damned glad to see you. I’m Corporal Kellin.”
“Are you alone?” asked Kabar.
“No, sir. There are forty-three of us laying low here,” replied Kellin.
“Where’s your officer?”
“Dead. You’re the first officer I’ve seen since Lieutenant Kuril died.”
“What’s your outfit?” asked Sheridan.
“Second Battalion, Ninety-Fifth Chosen Combat Engineers,” said Kellin.
“Now, there’s a stroke of luck,” said Cole to Sheridan in English.
Kellin went for his rifle.
“Don’t!” said Kabar. “They’re with me.”
Sheridan looked at Cole. “I know you’re not fond of speaking Kurgan, but you’ll have to give it a go while we’re here. I know you can speak it when you want to.”
“Yeah, but I sound like an idiot when I speak it.”
“It’s only for a few more hours.”
“Where are your men?” Sheridan asked the corporal.
“They’re spread out on either side of the bulldozer,” replied Kellin.
“Good. Tell them to keep their heads down and let them know that help is on the way.”
Kellin looked at Kabar and hesitated.
“Corporal, do as the major says,” said Kabar.
“The major? Yes, sir,” said Kellin.
Sheridan watched Kellin drop low and creep toward the wrecked vehicle. “I say we follow him.”
“Can do,” said Cole, stepping in Kellin’s footprints. They took cover behind the bulldozer’s massive steel blade.
Sheridan brought up his binoculars and looked around. The anti-tank ditch was less than thirty meters away. After that the ground was open all the way to the fortress; he knew the ground in front of them would be sown with even more anti-personnel mines. The cost in lives was going to be enormous, but there was no other way. They had to keep pushing forward.
Cole tapped Sheridan on the arm and offered him his canteen. “Penny for your thoughts, boss?”
Sheridan took the canteen and took a sip of cool water. He gave back the bottle and said, “If the Kurgans coordinate their efforts as I discussed with Admiral Kaar, I think we have about a thirty percent chance of making it all the way to the outer wall of the fortress.”
“I would have given us ten percent. You’re getting generous in your old age.”
“And you, First Sergeant, are the eternal pessimist.”
“I’ve said it before. At least when things go south, I’m not disappointed.”
“When does the first phase of the attack begin?” asked Kabar.
Sheridan glanced down at his watch. “In about forty minutes.”
Cole looked up at the rain. “At least the ladies are somewhere safe and dry.”
Chapter 25
“Okay, Tarina, we’re ready to depart,” said W
endy, looking up from her navigational computer.
“Thanks,” replied Tarina as she slipped her headset on. In Kurgan, she said, “Bridge, this is Shuttle 471 requesting permission to leave.”
Silence.
“Maybe you’re on the wrong frequency?” suggested Wendy.
Tarina checked her comms console and saw she was on the right frequency. “Bridge, this is Shuttle 471 requesting permission to leave.”
As before there was no answer.
“That’s odd. Someone on the bridge must have heard you.”
“Maybe they’re having comms problems.”
“That would explain a lot.”
Tarina unbuckled herself and stood up. “I’m going to see if that Kurgan lieutenant is still around. Perhaps he knows why we can’t reach the bridge.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No. This shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll stay here and keep the engines hot and ready.”
Tarina smiled at her friend.
Wendy picked up a pistol and handed it to Tarina. “You know what they say, better safe than sorry.”
“Thanks,” she said as she slipped the weapon into the holster on her belt. Tarina walked to the crew compartment and opened the door. The hangar was eerily quiet. She had expected to see one or two technicians still working. Instead, she was alone. The hair went up on the back of her neck.
“Hello, is anybody here?” called out Tarina.
She walked to the nearest exit and looked down the length of the corridor. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the lieutenant lying on the floor, motionless. Tarina drew her pistol and aimed it. With her weapon held out in front of her, she slowly walked to the Kurgan. Tarina bent down to take a closer look at the lieutenant. His chest wasn’t moving. She turned his head toward her and let out a cry of fright. The Kurgan’s mouth hung open, and bloody foam filled his mouth. His eyes were also filled with blood.
Insurrection (The Kurgan War Book 6) Page 13